Barry Axelrod was absent, but in every direction one looked, it was clear he was present.
A head spin saw famous athletes and actors laughing and remembering; all brought together once again by the incomparable Axelrod, a super agent to the stars and anyone else.
“We will always toast you, Barry, as we do today,” said Mark Sweeney, a former Padre and among Axelrod’s one-time clients.
Axelrod, of Cardiff, died on May 9 at 77, and he was saluted on Monday at a favorite haunt, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
The personable Axelrod was more than someone who crunched numbers for those who demolished baseballs or flung them past hitters. His niche was being an equal part financial guru and a fun guy to be with.
Axelrod seldom whiffed on an opportunity to share a tale, spin a joke or poke someone in the ribs.
“But he treated everyone with respect and loyalty,” North County’s Sweeney added.
Others knowing him as a friend, and a business partner, all nodded and my what a collection there were in attendance.
Those with baseball credentials hanging out in the paddock, in addition to Sweeney, were impressive: Rick Sutcliffe, Phil Nevin, Wally Joyner, Mark Grace, Mark Grant, Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell and others.
Mark Harmon, the TV star and former UCLA quarterback, was on hand, returning to North County. Years ago, Axelrod lured Harmon to Cardiff and surprised him with a birthday party at the Kraken on Highway 101.
Axelrod rode through a life that few can match, considering the people he met and his impact on them.
It started when Axelrod was a UCLA student, working on his law degree and as part of the athletic training staff under the watchful eye of coach John Wooden. Axelrod’s love for UCLA and all those he came in contact with never faded.
“Right now, he’s up there drinking tequila and talking baseball with Kevin Towers or maybe football with Bruce Walton with a Coors Light, or he’s going over the pyramid of success with John Wooden and wondering who the next UCLA quarterback is going to be,” Sweeney said.
Good stuff and not a bit off-base.
There were two things Axelrod accomplished with unparalleled success: giving wise counsel and connecting people from various walks of life, nurturing those relationships into more than just a meet-and-greet.
“He brought people together better than anyone I’ve known in my life,” Nevin said.
The compassion Axelrod distributed was evident, with more than 300 people attending his celebration of life. Many unloaded stories that kept the mood light and the laughter heavy.
Cardiff’s Sutcliffe remembered a bachelor party Axelrod was planning in Chicago and here we go.
Then, a standout Cubs pitcher, Sutcliffe, pulled strings to let Axelrod’s lads have their shindig at Wrigley Field with the team having an off day. They enjoyed their shenanigans on the outfield grass, which stays pristine thanks to a keen watering system.
That was something Axelrod’s bunch learned firsthand when nearing the ivy-covered walls in center field.
“I went over to the groundskeeper and I had him turn on the sprinklers,” Sutcliffe said. “It got them pretty good.”
It was always a contest of gotcha with Axelrod, and yes, he got his revenge.
When the 1990 All-Star Game came to Chicago, Axelrod rented a billboard near Wrigley Field. It conveyed a warm message from Sutcliffe, welcoming the baseball world to the Windy City and adding that if they needed All-Star Game tickets, they should call him.
“This was before there were cellphones so he had my home phone number on there,” Sutcliffe said. “My phone rang like crazy for three days. We had to go next door to use the phone.”
The crowd couldn’t stop chuckling, and Sutcliffe, the 1984 National League Cy Young Award winner, was just getting loose.
“One year I’m on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which is pretty cool, but it’s for a story on the most overpaid players in baseball,” Sutcliffe said, somewhat embarrassed. “Right there in the middle of the cover is my big fat head.”
The arrows were out, and Sutcliffe was the target at this stage of his stellar career when his fading production and soaring compensation didn’t align.
“I called Barry and said, ‘Man, I’m getting crushed for being on the cover,”’ Sutcliffe said.
Axelrod’s reply didn’t miss a beat and was a true lesson in perspective.
“You may be getting crushed,” Axelrod told Sutcliffe, ”but my phone is ringing off the hook.”
The dealmaking Axelrod’s phone was rarely from his ear.
If so, his ringtone of “Hotel California” had him reaching for it. Usually, it was a longtime client or chum just checking in.
The depth of Axelrod’s endearing friendships was captured in his favorite Eagles song: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”
Axelrod is gone, but his influence on those fortunate enough to call him a friend remains.
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports
