IIT Chicago-Kent earns second-place finish in the 2014 National Baseball Arbitration Competition
The IIT Chicago-Kent team of Steve Bertholomey '15, Jaret Glazer '15 and Steve Gross '16 finished second in the 2014 National Baseball Arbitration Competition January 22 to 24 in New Orleans.
The competition, sponsored by Tulane Law School's Sports Law Society, is a simulated salary arbitration competition modeled closely on the procedures used by Major League Baseball (MLB). IIT Chicago-Kent was one of 39 law school teams from the United States and Canada participating in this year's tournament, judged by a wide range of MLB executives, attorneys, sports journalists and agents.
This year's tournament comprised three hypothetical arbitration cases involving Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer and Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick. IIT Chicago-Kent advanced to the final round undefeated after wins over teams from Toledo, LSU, Wisconsin, Pepperdine and Miami. IIT Chicago-Kent lost to Emory in the championship round.
"I am very proud of our efforts in this tournament," said IIT Chicago-Kent adjunct professor and faculty sponsor Eldon L. Ham '76. "The team and coaches did a great job."
"This is only the third year we have participated in the National Baseball Arbitration Competition. Each team has raised the bar for future teams. We finished third in 2013 and second in 2014," said Ham.
Current team member Steve Bertholomey is a second-year student who graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in Spanish. Teammate Jaret Glazer, also a second-year student, earned degrees in history and political science with a minor in international studies from Indiana University. Teammate Steve Gross is a second-year student who graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in marketing management.
The team was coached by Professor Ham, who teaches the course Sports, Law and Society. Lee Oliff '13 and Alex Reich '13, members of the IIT Chicago-Kent team that finished in last year's tournament, served as consultants. Oliff organized the team and assisted with coaching duties. Reich and attorney Stephen Veltman '08 assisted the team in the preparation of oral arguments.
Founded in 1888, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law.
