Players’ Association Clears Agent of Alleged Violations

Dennis Gilbert, a Beverly Hills player agent, has been absolved by the Major League Baseball Players Assn. for alleged noncompliance of union regulations, according to Gene Orza, the union’s associate general counsel.

“We have disposed of the matter and no discipline is being imposed (on Gilbert),” Orza said Thursday of the 16-month-old investigation.

Orza said he sent a “series” of letters to Gilbert this week absolving him. This is the second situation in a little more than two years that has resulted in Orza sending Gilbert a letter or letters clearing him of alleged violations dealing with agent regulations.

Gilbert, whose clients include Jose Canseco and Bobby Bonilla, was under scrutiny by the union for his alleged method of soliciting clients or others with inducements to secure players, a violation of union regulations. This aspect of the investigation was said to involve a Milwaukee Brewer official and UCLA. Gilbert was also under scrutiny for his business dealings with the union.

In July, The Times reported that Gilbert was being investigated by the union. Gilbert, however, repeatedly denied that he was under investigation, claiming that the charges against him were old and that he had a letter from the union clearing him. That letter, written by Orza to Gilbert in March, 1989, said that Gilbert was not under investigation despite a story that had appeared in Sports, Inc. magazine to the contrary.

However, as new charges surfaced, the union continued to keep a file on Gilbert. The union’s agent subcommittee, made up of players and union officials, requested that the union investigate whether Gilbert was in violation of regulations. An official investigation was commissioned in January of 1990.