Mark Gilbert: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Tom.Reding (talk | contribs) m +{{Authority control}} (1 ID from Wikidata), WP:GenFixes on |
|||
| (27 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|American baseball player and diplomat}} |
{{Short description|American baseball player and diplomat (born 1956)}} |
||
{{other people}} |
|||
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}} |
||
{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
||
| Line 46: | Line 47: | ||
}} }} |
}} }} |
||
'''Mark David Gilbert''' (born August 22, 1956) is |
'''Mark David Gilbert''' (born August 22, 1956) is an American former [[outfielder]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who served as the [[United States Ambassador to New Zealand]] and [[Samoa]] from 2015 to 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-fires-us-ambassadors-no-replacements-a7538256.html |title= Donald Trump has fired all foreign US ambassadors with nobody to replace them |work=The Independent |first= Rachel |last= Revesz |date= January 20, 2017 |access-date= January 20, 2017}}</ref> |
||
Gilbert played for the [[Chicago White Sox]] in 1985.<ref name="statistics">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gilbema01.shtml "Mark Gilbert Statistics and History"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved February 8, 2011.</ref> Subsequently, he had a career as an [[investment banker]]. |
Gilbert played for the [[Chicago White Sox]] in 1985.<ref name="statistics">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gilbema01.shtml "Mark Gilbert Statistics and History"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved February 8, 2011.</ref> Subsequently, he had a career as an [[investment banker]]. |
||
| Line 53: | Line 54: | ||
==Early and personal life== |
==Early and personal life== |
||
Gilbert is [[American Jews|Jewish]] |
Gilbert is [[American Jews|Jewish]] and was born to a Jewish family in [[Atlanta, Georgia]].<ref name=OrlandoSent>Anthony Man (October 29, 2009). [http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/10/early_south_florida_obama_supp.html "Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser"], ''Orlando Sentinel''.</ref><ref name=autogenerated5/> He was raised in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], with his younger brother and sister until 1973, when they moved to [[Pompano Beach, Florida]], where his father and grandfather owned a furniture store.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/85558928/national-portrait--us-ambassador-mark-gilbert National Portrait – US Ambassador Mark Gilbert | Stuff.co.nz<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name=autogenerated4>[http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/ambassador-to-new-zealand-and-samoa-who-is-mark-gilbert-140426?news=853007 "Appointments and Resignations – Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa: Who Is Mark Gilbert?"<!-- Bot generated title -->] AllGov.</ref> His father Herbert had played professional baseball as an [[infielder]] with the Chicago White Sox organization (reaching [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple A]]), and his grandfather Joseph Gilbert had played [[Semi-professional|semi-pro]] baseball as a pitcher and was offered a pro baseball contract with the 1919 [[Philadelphia Athletics]].<ref name=autogenerated5>Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz (2001). [https://books.google.com/books?id=9ZzxydPInwgC&dq=mark+gilbert+%22pine+crest%22+baseball&pg=PA68 ''The Big Book of Jewish Baseball''<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
||
He is married to Nancy Gilbert. She owns The Masorti Travel Bureau, which developed the itinerary of the first trip of [[Birthright Israel]], an organization that arranges free trips to Israel for first-time visiting Jewish students ages 18 to 25.<ref name=OrlandoSent /> The couple has two daughters, Dani and Elizabeth.<ref name=autogenerated4 /> Gilbert served for three terms as the President of B'nai Torah Congregation in [[Boca Raton]], Florida, and the Gilberts live in Boca Raton.<ref name=OrlandoSent /><ref name=autogenerated5 /> |
He is married to Nancy Gilbert. She owns The Masorti Travel Bureau, which developed the itinerary of the first trip of [[Birthright Israel]], an organization that arranges free trips to Israel for first-time visiting Jewish students ages 18 to 25.<ref name=OrlandoSent /> The couple has two daughters, Dani and Elizabeth.<ref name=autogenerated4 /> Gilbert served for three terms as the President of B'nai Torah Congregation in [[Boca Raton]], Florida, and the Gilberts live in Boca Raton.<ref name=OrlandoSent /><ref name=autogenerated5 /> |
||
==High school and college== |
==High school and college== |
||
Gilbert starred in baseball, basketball (as a [[point guard]]), and track at Churchill High School in Pennsylvania (which later merged with two other schools forming [[Woodland Hills High School]]), and subsequently at [[Pine Crest School|Pine Crest High School]] in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]].<ref>[http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8709833-74/gilbert-baseball-played "From MLB to New Zealand, former Forest Hills resident now making name as ambassador,"<!-- Bot generated title -->] TribLIVE.</ref> He was a High School [[All-America|All American]] in basketball |
