Can a Sports Lawyer Prove an Athlete's Future Earnings?
The tragic sports lawsuit currently underway in Mississippi over former New York Mets prospect Brian Cole’s death has the potential to shed light on the legal question of how to prove the potential earning power of a professional athlete.
Cole was 22 years old when he was killed in a 2001 rollover accident shortly after the end of spring training. His sports lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the vehicle is prone to rolling over. The damages portion of the lawsuit could be groundbreaking.
So far, Jim Duquette, who was the Mets general manager at the time of Cole’s death, has testified. Former Mets outfielder and coach Mookie Wilson will also testify:
Their belief: Brian Cole should have been a major-league star. He probably would have come on the scene right with Jose Reyes in 2003.
All sports agents, coaches and general managers know that predicting the likelihood of success of a minor league baseball player is a risky proposition. Wilson will allegedly compare Cole to Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. Cole’s former teammate, Heath Bell, predicted that Cole would earn $100 million in his major league career.
The outcome of this trial bears careful study, because athletes involved in lawsuits often allege that their future earnings were somehow taken away from them. Fortunately, these lawsuits do not usually involve a tragedy, but for one reason or another, an athlete has a viable case to argue that his career was cut short. Given the speculative nature of predicting future success in baseball – and in all pro sports – the manner in which Cole’s legal team proves his future earnings could impact the body of sports law for years to come.
