Former MLB star who once earned more than $42 million during his career told a California jury he now has only modest assets, even as attorneys for the family of two boys killed in a 2020 crash questioned whether he has fully disclosed his financial holdings.
Scott Erickson, the former World Series-winning pitcher who was romantically involved with convicted child killer Rebecca Grossman at the time of the crash, took the witness stand during the punitive damages phase of a civil trial stemming from the deaths of brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander.
Earlier this week, a jury ordered Erickson, 58, and Grossman, 64, to pay $176 million in compensatory damages to the boys’ parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander. Jurors found Erickson negligent and concluded that his conduct was a substantial factor in the deaths of the two children. They also determined that Erickson and Grossman acted in concert leading up to the fatal collision.
Erickson Faces Questions About His Finances
During testimony focused on his finances, Erickson described a far different picture from the wealth associated with his professional baseball career. He told jurors he currently has about $9,000 in a bank account, receives roughly $13,000 per month from his MLB pension, holds approximately $242,000 in retirement funds, and has about $200,000 in equity in his Las Vegas condominium.
But under questioning from attorney Brian Panish, who represents the Iskander family, Erickson acknowledged investing $250,000 in 2021 into sports company Perfect Game, a business he said he believed could become a billion-dollar enterprise.
The revelation immediately drew attention as Panish pressed Erickson about where the fortune he had accumulated during his 17-year baseball career had gone.
“Where is all that money?” Panish asked.
Erickson responded that taxes, failed real estate investments, poor business decisions, and the costs of divorce had depleted his wealth.
“I got divorced and paid my wife,” he testified.
The questioning became increasingly pointed as Panish challenged Erickson about financial records and undisclosed assets. Erickson admitted he had not disclosed information involving a trust for which he serves as both trustee and beneficiary. He also claimed he could not explain the disposition of several large withdrawals from his accounts, including one transaction totaling $237,000.
When Panish accused him of concealing his true financial condition, Erickson rejected the allegation.
“I’m not suppressing evidence,” he told the court.
At the same time, Erickson expressed remorse for the tragedy that killed the Iskander brothers.
“I feel terrible about what happened, about my actions. I made some mistakes. I have not been very honest,” he testified.
Scrutiny Turns To Grossman Family Assets
The proceedings also brought renewed scrutiny to the finances of Rebecca Grossman and her husband, prominent plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman.
Jurors watched portions of Dr. Grossman’s deposition in which he was questioned extensively about family trusts, real estate transfers, business holdings, and income sources. On the stand, Dr. Grossman acknowledged that his wife transferred her ownership interest in their multimillion-dollar home to him and that he later moved the property into a trust.
Panish argued that the transactions appeared designed to shield assets from the Iskander family. The attorney also played a jailhouse phone call in which Dr. Grossman could be heard discussing protecting money in the home from Panish.
Dr. Grossman denied the transfers were intended to hide assets and repeatedly disputed suggestions that financial information had been withheld.
The surgeon also revealed that he and his wife have participated in a documentary project about the case, reportedly under working titles such as Gross Injustice and Judicial Misconduct.
When questioned about his wife’s conduct, Dr. Grossman agreed that her actions were negligent and that the outcome was tragic. However, he disputed aspects of the evidence presented at her criminal trial, including data from the Mercedes’ speedometer.
Civil Trial Revisits Fatal 2020 Crash
The civil case follows Grossman’s 2024 criminal conviction. She is currently serving a sentence of 15 years to life after being found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run for the September 2020 crash in Westlake Village.
Evidence presented at trial showed Grossman’s speeding Mercedes SUV struck the two boys while they were crossing the street with family members after she and Erickson had spent time drinking at a local bar.
Although Erickson avoided felony criminal charges and a reckless driving misdemeanor was ultimately dismissed after he completed a public service announcement on safe driving, the Iskander family included him in the civil lawsuit, arguing that he shared responsibility for the events leading up to the deadly collision.
Testimony during the civil proceedings also revealed that Erickson admitted lying to investigators about how much alcohol he consumed before the crash. He further acknowledged a prior DUI conviction in Nevada and admitted that when authorities sought the vehicle he was driving that night, he initially produced the wrong SUV for inspection.
Now, with the compensatory damages phase complete, jurors must determine whether additional punitive damages will be imposed, and whether the defendants’ financial disclosures tell the full story.
