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STRAWBERRY JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG IN MEMORABILIA PROBE?
The indictment of Darryl Strawberry last week on charges of conspiracy and income tax violations "does not signal the end of the Federal Government's investigation into baseball players' involvement with lucrative sports memorabilia shows," according to Claire Smith of the N.Y. TIMES. Inquiries by the Justice Department resulted in the indictments of Strawberry, his agent, Eric Goldschmidt, and memorabilia dealers William J.F. Hungach and Michael Bertolini. Other names surfacing in the investigation include other members of the '86 Mets and Mickey Mantle. But Robert Fink, an attorney for Mantle, says: "Mr. Mantle has been exonerated." The U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn had no comment (N.Y. TIMES, 12/10). MLBPA General Counsel Gene Orza denied a N.Y. DAILY NEWS report that Howard Johnson also faced indictment (N.Y. NEWSDAY, 12/11). One source close to Bertolini's case: "It won't stop there. There will be other names, other players." Bertolini was former partner of Pete Rose in Hit King Marketing (John Erardi, CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/10). Peter Gammons cites on agent who calls the Strawberry indictment "only the beginning. There are a lot of players who are going to get hauled in by the IRS for not reporting the card-show cash." Gammons also notes it "likely means the end of Eric Goldschmidt as an agent" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/11).