Gilbert starred in baseball, basketball (as a [[point guard]]), and track at Churchill High School in Pennsylvania (which later merged with two other schools forming [[Woodland Hills High School]]), and subsequently at [[Pine Crest School|Pine Crest High School]] in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]].<ref>[http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8709833-74/gilbert-baseball-played "From MLB to New Zealand, former Forest Hills resident now making name as ambassador,"<!-- Bot generated title -->] TribLIVE.</ref> He was a High School [[All-America|All American]] in basketball and all-state in baseball.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>[Pine Crest High School (Fort Lauderdale, FL)]</ref> |
||
Gilbert earned a bachelor's degree in finance from [[Florida State University]].<ref name = "white house">{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/30/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts |title=President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | The White House |date=October 30, 2013 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> In his senior year at Florida State he batted .322 for the [[Florida State Seminoles baseball|Seminoles baseball team]], with 48 [[stolen bases]].<ref>[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=mark-gilbert Mark Gilbert Baseball Statistics [ |
Gilbert earned a bachelor's degree in finance from [[Florida State University]].<ref name = "white house">{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/30/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts |title=President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | The White House |date=October 30, 2013 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> In his senior year at Florida State, he batted .322 for the [[Florida State Seminoles baseball|Seminoles baseball team]], with 48 [[stolen bases]].<ref>[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=mark-gilbert Mark Gilbert Baseball Statistics [1978–1985]<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He also played basketball for the [[Florida State Seminoles men's basketball|Florida State Seminoles basketball team]] for one season.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/10/30/mark-gilbert-chicago-white-sox-new-zealand-ambassador/3319073/ "Former White Sox OF Mark Gilbert set to be ambassador"<!-- Bot generated title -->], ''USA Today''.</ref> |
||
==Professional baseball career== |
==Professional baseball career== |
||
Gilbert was picked by the [[Chicago Cubs]] in the 14th round of the [[1978 Major League Baseball draft]] |
Gilbert was picked by the [[Chicago Cubs]] in the 14th round of the [[1978 Major League Baseball draft]] and signed with the Cubs that summer.<ref name=autogenerated3>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=gilbema01 "Mark Gilbert Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name = "furniture">{{cite web|author=Jerome Holtzman |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/07/25/grandpa-finally-gets-his-wish/ |title=Grandpa Finally Gets His Wish |work=Chicago Tribune |date=July 25, 1985 |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> In his debut professional year, in 1978, he batted .338 (5th in the Class A- [[New York-Pennsylvania League]]), led the league with 83 runs scored, and stole 35 bases (2nd in the league) for the [[Geneva Cubs]], while playing 65 games as a switch-hitting center fielder.<ref name=autogenerated2>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gilber001mar "Mark Gilbert Minor Leagues Statistics & History,"<!-- Bot generated title -->] Baseball-Reference.com.</ref><ref name=autogenerated5 /> In 1979, he batted .314 (2nd in the Class A [[Midwest League]]) and stole 50 bases (3rd in the league) while scoring 80 runs (7th in the league) for the [[Quad Cities Cubs]].<ref name=autogenerated2 /><ref>[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/seasons/review.asp?Y=1979&L=Midw&Page=Awards "1979 Midwest League – Season Review"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
||
On October 12, 1979, Gilbert was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the [[Cincinnati Reds]], completing a trade in which the Reds had traded [[Doug Capilla]] to the Cubs in exchange for a [[player to be named later]] on May 3, 1979.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> He played for the [[Waterbury Reds]] in |
On October 12, 1979, Gilbert was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the [[Cincinnati Reds]], completing a trade in which the Reds had traded [[Doug Capilla]] to the Cubs in exchange for a [[player to be named later]] on May 3, 1979.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> He played for the [[Waterbury Reds]] in 1980–82, batting .300 (7th in the Class AA [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]]) with 41 stolen bases (4th in the league) his last year with the team.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> In 1983, he played for the [[Indianapolis Indians]] of the AAA [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]], and in 1984 he played for the [[Wichita Aeros]] of the American Association, batting .280 and stealing 55 bases (3rd in the league) and tying for the league lead in walks (77).<ref name=autogenerated2 /> He became a [[free agent]] due to his length of service in the minor leagues on October 11, 1984, and that December 25, he was signed by the [[Chicago White Sox]].<ref name=autogenerated3 /><ref name=autogenerated5 /> |
