Agent Goldschmidt Talks Softly and Represents Some Big Sticks

Eric Goldschmidt is short, slight and soft-spoken. His appearance and demeanor are those of someone involved in arts and letters. Maybe ledgers. Which, indeed, he is.

A graduate in accounting from USC and now considered a tax specialist, Goldschmidt, 28, lacks the image of a high-powered agent. Which is also what he is. An agent, at least.

And he is high powered enough to have helped Cincinnati Reds center fielder Eric Davis, who made $333,000 in his second full season last year, get a contract that could bring him $1,005,000 this year. High powered enough to have 16 clients after an improbable entry into the business when he was 21.

“I had always loved sports but was too small to play,” said the 5-foot 6-inch, 130-pound Goldschmidt.

Goldschmidt went to Birmingham High School in Van Nuys and UCLA before transferring to USC. “I got interested in becoming an agent when I heard agents talking about the different facets of negotiating on TV,” he said.

Goldschmidt added that he began scouring newsstands, boning up on baseball magazines in an attempt to determine the best young prospects, players who might be interested in hiring an agent.

He settled on Danny Cox, a 6-4, 220-pound pitching prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system.

“He was highly ranked in all the magazines, and I called him cold, with no introduction,” Goldschmidt said.

“I explained my background and said I’d like to represent him. He wasn’t surprised because he was getting calls from a lot of agents.”

It took more than one call, but Cox finally settled on Goldschmidt.

“He liked the fact that I had accounting and tax training, and his mother thought I was the politest agent who called,” Goldschmidt said.

Cox now makes $750,000 a year, and Goldschmidt also represents promising Red shortstop Barry Larkin, San Diego Padres’ third baseman Chris Brown and Cardinal outfielder Curt Ford, among others.

He was recommended to Davis by Brown.

“I basically get my clients on the recommendation of the players I already represent because I’m my only staff,” Goldschmidt said.

He smiled and said softly: “Beats working 9 to 5 and wearing a pin-striped suit all day.”