MLB is rumored to be resigning as MLBPA executive director Tony Clark

Tony Clark resigns as director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.Read more at MLB Trade Rumors.

4:55 p.m.: Rosenthal says the union did not vote today on the mayor to replace Clark.Chris Bassitt, a member of the eight-player subcommittee, told Rosenthal he didn't want to rush it and wanted to take his time updating the union's 1,200 members.Basit suggested that everything would be decided within 24 hours or so, and Pasan also reported that a vote is likely to be held tomorrow.

2:41pm: Passan added that Clark's resignation was the result of an internal investigation that found he had an "inappropriate" relationship with his mother-in-law, who was hired by the club in 2023.

12:50 p.m.: Two articles from The Athletic and one from ESPN's Jeff Passan and Don Van Natta Jr. suggest that Meyer is the most likely option to acquire Clark. The Athletic notes that Meyer recently helped with Tarik Skubal's arbitration case with the Tigers and is stepping up his support for the players with a phone call today.The union president has scheduled a meeting at Central today at 3:30 to discuss the situation.

10:07 a.m.: Left Angel Brent Suter, another member of the MLBPA's eight-member executive subcommittee, tells The Athletic's Sam Blum that the league has an interim director and is not planning an outside search at this time.

8:23 a.m.: Tony Clark is preparing to announce his resignation as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to a report by Evan Drlich, Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough for The Athletic.Clark has held his current position since 2013.

Clark, 53, and the union have been under investigation since last summer for allegations of impropriety over the use of licensing funds.in particular,Clark was previously accused of giving himself stock in OneTeam Partners, a joint venture between the MLBPA and the NFLPA, and failing to adequately disclose the level of resources allocated to Players Way, which is under federal investigation.

Clarke was scheduled to begin a tour of spring visits to the game's 30 teams this morning, but the first of those meetings (with the Rangers) was suddenly cancelled.According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, an announcement could come sometime today.

SNY's Chelsea Janes reports that MLBPA subcommittee member Marcus Semien told reporters that he believes the resignation is related to an investigation by the Eastern District of New York into the use of license fees.Samien noted that the subcommittee has not met since the announcement, and therefore does not have a definitive answer as to when a new director will be named or whether deputy director Bruce Meyer will continue as the union's lead negotiator.

The timing of the movement is very important.Major League Baseball's current contract expires in nine months.The latest wave of negotiations between the union, led by Clark, and the league/owners group, led by Rob Manfred, have been contentious, leading to a 99-day lockout and stalled transaction.

An even more uphill battle is expected by many this time around, with many owners generally digging in their heels over their belief that sports should have a salary cap.Any kind of cap — even a salary cap — has been a non-starter for every previous iteration of the players' union;Clark has made his anti-cap stance a secret at almost every opportunity, and Meyer has been the union's chief negotiator and No. 2 manager is in that mindset.

The time has come for an MLBPA Scherzer acquisition

I'm going with a suitor…

Fever Pitch Guy

Tony – I would go with Pedro Martinez, he would sort things out with a dance-off.

Then there's Denny McLain.He did a good job managing the pension.

"Scherzer takes over"...that's actually the main problem with the MLBPA. The MLBPA primarily works to benefit the top 2-3% of Scott Boras' clients.

A person who only represents the top 2-3% of players should not have such a large influence on any "players association".

Kermit the Frog

The main problem with the MLBPA is that they keep sending players to talk to legal sharks.Would any player let Tony Clarke or Scherzer negotiate their personal contract?

Stary Alan Eagleson z NHL

He saw the train and got off the track 😂

Formerly known as Logjammer D'Baggagecling

"Mr. Parkman, you're a great baseball player, and I just want to tell you that you're on the tracks and the train is passing, asshole."- Rubé Baker

They're still ugly, but I think it can only help the CBA negotiations.Wrong man in the wrong role.

I don't think it changes anything.All the legal entities and key intermediaries are still here.Clark didn't make the decision alone.

The good thing is that the next guy might not prioritize what's on the lunch menu in the clubhouse and what post game candy is available in the locker room at the next CBA and fight for the players instead.Employers have used these idiots for a long time.

They didn't take advantage when Marvin Miller was in charge.Miller regularly kicked the owners' butts.

The players owe everything they have today to him

And Marvin Miller is no exception.Clark was a bad draft pick in 2013 and he made a mistake in the MLBPA.

Donald Ferris is still there to provide guidance.

*I hate autocorrect.Fair.

Kirika Pitch Guy

dewey - It would have been funny if you had posted about Buehler when this automatically happened

Is the union official doing something inappropriate?Surprise, it *doesn't* happen, like it used to.

A man with a fever

GaSox – While I agree, doing this with your sister-in-law seems like uncharted territory.LOL

The flu - the question is what kind of bride it is....either my brother's wife, or my husband's sister.One is worse than the other.

Of course it worked for Hunter B. so who am I to judge.

Fever pitch boy

GaSox - Great place as always!

The wife's sister will be totally bad

Cube number six

I'm glad she's not my wife's sister because she's hot too.

OTOH your brother could be someone you could only marry.

fever patch boy

Balt - There are HVAC companies that can fix all kinds of air conditioning problems.

I always get weird vibes from him, and no, no... not just because of the weird beard.

He's out before all hell breaks loose in the offseason, he doesn't want to be the bad guy, let the new guy handle it!!

The new guy better be a labor lawyer and not a former player.

Haha, you're right about that.Would it be CC Sabathia or Joe Mauer.

Mauer isn't a genius, but he's smarter than he took the job.

Jarvist of Bertha Hurley

And you don't have a pixie beard either.

No one sees an AOL blast at the mention of his other work or his Santa beard.

Bart Harley Jarvis

Agreed. The job of the MLBPA Executive Director is a kind of cosmic nonsense and almost moves to the rhythm of jazz.

Tony Clark and Marvin Miller used to joke about this in meetings.

The "new guy" or "new girl" is likely to be an experienced and successful lawyer/legal negotiator.

Obviously, earning more than the agreement or salary you set on issues that are directly affected by your duties while working in a union office or while working in a government office, including a recruitment office, is a huge "no" that could lead to investigations and possible criminal charges (and, in the worst cases, convictions).

He does not say that Tony Clarke did anything wrong.Please wait for the investigation and the trial process to be completed.

The optics are pretty bad, and important salary negotiations are coming up.If Clarke is found to have done nothing wrong, the ethics and optics are bad for the Players Union.

Better for Clark to step aside and let the players' union focus on the players and the upcoming Labor negotiations and not focus on what Tony Clark did or didn't do.

Fever Pitch Guy

Sports – yes, there are a lot of people who read the headline and not the article below it.They seem to have missed the whole "federal investigation."

I wonder if this investigation is in any way an attempt to discredit the players' union and weaken it for the upcoming labor negotiations?!

If so, it can backfire on employers if the union hires experienced and professional attorneys/negotiators who take a tough stance in negotiations.

Tony Clarke's resignation may have removed that obstacle to negotiations.

Get sick?When was the last time you paid for the owner?Players hold all cards.

Not quite right.

Oh, no, no.

Based on Suter's comments, it could be Bruce Meyer.

He seems like the bad guy and that's why he left

Or the owners and their lawyers try to portray Clark and the players' union as the "bad guys" for forcing a salary cap on the games and MLB.

Players won't agree to a salary cap unless the owners open their books.Something they won't do.

Please... no conspiracy theories... Clark made the hole himself. The MLBPA should have gotten him out of the way. Create a negotiation team of high quality labor lawyers and prepare for CBA negotiations.

Fever throwing face

Baseball Player - Looks like another hole has supplanted him, and I don't mean a donut hole.

If so it shows they did it with Clark's full involvement.

It sounds like he doesn't want to be a distraction in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

We are innocent until proven guilty crime after crime and Clark has not been charged with a crime.

what are you talking aboutHe didn't get out - he was told to get out.He has problems.They let him "back off"…

this. Financial fraud is real and serious. Things like this can undermine a person's legitimacy.

Another Dodgers fan

If money is their word, the owners have more than the players.Smart moves by the players.

What happened to the innocent until proven guilty?Fraud allegations are serious, but still just allegations.

Fever Pitch Guy

Dodgers - The players also have a lot of stuff, but due to delays they won't have access to it for another decade or more.

My straw man > Your straw man

That is for criminal charges and acquittals.This is about the ability to continue in a challenging role while defending these charges.

Another Dodgers fan

Now *this* is how you make procrastination jokes, ladies and gentlemen!

Those who instructed Clark to take an ownership interest in "a team, partners" may have some explaining to do.

If Mr. Clark follows legal and financial advice and that advice turns out to be wrong, he may have a reasonable defense.

Now, which of the owners gets the property and is it legal?!

This seems to be a "double standard".