||
Gilbert was promoted to the major league team from the [[Chicago White Sox]]'s Triple-A [[Buffalo Bisons]] of the American Association in July 1985 |
Gilbert was promoted to the major league team from the [[Chicago White Sox]]'s Triple-A [[Buffalo Bisons]] of the American Association in July 1985 and went on to play seven games for the team.<ref name = "furniture"/> He had six hits (five singles, and a double off [[Dennis Martínez]]).<ref name = "7-game"/> After a week with the White Sox, Gilbert dove for a [[line drive]], injured his right knee, and was sent back to the minor leagues.<ref name=autogenerated5 /> On October 15, he was granted free agency.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> The following year, he left baseball and had knee surgery in February 1986.<ref name = "7-game">{{cite news |first=Jerome |last=Holtzman |title=7-game Sox career delightful memory |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |page=1 |date=December 23, 1992 |access-date=June 27, 2014|url=http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/10/early_south_florida_obama_supp.html }}</ref> |
||
Gilbert told the ''Chicago Tribune'''s [[Jerome Holtzman]] that during his career he endured through seven and a half years of playing in baseball's minor leagues because of his ambition to be listed in the ''Baseball Encyclopedia''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jerome Holtzman |url= |
Gilbert told the ''Chicago Tribune'''s [[Jerome Holtzman]] that during his career he endured through seven and a half years of playing in baseball's minor leagues because of his ambition to be listed in the ''Baseball Encyclopedia''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jerome Holtzman |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/12/04/heres-the-book-on-everything-from-aaron-to-zwilling/ |title=Here's The Book-on Everything From Aaron To Zwilling|work=Chicago Tribune |date=December 4, 1996 |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> In 1992, Gilbert reflected on his baseball career to Holtzman, saying, "I think everybody thought I would flip out after I was told I couldn't play anymore. I didn't. I had played 22 straight years of organized baseball, since I was 7. I had had enough. I would have continued playing if I hadn't hurt my knee. But I was looking forward to doing something else."<ref name = "7-game"/> He added that his career was worth it: "Absolutely. Everywhere I played I had fun. The most impressive thing being with the White Sox was how congenial everybody was. [[Carlton Fisk]]. [[Harold Baines]]. [[Tom Seaver]]. They were all superstars. Yet they were extremely nice to me and tried to help me as much as they could. No question. It was worth it." |
||
After Gilbert was nominated to be a U.S. Ambassador in 2013, his former major league manager, [[Tony La Russa]], told the [[Associated Press]]: "Sure, I remember him. I was always taken with his intelligence and how he was committed to what we were trying to teach — to become a teammate, a competitor, and to pursue excellence as a professional. You do that and get a proper foundation and out of the bottom, out drops your fame and fortune. I think he's now raised his excellence to a new level."<ref name = "usa today"/> |
After Gilbert was nominated to be a U.S. Ambassador in 2013, his former major league manager, [[Tony La Russa]], told the [[Associated Press]]: "Sure, I remember him. I was always taken with his intelligence and how he was committed to what we were trying to teach — to become a teammate, a competitor, and to pursue excellence as a professional. You do that and get a proper foundation and out of the bottom, out drops your fame and fortune. I think he's now raised his excellence to a new level."<ref name = "usa today"/> |
||
==Finance career== |
==Finance career== |
||
[[File:Nancy Gilbert.jpg|thumb|upright|Nancy Gilbert in January 2017]] After baseball, Gilbert worked as an [[investment banker]] at [[Drexel Burnham Lambert]] in [[Boca Raton]], [[Florida]] from 1986 until 1989 |
[[File:Nancy Gilbert.jpg|thumb|upright|Nancy Gilbert in January 2017]] After baseball, Gilbert worked as an [[investment banker]] at [[Drexel Burnham Lambert]] in [[Boca Raton]], [[Florida]] from 1986 until 1989 and then as a senior vice president in the equities division at [[Goldman Sachs]] in [[Miami]] from 1989 until 1996.<ref name = "white house"/><ref name=autogenerated4 /> Gilbert then joined [[Lehman Brothers]] in [[West Palm Beach]], Florida, in 1996, and remained with the firm as it became [[Barclays Wealth]].<ref name = "white house"/><ref name = "supporter">{{cite web|url=http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/10/early_south_florida_obama_supp.html |title= Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser |work=Sun Sentinel |date=October 29, 2009 |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated4 /> |
