Interview With The Athlete: Daniel Moskos

Interview With The Athlete

By Matthew Vuckovich

Daniel Moskos is a 21-year-old baseball player. He pitched for Clemson University in the Super Regionals this season. He was recently picked 4^th overall by the Pittsburg Pirates in the 2007 MLB draft. He should be an interesting person to follow as he makes his way to playing major league ball.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070607&content_id=2011183&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit

Matthew Vuckovich: Who is your agent?

Daniel Moskos: Mark Pieper with SFX baseball.

Matthew Vuckovich: Do you have a separate marketing agent? Who is he/she?

Daniel Moskos: Not as of right now.

Matthew Vuckovich: When you were searching for an agent, what factors did you consider?

Daniel Moskos: I didn’t really search; I have had the same guy since high school. When I chose him I kind of just met with him and got a good feel for who he was. He is a really good guy so it made the decision easy for me.

Matthew Vuckovich: Did your family have a big impact on your decision in choosing an agent?

Daniel Moskos: Yes they did. They have a big impact in a lot of the decisions I make in my career.

Matthew Vuckovich: Was having a personal relationship with your agent a factor in choosing him?

Daniel Moskos: Yes it was a big factor.

Matthew Vuckovich: Why did you decide to hire your agent?

Daniel Moskos: He was the best fit for the job, good guy, and good at what he does.

Matthew Vuckovich: How often do you talk with your agent? How often do you see him/her in person?

Daniel Moskos: I talk to him probably 3-4 times a week and see him about once every month or so, maybe a little longer than that.

Matthew Vuckovich: What factors would entice you to choose a smaller agency or independent agent over a full–service agency?

Daniel Moskos: I have no idea; it wasn’t about the services that influenced my decision.

Matthew Vuckovich: What are some of the things your agent does for you that you like?

Daniel Moskos: He’s there to give me advice and to answer questions for me. Also, all of the advice he gives has been in my best interest, not his.

Matthew Vuckovich: What are some of the most important factors athletes in general look for in an agent?

Daniel Moskos: Find someone who has your best interest in mind.

Matthew Vuckovich: What sorts of things did your agent do to help with your draft stock?

Daniel Moskos: I don’t know, I never asked him if he did anything.

Matthew Vuckovich: Since most people have no idea what it’s like to be a draft pick in a professional sport, please tell our readers how it felt and what was going on in your mind.

Daniel Moskos: Well, when I actually got selected, I had no idea that the Pirates were going to pick me. I assumed at that high of a pick, that somebody from the organization would have called me and told me I was getting selected. Thus it came as a huge shock, my job just dropped and I couldn’t really believe it. I thought it was a dream. My mom immediately started crying. It was really a surreal feeling.

Matthew Vuckovich: Take me through your pre-draft preparation schedule. Workouts, contact with your agent, and the various events you attended.

Daniel Moskos: There were no events, or workouts. Our season was still going on, so that’s what I was doing.

Matthew Vuckovich: What was the most memorable moment for you at Clemson and what will you miss the most about college?

Daniel Moskos: The most memorable moment for me was going to Omaha and pitching in Omaha. For a college baseball player, it is truly the best place on earth, and I wish that everybody had a chance to experience it because it is truly amazing out there. The thing I will miss the most is being part of a team. The guys that I have played with have all been like brothers and all that your team in college cares about is winning. From what I have heard, the same is not true of pro ball. It’s a lot more what you can do for yourself oriented.

Matthew Vuckovich: If you could sum up your game in 3 words, what would they be?

Daniel Moskos: I’ll have to use five, “combination of power and finesse.”

Matthew Vuckovich: On behalf of SportsAgentBlog.com and all of our readers, I would like to thank Daniel Moskos for sharing his knowledge and experiences with us today. Till next time, be safe and act ethically in the business that you love.