This will become clear during investigations and legal proceedings.

Regardless, the timing of the investigation is questionable ... and it comes as MLB and the MLBPA begin their biggest labor-management negotiations in decades.

So, the dirty property of other club owners is also leaking and being investigated?!

There wasn't even a meeting of the executive, so he wasn't kicked out.He does not want to be a distraction during the upcoming negotiations of the Central Bank.In America we are all innocent until proven guilty and Clark is charged.

They can do it by e-mail or video conference.

It’s hard to imagine this being a strategic exit for Clark.

It's also hard not to think that this could have been caused

By ownership just before labor negotiations.

You're the only one buying all this bullshit you're trying to sell lol

Don't buy anything.

I'm just wondering what's going on behind the scenes here.

Has all the information been published yet?!No

Is the investigation over?!no

Has anyone been charged?! No

Are important labor negotiations about to begin at Y?

Tony Clarke 'sandblasting' ahead of key labor talks will hurt Players' Union?!

It seems that the timing of these revelations is more than a coincidence?!I

Have there been any controversial federal investigations targeting political opponents?

No conspiracy theories, just stating the known facts.

No, as the article says, it looks like it's because he's under investigation.

Tony Clark resigned as he was about to be charged with criminal fraud in the Eastern District of New York!!

Did anyone ask Tony Clarke why he resigned?!

I remember being happy when he signed with the Red Sox in '02.But he was very disappointed.

Guy with a fever

Phantom - Has hit at least .643 in 14 of his 15 MLB seasons

His one year with the Red Sox?.556 OPS due to shoulder, hip and rib injuries.

"...he has an OPS of at least .643"

It was even worse for the Yankees, but you probably enjoyed watching him contribute to their 3-0 lead in the ALCS.He was an absolute horror at replacing Jambi.

Fever face

Craven – Ironically, Clark came within inches of winning the AL Pennant…thank God for the right corner wall at Fenway.

That heat, that rebounding will continue to live on in Sox lore on the positive side while Bucky's HR is on the negative side.

A feverish man

Dewey - There were many moments like that in the 2004 ALCS.

Off the top of my head, Roberts' base steal where he beat the tag by inches and Bellhorn's homerun which just put him over the wall at Yankee Stadium and hit Arod's glove, etc. I have the box set, I need to convert it to MP4.

Roberts' stolen bases, with two outs in the ninth inning, were the most clutch steals I've ever seen.Roberts should have walked on the first or second pitch (couldn't wait any longer with 2 outs), and everyone knew it.As you said, he did it by two or three inches, with a perfect slide!!

And then everything was saved, so as not to get goals in the 9th inning of loss.But there was little hope of the kind that Mueller was widely known for.Mo had already proven himself as a hitter in the 2001 World Series, so it was no surprise when he hit a double in 2004.Yes, a first-time Hall of Famer, but unanimously?Nor

If that ball hits a regular MLB wall, RF catches it and Sierra can't score.IMO.

It's definitely a distraction for the boss.They want the payment and they know Tony won't give it to them.

So Manfred and his men got rid of Tony

That doesn't make sense.MLB took Clark out of the back of the log cabin in past CBAs.Why on earth would they want him down?

I agree that MLB could have done better in this regard, but Clark has repeatedly stated that the salary cap is a no-go.In this case, it seems they should turn on their heels and see if they can find someone to help them.

Not to play;you think they want PA to give him a lifetime contract.His inability to be accused is like small potatoes... Maybe they just had enough wrongs and need an excuse to force him to resign.

says @joe.This is maybe why MLb had the right offers because they had dirt on him.It's like in politics you vote against your party, suddenly you have 5 students with charges, a photo shoot, and accused of tax evasion.

Based on the article, there may be "mistakes" with the following accusations.Better for the players to get out now, no matter how this goes.

Is it easy to keep everyone out of the woods?The MLBPA just threw away 13 years of union experience to the big CBA negotiations, and the players hate Bruce Meyer.

This is not true at all.The union received significant concessions regarding "shooting" and incentives for teams to avoid Super 2. Basic wages and MiL wages were also significantly increased.

Clark has repeatedly said that a salary cap is not an option because it does not apply to the players he represents.When the MLBPA hires a new executive director, his views on this issue will be exactly the same because the players' position has not changed.The same goes for Manfred and MLB.I'm surprised that "some owners" are interfering with the issue of a salary cap when this has been the owner's top priority for at least a decade.They want it so they can make more money.