||
==Political fundraising== |
==Political fundraising== |
||
In 2004, Gilbert was a trustee on the national finance committee for the presidential campaign of [[John Kerry]].<ref name = "white house"/> In 2007, Gilbert began a close relationship as a fundraiser for then-Sen. [[Barack Obama]] |
In 2004, Gilbert was a trustee on the national finance committee for the presidential campaign of [[John Kerry]].<ref name = "white house"/> In 2007, Gilbert began a close relationship as a fundraiser for then-Sen. [[Barack Obama]] and quickly became an early supporter of Obama's successful presidential bid.<ref name = "supporter"/> In 2007, Gilbert was appointed deputy national finance chairman for the [[Democratic National Committee]].<ref name = "supporter"/> Ultimately, Gilbert served as a fundraiser for both of Obama's presidential campaigns.<ref name = "bundlers">{{cite web|url=http://www.browardbulldog.org/2013/10/obama-bundlers-nominated-for-diplomatic-posts-bocas-mark-gilbert-for-ambassador-to-new-zealand/ |title=Obama bundlers nominated for diplomatic posts; Boca's Mark Gilbert for ambassador to New Zealand | Florida Bulldog |publisher=Browardbulldog.org |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> In 2012, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that Gilbert had raised $1.23 million for Obama in 2011 and 2012 and a total of $3.36 million since 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/13/us/politics/obamas-top-fund-raisers.html?_r=0|title=Obama's Top Fund-Raisers|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> |
||
==Ambassadorship== |
==Ambassadorship== |
||
| Line 87: | Line 88: | ||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
{{Portal|United States|Politics}} |
{{Portal|United States|Politics}} |
||
*[[ |
*[[List of ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
*[[Gilbert Marks]] |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
| Line 114: | Line 117: | ||
[[Category:American bankers]] |
[[Category:American bankers]] |
||
[[Category:American men's basketball players]] |
[[Category:American men's basketball players]] |
||
[[Category:Baseball players from |
[[Category:Baseball players from Atlanta]] |
||
[[Category:Baseball players from |
[[Category:Baseball players from Pittsburgh]] |
||
[[Category:Baseball players from Pennsylvania]] |
|||
[[Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players]] |
[[Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players]] |
||
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]] |
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]] |
||
| Line 125: | Line 127: | ||
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]] |
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]] |
||
[[Category:Jewish American baseball players]] |
[[Category:Jewish American baseball players]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Lehman Brothers people]] |
[[Category:Lehman Brothers people]] |
||
[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
||
| Line 131: | Line 132: | ||
[[Category:Point guards]] |
[[Category:Point guards]] |
||
[[Category:Quad Cities Cubs players]] |
[[Category:Quad Cities Cubs players]] |
||
[[Category:Sportspeople from |
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pompano Beach, Florida]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Baseball players from Broward County, Florida]] |
||
[[Category:People from Pompano Beach, Florida]] |
|||
[[Category:Waterbury Reds players]] |
[[Category:Waterbury Reds players]] |
||
[[Category:Wichita Aeros players]] |
[[Category:Wichita Aeros players]] |
||
[[Category:21st-century American diplomats]] |
|||
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]] |
|||
[[Category:Pine Crest School alumni]] |
|||
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 18:25, 23 November 2024
Mark Gilbert | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Samoa | |
| In office May 12, 2015 – January 20, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | David Huebner |
| Succeeded by | Scott Brown |
| United States Ambassador to New Zealand | |
| In office February 9, 2015 – January 20, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | David Huebner |
| Succeeded by | Scott Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mark David Gilbert August 22, 1956 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Florida State University (BS) |
|
Baseball career | |
| Outfielder | |
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 21, 1985, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 27, 1985, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .273 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 3 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Mark David Gilbert (born August 22, 1956) is an American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who served as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2015 to 2017.[1]
Gilbert played for the Chicago White Sox in 1985.[2] Subsequently, he had a career as an investment banker.
