Santa Clara student life and the professional sports world often seem overwhelmingly disconnected. Most of us weren’t blessed with the raw talent to give us a chance to play in the big leagues, and, for many of us, the business side of sports may seem even more complex. We constantly hear of big-name, recordbreaking contracts or large marketing deals, but we might be kept in the dark about the people behind those headline decisions.

Fortunately, this week gave me a chance to have a conversation with John Carpino, president of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Carpino oversees all areas of business, sales, marketing and communications for the Angels.