Bottom line: With or without Clark, with or without Manfred, these battle lines don't move an inch.

You may be right, but don't count on it forever.Every other major sports league has a cap and they are all doing pretty well.Players' opinion on this will change as players age.

Bruce Meyer is the reason for the player gains made in the last CBA, and most of those gains were from the rank and file, not superstars.Union can not afford to lose Clark.They are in big trouble if they lose Meyer.

I do not count on anything forever, but until the situation on the field changes, there is no reason to believe in the attitude of either side.Comparing MLB to other sports is pointless because baseball's financial system is different from others.

Small market teams want the ceiling.Large markets do not want to lose their advantage.The biggest obstacle to future negotiations is that the owners can't agree on what they want.

Did MLB make fraud allegations in NYS?Clark will be very lucky if he avoids jail!!

Clark is not a very smart person.He will not negotiate with anyone, not even an intelligent one.

Seriously, what's wrong with you?

Major League Baseball has nothing to do with the president of the MLBPA.This is just an invitation to players.The way it occurred to you that there could be a negotiation process where one side has a voice as to who is in charge of the other side is further evidence of the erosion of critical thinking that exists among people today.

Kermit the Frog

That's not dirt.For example, a high school graduate vs a working lawyer.

Kermit they look

How many years will they not have a lawyer in charge?

Frog

They got rid of some things, but also lost a lot.

They all want it because it gives them a big part of the income stream.We have very little information about the internal discussions between the owners because it is completely confidential.But we need to realize at the end of the day, it's all worth it.The current structure trades large profits for small market groups and their owners for small profits and risk.It is a system that the owners created for themselves.

Clark hired Meyer and Meyer made huge gains for players in the current CBA.

Confusion. Both sides have been preparing for this game for years. Manfred just took out the leader of the opposing party as they walked to the battlefield. Great move.

What??This comment makes no sense.

Welcome to MLBTR.🤣

More like welcome to the internet😆

The MLBPA is a separate organization and is not affiliated with MLB.

@seamahoolik.I get that part, still a weird time.Someone leaked it from dad to get him out.Damn, it could have been boron.From the player to the bor fell to Heyman.

Guy's cod ground

seam – I think they are implying MLB led the feds into the investigation. But if they were gonna do that, they would have done it right before or during the lockout ….. not 9 months earlier.

Bochy's Pension Fund

Matty, you allow your reflective bias to cloud judgement.If you thought MLB would have a potential lawyer with deeper roots in the legal/labor systems than someone like Tony Clark, you might want to think again.

In fact, look at the internal conflicts between the stars and the stand-ins and how well Clarke and Co. have handled it.

Marvin Miller never played baseball.He was fine.

Except for the pills, he was great.

He took a congressional initiative to mandate drug testing and yet he cut Fehr off to give it to the government.

Owners have no role in determining the role of union leadership

He implied that the owner came up with or created dirt to get rid of Clark.That's crazy.They love Clark.He is responsible because the union is weaker than it was ten years ago.

Kermit Le Rane

Do they reject games that have player rights for money so that they can quarrel with a lawyer?

I thought the same thing.

Now there are many open vendettas against the enemy.

Like the campaign contributions of the Detroit oligarch in the WH, who owns the competing, old Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, Canada

The Canadian-owned New Gordy Howe Bridge will lose 100 million when it opens soon.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes a disturbance

By the federal government to open a new bridge?!

I would love to hear a call from Moroun Ambassador Bridge owner and contributor to the current administration's WH campaign to try to block the opening of the new Gordie Howe Bridge?!.

As far as dictatorship from a managerial point of view?

Everyone has written thousands of things about what owners are facing in this CBA, but few have thought about what the players need.

While the revenue bottleneck is clear, the remaining issues for them include a percentage of gross revenue for players (unlike other leagues, especially since there must be a clear definition of what and how it is divided), a cap, the international draft, teams with deferred payments, expansion plans, and barring worst-case scenarios such as restricted TACs.

But Tony may not be on the same page as some of the younger firebrands, especially when it comes to revenue cuts and caps/floors.It could be a licensing issue, or there could be disagreements about how long to miss a game or how hard it is to miss a game.I don't know what's going to happen in the next week or so, but it's better now than later.

Income PCT requires owners to be transparent about their financial situation.That may not be the starting point for them.

It is not on my Bingo card to train this spring.

Especially after they recently survived a coup attempt.

Who was it that attempted the coup?