In 2013, United States President Barack Obama nominated Gilbert to be United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.[3] The U.S. Senate confirmed Gilbert on December 12, 2014.
Early and personal life
[edit]Gilbert is Jewish and was born to a Jewish family in Atlanta, Georgia.[4][5] He was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his younger brother and sister until 1973, when they moved to Pompano Beach, Florida, where his father and grandfather owned a furniture store.[6][7] His father Herbert had played professional baseball as an infielder with the Chicago White Sox organization (reaching Triple A), and his grandfather Joseph Gilbert had played semi-pro baseball as a pitcher and was offered a pro baseball contract with the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics.[5]
He is married to Nancy Gilbert. She owns The Masorti Travel Bureau, which developed the itinerary of the first trip of Birthright Israel, an organization that arranges free trips to Israel for first-time visiting Jewish students ages 18 to 25.[4] The couple has two daughters, Dani and Elizabeth.[7] Gilbert served for three terms as the President of B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Florida, and the Gilberts live in Boca Raton.[4][5]
High school and college
[edit]Gilbert starred in baseball, basketball (as a point guard), and track at Churchill High School in Pennsylvania (which later merged with two other schools forming Woodland Hills High School), and subsequently at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[8] He was a High School All American in basketball and all-state in baseball.[6][9]
Gilbert earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University.[10] In his senior year at Florida State, he batted .322 for the Seminoles baseball team, with 48 stolen bases.[11] He also played basketball for the Florida State Seminoles basketball team for one season.[12]
Professional baseball career
[edit]Gilbert was picked by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft and signed with the Cubs that summer.[13][14] In his debut professional year, in 1978, he batted .338 (5th in the Class A- New York-Pennsylvania League), led the league with 83 runs scored, and stole 35 bases (2nd in the league) for the Geneva Cubs, while playing 65 games as a switch-hitting center fielder.[15][5] In 1979, he batted .314 (2nd in the Class A Midwest League) and stole 50 bases (3rd in the league) while scoring 80 runs (7th in the league) for the Quad Cities Cubs.[15][16]
On October 12, 1979, Gilbert was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cincinnati Reds, completing a trade in which the Reds had traded Doug Capilla to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later on May 3, 1979.[13] He played for the Waterbury Reds in 1980–82, batting .300 (7th in the Class AA Eastern League) with 41 stolen bases (4th in the league) his last year with the team.[15] In 1983, he played for the Indianapolis Indians of the AAA American Association, and in 1984 he played for the Wichita Aeros of the American Association, batting .280 and stealing 55 bases (3rd in the league) and tying for the league lead in walks (77).[15] He became a free agent due to his length of service in the minor leagues on October 11, 1984, and that December 25, he was signed by the Chicago White Sox.[13][5]
Gilbert was promoted to the major league team from the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association in July 1985 and went on to play seven games for the team.[14] He had six hits (five singles, and a double off Dennis Martínez).[17] After a week with the White Sox, Gilbert dove for a line drive, injured his right knee, and was sent back to the minor leagues.[5] On October 15, he was granted free agency.[13] The following year, he left baseball and had knee surgery in February 1986.[17]
Gilbert told the Chicago Tribune's Jerome Holtzman that during his career he endured through seven and a half years of playing in baseball's minor leagues because of his ambition to be listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia.[18] In 1992, Gilbert reflected on his baseball career to Holtzman, saying, "I think everybody thought I would flip out after I was told I couldn't play anymore. I didn't. I had played 22 straight years of organized baseball, since I was 7. I had had enough. I would have continued playing if I hadn't hurt my knee. But I was looking forward to doing something else."[17] He added that his career was worth it: "Absolutely. Everywhere I played I had fun. The most impressive thing being with the White Sox was how congenial everybody was. Carlton Fisk. Harold Baines. Tom Seaver. They were all superstars. Yet they were extremely nice to me and tried to help me as much as they could. No question. It was worth it."
