In baseball circles, Mike Moye is known as one of the best agents there is. General managers will point out his integrity and, in the same breath, his “bulldog mentality.” As recently as two seasons ago he was named by Forbes as one of the top three negotiators in the game.
There was a specific moment in 2009, however, that tested the foundation of Moye’s business.
Moye and San Francisco Giant Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy Affeldt, coming off the best season of his then-eight-year career as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was a free agent. Moye helped Affeldt cash in on his success, negotiating a contract that both he and the Giants were pleased with.
But there was a catch. A numerical error by the Giants’ front office wasn’t caught until after the deal was finalized, meaning Affeldt was entitled to more than his agreed-upon salary. The money was rightfully Affeldt’s, and in the dog-eat-dog world of professional sports a lot of folks probably wouldn’t have been surprised to see a player take it.
Affeldt and Moye—both Christ-followers—decided otherwise.
“The most important core value of Moye Sports is to do a good job for our clients,” Moye said. “When people in the industry evaluate our firm, we hope they'd conclude that our clients are well represented. A second core value—as important to us as the first—is that we operate in a way that is true to our faith in Christ.
“That means putting our clients’ interests ahead of our own, and it also means treating other people honestly and with respect—whether we are competing with other agents for a prospective client or negotiating with a team over the value of a client.”
Shocked as they were to learn about the mistake, members of the Giants’ front office were more surprised about Moye’s and Affeldt's willingness to correct the contract after it had been signed.
“It was just an honest representation of what I stand for as a Christian man,” Affeldt said, “and Mike gave me such wise counsel as we worked through it all. There are times in life where you have to make decisions that will either hold your integrity intact or break it apart. Although I knew I should give the money back, too, I'm not sure I would have received the same counsel if I had someone else as my agent.
“That's why I'm so fortunate to have a guy like Mike. I sleep well at night knowing that he represents me.”
In the fast-paced, money-driven world of professional sports, agents like Mike Moye are hard to find. They play a key role in managing, marketing and promoting the careers of their high-profile clients. From complex contract negotiations to television appearances and en-dorsements, a sports agent's public relations skills, business acumen, financial knowledge and ability to understand contract law make him or her an invaluable asset to the athletes they represent.
Moye and Los Angeles Angel Josh Hamilton
“Mike is a very special person and an incredibly gifted sports agent and attorney,” said Josh Hamilton, now an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. “My wife, Katie, and I have been richly blessed by having Mike in our lives, both as a friend and an agent.”
*****
Growing up in Atlanta in a sports-crazy family, Moye was always ultra-competitive—a trait that continues to benefit him today at the negotiating table.
“Looking back, I probably overdid it,” Moye said. “I lacked balance. A lot of my self-worth was tied up in competing and winning.”
During college, Moye began to follow Christ and read about athletes being represented by agents—a role that intrigued him. Professional sports were in the midst of a business boom, and athletes without representation were at a decided disadvantage. Moye noticed that nearly all the pioneer agents were attorneys, so he pursued a law degree and worked a few years as a traditional lawyer before transitioning to athlete representation.
Moye’s “big break” came when he landed a job with Robert Fraley, a Christian attorney and agent based in Orlando, Fla.
“Robert is one of the finest men I've ever known, and I firmly believe God led me to his agency,” Moye said. “Not only was Robert one of the best agents in the industry, but he had a deep love for Jesus. He was the perfect mentor in my life.”
Moye worked with Fraley for five years before returning to Atlanta in 1993 to open his own agency, Moye Sports Associates, Inc.
As the business aspect of sports has exploded and athletes are given unprecedented exposure online, news of bribes, backroom agreements and shady dealings have cast a shadow on all sports agents—even those like Moye, who continue to serve their clients with integrity.
“I know a lot of really good people who represent professional athletes,” Moye said. “Unfor-tunately—as is the case in any profession—it's the abuses that make the headlines and tend to give our industry a bad name.”
Moye’s business philosophy is based on Colossians 3:23-24. If he and his employees are diligently striving to do their work “as unto the Lord,” then believers and non-believers alike should have a positive perception of Moye Sports.