Finally.Now find someone better to stand up to the BS of corrupt bosses and salaries.

Salary breaks and quality are the way to go.Players must have a higher percentage of income than they are currently earning, but that can be done by salary cap.

There are other ways to create parity than limiting a player's earning potential

So as long as the players as a whole will get 50% of the revenue, what's the difference?Working for other sports nfl, nba etc. currently mlb players are around 42%.50 for the players.. give a balance of spending for the teams and let the team of players fight each other on how they want to allocate the resources.

Re: "Other ways".

Yes, market decline.NY and LA are getting expansion teams.The three teams in LA and NY would still have a bigger market share than the other 20+ teams.

No salary required.Market value.

The problem was: what income?You'll never get large market owners to share their local revenue equally, and if the difference isn't real, you won't get a percentage of the revenue for each group even if the books are open.My idea was to have a floor and ceiling, but multiply that by the cost of living to create a better level playing field.For example, the cost of living in Kansas is much lower than in Los Angeles.This also minimizes the differences between taxed states and non-taxed states at the state level.Finally, limit the problem of deferral by counting the entire amount in the year it is received for tax purposes.

Do you want to give the big markets a big profit by adding cost of living??How is this even useful?

Please write down these numbers.How would anyone know when all but Atlanta books were closed?

Sad doom ignored sailor fan

We don't want a cap because of how much players earn, but to make sure that teams with big revenue are on the same playing field as teams with less revenue.

I wouldn't cry if Bryce Harper or Manny Machado lost $10 million a year on their contracts.

The Braves and Blue Jays are owned by publicly traded companies

You should cry.The players are the sport.

100% cost sharing between teams solves all.Because one team exists in a media market that has grown over the years and others don't have the opportunity to be one, player salaries should not be hindered as sports revenue grows.

It didn't happen.

Basically, this is a huge amount, it all depends on how the owners try to determine income while balancing income inequality.If it's a useful and somewhat simple number, then yes, the percentage can be the basis of the floor/cap.But covering the floor is really difficult without a better understanding of the cash involved, such as broadcasting, ticket sales, expansion fees or luxury taxes.

The money from the luxury tax looks great and growing, but not in the grand scheme of things.Last year it was $350 million and growing, but nowhere near $1 billion.And $12-15 million won't move the needle for MLB owners.They both need a new way to measure revenue and some cash to take advantage of some of the franchise valuations that are about to start.

I expect more deals, but TAM and LSV are getting new games and may expand to 32 teams, I expect a lot of money to be lost to rich people in a new deal.Now NYY and LAD and the rest can pull off $3-5 billion with old school sales and then start giving away more of their earnings.

I believe City Council fines are split between retired teams and players, not automatically charged to teams with lower costs and lower revenues.

Agree to increase revenue distribution.This is the answer.

It can also happen with /o hat.

There is no limit to how much players can earn.Limits how much some teams can spend.This makes some teams spend more.

This limits how much you can earn.That's what a "hat" actually means.

The average salary in 2025 is about $189 million.With a floor of $190 million and a cap of $225 million, players get more money.It increases every year according to the income as well.

There is now a floor for revenue sharing recipients, no work.Your plan limits the amount of work a single player can do.Why do you really support player owners?

There is no hard floor and no hard cap.Nothing forces teams to spend more than a very low salary after a few years, leading to frustration.This is ridiculous.The floor must have a hard floor and cork.

I support the sport of baseball.It is in the best interest of MLB.This is not about the owners or the players.I propose an NFL or NBA style system that splits the revenue.It's good for everyone involved if you're not a fan in LA, NY or Toronto.

The proposed minimum and cap would reduce overall baseball salaries.That sounds very promotional to me.

How does my proposal reduce overall payroll?Maybe at the Dodgers and Mets.The average salary was about $189 million, and I proposed a floor of $190 million with a cap of $225 million.That's more money.

According to Manfred, the revenue from sports is over $13 billion, which I think is a huge understatement.

Even at $13 billion, unless all teams are spending more than $200 million, your minimum and cap will reduce the percentage of revenue players receive.

There are 8 teams today whose best estimates have total revenue of less than $350 million.That means if they are forced to spend $190 million, they have more than 50% of their revenue going to player payroll.That is not sustainable.

For any type of cap to occur, several things have to happen.100% revenue sharing, all media deals to be handled by the league.A guaranteed percentage of revenue goes to players who need teams' open books.

Once you have that in place, you can decide what a reasonable floor and hood should be.In fact, implementing those things will require a hood.