After Gilbert was nominated to be a U.S. Ambassador in 2013, his former major league manager, Tony La Russa, told the Associated Press: "Sure, I remember him. I was always taken with his intelligence and how he was committed to what we were trying to teach — to become a teammate, a competitor, and to pursue excellence as a professional. You do that and get a proper foundation and out of the bottom, out drops your fame and fortune. I think he's now raised his excellence to a new level."[19]
Finance career
[edit]
After baseball, Gilbert worked as an investment banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert in Boca Raton, Florida from 1986 until 1989 and then as a senior vice president in the equities division at Goldman Sachs in Miami from 1989 until 1996.[10][7] Gilbert then joined Lehman Brothers in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1996, and remained with the firm as it became Barclays Wealth.[10][20][7]
Political fundraising
[edit]In 2004, Gilbert was a trustee on the national finance committee for the presidential campaign of John Kerry.[10] In 2007, Gilbert began a close relationship as a fundraiser for then-Sen. Barack Obama and quickly became an early supporter of Obama's successful presidential bid.[20] In 2007, Gilbert was appointed deputy national finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee.[20] Ultimately, Gilbert served as a fundraiser for both of Obama's presidential campaigns.[21] In 2012, the New York Times reported that Gilbert had raised $1.23 million for Obama in 2011 and 2012 and a total of $3.36 million since 2007.[22]
Ambassadorship
[edit]On October 30, 2013, Obama nominated Gilbert to be United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.[21][23] The United States Senate confirmed Gilbert in a voice vote on December 12, 2014.[24]
The United States State Department has no record of any other former major league baseball player serving as an ambassador.[19] While Dennis Martínez, Cal Ripken Jr., and Barry Larkin have served the State Department in roles such as diplomacy envoys, goodwill ambassadors, and baseball sports envoys, Gilbert is the first credentialed ambassador who is a veteran of major league baseball.[19]
See also
[edit]
- List of ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand
- List of Jewish Major League Baseball players
- Gilbert Marks
References
[edit]- ^ Revesz, Rachel (January 20, 2017). "Donald Trump has fired all foreign US ambassadors with nobody to replace them". The Independent. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ "Mark Gilbert Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "Ex-baseball player nominated as ambassador to NZ" stuff.co.nz, October 30, 2013.
- ^ a b c Anthony Man (October 29, 2009). "Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser", Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ a b c d e f Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz (2001). The Big Book of Jewish Baseball
- ^ a b National Portrait – US Ambassador Mark Gilbert | Stuff.co.nz
- ^ a b c d "Appointments and Resignations – Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa: Who Is Mark Gilbert?" AllGov.
- ^ "From MLB to New Zealand, former Forest Hills resident now making name as ambassador," TribLIVE.
- ^ [Pine Crest High School (Fort Lauderdale, FL)]
- ^ a b c d "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | The White House". whitehouse.gov. October 30, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015 – via National Archives.
- ^ Mark Gilbert Baseball Statistics [1978–1985]
- ^ "Former White Sox OF Mark Gilbert set to be ambassador", USA Today.
- ^ a b c d "Mark Gilbert Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac"
- ^ a b Jerome Holtzman (July 25, 1985). "Grandpa Finally Gets His Wish". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Mark Gilbert Minor Leagues Statistics & History," Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1979 Midwest League – Season Review"
- ^ a b c Holtzman, Jerome (December 23, 1992). "7-game Sox career delightful memory". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ Jerome Holtzman (December 4, 1996). "Here's The Book-on Everything From Aaron To Zwilling". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Former White Sox OF Mark Gilbert set to be ambassador". USA Today. October 30, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser". Sun Sentinel. October 29, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Obama bundlers nominated for diplomatic posts; Boca's Mark Gilbert for ambassador to New Zealand | Florida Bulldog". Browardbulldog.org. October 31, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ "Obama's Top Fund-Raisers". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate | The White House". whitehouse.gov. October 30, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015 – via National Archives.
- ^ "Former White Sox player becomes U.S. ambassador to New Zealand". Chicago Tribune. December 13, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mark Gilbert.
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
| Envoy |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ambassador | ||
Categories:
- 1956 births
- Ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand
- Ambassadors of the United States to Samoa
- American bankers
- American men's basketball players
- Baseball players from Atlanta
- Baseball players from Pittsburgh
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Chicago White Sox players
- Florida State Seminoles baseball players
- Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
- Geneva Cubs players
- Goldman Sachs people
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Jewish American baseball players
- Lehman Brothers people
- Living people
- Major League Baseball outfielders
- Point guards
- Quad Cities Cubs players
- Sportspeople from Pompano Beach, Florida
- Baseball players from Broward County, Florida
- Waterbury Reds players
- Wichita Aeros players
- 21st-century American diplomats
- 21st-century American Jews
- Pine Crest School alumni
- 20th-century American sportsmen