“Several general managers have told me that Mike has a real bulldog mentality when it comes to representing his players in the negotiating room, but that he’s also one of the best guys to work with,” said Affeldt, who recently signed a three-year extension with San Francisco following the Giants’ 2012 World Series championship. “Mike knows his stuff, and he's a man of high integrity. He doesn't manipulate situations, and he’s honest with teams he's talking to.
“As a player, I want an agent who teams enjoy working with, as well as one with good char-acter and good values.”
Moye Sports intentionally represents a wide array of athletes—both Christians and non-Christians. Colossians 3:23-24, Moye is quick to point out, only states how we are to serve our clients, not who we are to serve.
“Our mission is to provide the highest-quality service for athletes who want to take long-term advantage of the opportunities presented by a career in professional athletics,” Moye said. “With that in mind, their worldview is irrelevant to our ability to execute the mission."
That said, being “equally yoked” to a client allows an opportunity for the relationship to grow much deeper.
Moye with the late chief of the Ghanaian village of Kpenchila in 2009.
“I can't tell you how rewarding it is to help a client maximize his earning potential,” Moye said, “and then see the joy he receives by deploying resources in support of God's Kingdom, where the return on investment is eternal.”
Katie Hamilton, who along with Josh formed the Four Twelve Foundation last year in hopes of supporting a number of national and international ministries, said, “Josh and I share a very special relationship and friendship with Mike that transcends baseball. It's so vital that we share a like faith. We can’t imagine doing this life, or any career, without the support and influence of godly believers.”
Over his career, the Moye family (which includes Mike’s wife, Sharon, and their three adult children: Rachel, Bekah and Michael) has constantly given back to their community and Christ alike. Moye currently serves on the board of Young Leaders International, and his relationship with FCA dates back to the 1980s.
“Mike is a gifted and competent strategist, lawyer and negotiator,” said Barry Sutlive, a long-time family friend who has served on the FCA Metro Atlanta board for more than seven years. “And those traits are rarely, if ever, found combined with the humility, integrity and a love for Jesus which Mike possesses. He has a desire to continuously grow and become the man God has called him to be, and he uses his platform to help others live in the freedom that is found in Christ alone."
Today, Moye works locally with Bob Weidemann and Atlanta FCA Baseball and internationally with Mike Shaheen's FCA Dominican Republic baseball ministry.
“Mike and his family live and serve in the Dominican Republic, which I find inspirational,” Moye said. “And Bob brings our local high school baseball players over to the D.R. to serve alongside Mike in a culture where baseball is a way of life.
“Not only does this partnership work to help those on the island who don’t have much in the way of possessions, but the service opportunities have a spiritual impact on the lives of the Atlanta-area high school baseball players who participate. It's a real win-win scenario.”
*****
Moye is currently in his 20th year leading Moye Sports and has no plans to retire in the near future.
The Moye Family: Sharon, Mike, Rachel, Rebekah and Michael
“Really, I'm having too much fun serving the Lord as a sports agent to consider that,” he said. “But if God clearly calls me elsewhere, I'd have to respond. Now that Sharon and I are empty nesters, we hope that we're able to spend more time on the road together seeing a few interesting places and visiting clients and their families. I'd also hope to spend more time in service overseas, in places like Ghana [where Young Leaders International is based] and the Dominican Republic.”
No matter if he's at the negotiating table, serving with FCA in Atlanta, or ministering to others overseas, Affeldt said Moye’s witness continues to contradict the perception of his profession as he brings Christ into the world of everyone around him.
“Ultimately, the money I make as an athlete is not most important to Mike,” Affeldt said. “What’s more important to him is how he can help me in life and ensure that I represent Jesus in all that I do to become a major-league Christian athlete—not just a major leaguer, but a solid Christian man who represents the Gospel in a tough arena.”
For Sutlive, Moye's reputation, walk with Christ, and wise counsel can be summed up in a single thought.
“If I had a son who was gifted enough to enter the often toxic, temptation-filled world of pro-fessional sports,” Sutlive said, “I would find incredible peace in knowing that Mike Moye was his agent and mentor.”
Originally Published: May 2013
Photos courtesy of Mike Moye