If we take Manfred's claim at face value, a $13 billion rate of return and 100% revenue sharing would result in $433 million in revenue for each team.50% of the money going to players is $216.5 million.There is a floor.Because the cost of player salaries is higher than player salaries, the CBT definition of salaries must be used.

You may have to empower the team to force them to sign a player who doesn't have a spot on the 26-man roster to get on the floor.This is why other sports have a higher percentage of player revenue, usually 48-51%.

As for the MLB, we also have to remember that the NFL has no minor leagues when we make comparisons.The salaries of these minor league players must also be applied to the team's field.

@Cincy: I was wrong.I spoke badly.But what you're saying is that Kyle Tucker can't make $60 million a year.Baseball players have short careers.I don't like a system that artificially inhibits their earning power.A cap-and-floor does just that.

I'd be fine with the cap and floor if the cap is $2 billion and the floor is $250 million, both numbers growing at 20% per year.

Reject if all revenue were split equally, assuming teams wouldn't need a floor and cap to succeed with generous additional postseason revenue and more draft picks.Could ownership create such a system?Yes.Would they?No.Because their financial system is the financial system they want – and we know this because they created it single-handedly.

Did you know that people's ideas change over time?

You know, smart enough to realize that what used to work for all of us no longer works.What we wanted before, doesn't mean it's set in stone anymore.Do you think they are stupid enough not to know there is a problem to change/move if there is a problem?

What problems does ownership need and actually want to solve?

Ha ha.Disparity!!It's obvious.

All the best talent gathered in the top three teams that can afford all the best talent.

"They're all very happy with the status quo because they're all making money" is pretty weird.I think a fair proportion of them will be... "It's worrying. We're not moving forward, and it looks like we're unlikely to be moving forward in the near future. This needs to change."

The figure of $225 million is extremely low.That's about $5-10 million more than the taxes would need to be for players to receive about 50% of the revenue today.

The floor price needs to be around $215-220 million, including minor league player salaries and player benefits/retirement for players to receive 50% of revenue.That is, if turnover does not continue to increase.

This may shock you, but for fans and owners baseball is a business, and they play to make money. Strange, but true. And it's not surprising at all.

Bob Sacamano 310

Not wanting to deal with what's about to happen

Interesting. All I can hope is that you won't regret the new decision and that the new director will be able to negotiate a system where we don't need a shutdown.

Maybe we will lose in the 27th minute

I'd be surprised if we didn't.

For the love of the game

I hope you are both wrong, but I fear you are right.Both sides are ready to fight and ready to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

It is not surprising if the players are attacked before the players.Playoffs stocks aren't a big part of player earnings anymore.However, I really miss the suitcase holders.

The only way the players can get a shot is to play this season without the new CBA.

If part of the season is lost, it will be because the owners chose to exclude the players.

It's okay if it's going to be a hell of a non-competitive league.

Everyone talks about player owners, referees and TV rights, but very little is said about what is best for us, the paying fans.In small markets we buy tickets, hats, shirts, etc., with very little hope for our non-competitive teams.

Hasn't there been a suggestion that a youth training program (or something like that) is inappropriate?I am posting this before "More to Come" is made available.But I wonder if there is any basis for it.Regardless, this is a big story.

...financial injustice, I mean.

Something like a federal investigation into licensing fees to strengthen union employers?Yes, that's the story.

How about investigating price increases

Went to MLB stadiums for tickets, refreshments, you name it, who blessed them too?!

and explore television revenues

Also examine the spillover of game revenue into MLB and whether it affects game results.

And the strategy from owning/opening the book.

Investigate government subsidies/taxpayers of private companies

(MLB and its franchise teams).

Open that door and many more investigations can come.

MLB is in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

Hopefully they'll find someone who doesn't want to wait as a negotiating tactic.

I smell a rat!

The timing seems odd,

He was fired by the players themselves.Do you think the board (players) should get along with the owners?I swear, people are just stupid sometimes.

Is this situation fueled by advice from landlords and their lawyers?!

He was not fired.The executive committee did not even meet about this.

There's nothing to see here, they need a real lawyer to initiate a lockout or they'll get mad.Very standard.

They have a lawyer who is a great labor negotiator in Bruce Meyer, the assistant director.

The MLBPA is better for this.He's in over his head.Boras Corp takes over

This can kill the game for sure.Boras appreciated the fans and families of MLB ballparks more than anyone else in the history of the game.

I think you don't understand how tickets and concession prices work.

I'm absolutely sure irbias doesn't understand.

Boras played the game well within the rules for his clients.

But MLB owners are to blame for the high cost of everything in an MLB baseball field.

There are many reasons why baseball becomes so expensive.

The same thing is happening in the NFL and NBA.

Pay-as-you-go packages and many games are no longer available on standard TV, etc.

Senior @Irbias.The owners set the prices and it has nothing to do with the players' salaries.It all depends on market availability and demand.

MLB is a hell of a lot more affordable than the NFL and NBA

Federal filings are required.

Finally!This guy had cancer

I heard Bryce Harper say he wasn't elitist and he took it personally.

The boy will soon be wearing orange jeans.

Normally I would say yes, but with the current administration, he will probably make a generous donation to a PAC, get a pardon from Dear Leader, and maybe even be an ambassador for baseball.That's how it worked.

If only we could go back to trying to put people in jail for posting memes and thought crimes.

The man has not been charged with a crime. The white-collar workers facing federal charges don't wear orange overalls. They attend the Fed Minsec Club, many of which have baseball fields, tennis courts and even horses to ride.

Non-registered invitees

The talks at the last CBA meeting were pretty contentious, I hope whoever replaces him in MLB gets off to a good start so we don't lose games next year.

They should start now.

The percentage of player revenues has decreased in the last 2 CBAs, so the dispute on the part of the MLBPA is justified.

Bruce Meyer has done a great job of bringing more revenue to players. There is still work to be done on this front, and changing labor negotiators at this stage would be a disaster.

Don't know if it's true or not.I'd like to keep it a secret where this information comes from, given the books are closed and all.

Using the revenue numbers released by Manfred, the players' percentage of total revenue has increased in the current CBA.It is far from 50%, but it has increased.

That depends on whether you believe Manfred or not.Personally, I think he's grossly underestimating revenues given the number of Braves and Blue Jays, which are owned by publicly traded companies.

Manfred's credibility must be questioned.

The failure to negotiate with Oakland officials is very apparent.And he and Fisher often "raised the goalposts," the A's said.when he saidHave you agreed to a cheaper deal for the Oakland SF Bay Water Front that ended in Las Vegas?

That in itself makes me very skeptical of anything Manfred says.

When someone resigns while being investigated for something it makes you go hmmmm.He never cared about hurting the game, so it's not like he's suddenly quitting in the face of a labor dispute and possible suspension.

In normal times, that can be given.

These days, when officials are fabricating evidence and getting charges thrown out in Court and lashed into by Judges for filing bogus indictments, then It is hard to believe that this action against Clarke is legal and valid unless it is proven in a Court of law.

Clark always acts like he's smarter than everyone else, but he helps lead this ship into the ice.

I'd say take it easy, the game will be better for it in the end.

Continuity increases.

Viewership is consistently high.

Earnings continue to grow.

I think the players would be better served if the union director was an actual labor negotiator like Bruce Meyer, but that's a whole other topic than your comment.

The difference in talent on the ice.

And the coming iceberg of the recession.

Entertainment revenues tend to rise during recessions.

I hope I'm wrong. I'm a big baseball fan, but I think Clark made a mistake and probably ruined the strength of the players going into this season. Things are looking up, and his greed can actually cost him time.

But I totally agree, the players need a real negotiator to sort things out.Who knows, if it really works right, we might even avoid the 2027 workforce disruption altogether.

Someone who wouldn't give up on his owners. Baseball doesn't need a salary cap. Billionaire owners can afford to pay high prices, they just pick cheap, and it's their own fault. You can't take it with you when you die, so you might as well spend it

Right.So as a fan of a team with a cheap owner, what do I do when a cheap owner chooses to spend money?There are small owners in every league, but you see more in the league without the floor/cap system.

The reason you're paying attention is because in baseball you have the opportunity to be great without a lot of investment, which draws attention to the fact that teams like this exist.

Look at the NBA.The New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Atlanta Hawks are absent.Major free agents don't get there, they don't draft anyone good, and even when they do, those guys manage to get out in 3 years anyway.They rarely make the playoffs, and on rare occasions they enter as an 8 seed and get eliminated in the first round.By being. The only reason they already have is to give a contending team a bad contract when they tank for player picks. BFD.

But thank goodness there is a cap in place to limit how much star players can get!Do a good job of keeping 90% of the star players from all over LA, New York, Texas or Miami.(/s)

How are Los Angeles, New York, Texas and Miami doing lately?2 comebacks in 2014.

Hahaha, And of those 11 championships going back to 2014, Golden State won 4, 2 were won by Kahwi Leonard, the other 2 were won by the two most dominant teams in NBA history, and one was won by the best player of the era, Lebron James, barely keeping GSW from winning 5th during that span. Just because the few I mentioned didn't win a bunch of trophies doesn't mean the big names and big markets aren't the dominant forces in the league.

Through a miracle of luck Denver and Milwaukee were able to draft two generational talents who were happy to stay with the teams that drafted them rather than look to the women's market, and OKC is a tank as a result.

There are very few people who want to play in the cities you mentioned.That's why they bolt

So explain to me how a salary cap is suddenly going to make anyone want to live in Milwaukee.

I will help you: no.It will do the same thing to small market MLB that has small market NBA teams, which is that they will become a permanent school that serves as nothing more than a dumping ground for bad contracts so that the big guys can free up room for the next shiny thing they want to accomplish to improve their standing in the name.Obviously for those who don't have the NBA, I don't know what to tell you.

MLB is the only league without 100% revenue sharing and a guaranteed percentage of sports revenue going to the players.

Baseball is an entertainment business.The billionaire owners can probably afford it, but for how long?If salaries continue to rise, MLB will likely reduce to 6 teams.There aren't many teams that can pay $600 million per year in payroll.If wages go up, everything around that team will go up to cover the cost of doing business. For example, food, parking, tickets, etc. Look at Trump's tariffs for example... an item will cost $45 before the tariffs and after that the same item will cost over $75 to offset the cost of paying for those tariffs.

It would be a stupid business model to charge $45 if you need $75 to get the item.

There should be a salary cap, just like in any other sport.If a salary cap is enforced properly, MLB players will get paid and both sides will be happy.The NHL and NFL have salary caps, and both are doing well, with their caps going up or down depending on revenue.

The NBA has a soft cap that requires teams to spend 90% of their budgeted amount.If MLB can adopt a hybrid system of two or one, that would be great.They should definitely eliminate binding contracts and delays.

Would the Dodgers pay more if they knew they would have to pay taxes and could not extend the contract no matter what the tax line was set for?

There should be no guaranteed contracts in MLB.If a player sucks the third year after his seven-year contract, please.I think it would cost more teams to know if a player sucks after the second year, it's okay, no mistake philosophy.

Holy crap, this is the most anti-labor move in the entire comment section.Players who don't get guaranteed deals are wild.If we're trying to please the owners, why not go back to the spare clause?

Fair or not, non-guaranteed contracts are probably the biggest part of the NFL being competitive.If it's an acceptable business model, fine, I understand why no one wants it, but then don't sit around wondering why baseball doesn't have competitive deals like football.You know why, you didn't like the answer.

If player contracts are guaranteed, no, I worked 50 years and never had a guaranteed salary, not even in the Marine Corps, and of course he's a generational player, but would you believe Ohtani's worth a $700 million contract over 10 years, no taxes, that's $70 million a year, now $462 a game.And he will postpone it for 15-20 years.Done, what the Dodgers have an interest in is not production money, it's small country money.

You need to learn how to hit a 100 mph fastball with spin.Or throw it away.

@Little Texas - You need to move the decimal point a bit.The amount in play is 432,000, not 4.3 million.Also, Ohtani earns interest on the deferred money, so the Dodgers do not earn interest on the deferred.The Dodgers would rather pay players who play for them and win for them than owners who care about the player's opportunities.

You're right, and I did the math in my head, but I still don't see anyone paying to play, so basically 432 to 162 games and 9 more innings than some states that pay minimum wage and employ one employee a year.Makes me want to play baseball today instead of choosing to retire.

That's what happens when 4 million people want to see a performer live and another 2 million people are willing to watch TV every night.It's not that a visit or any game is worth it - it's the whole scale.

Little Texas is undoubtedly a shill account for the owner.Such trolls should be banned.

Jerry won't force Reinsdorf to spend big.

The league did nothing but expand as salaries rose for decades.It seems that with him: the sport is doomed.

Your rate model is interesting.Few people realize that a country like China is willing to eat 85% of any fare because they have no choice.Its supply-side economy dictates its absolute presence in this market.

They have a choice.Why didn't you notice the price increase?

wrong You pay the rates.

Hahaha.Study yourself.

China doesn't need to eat anything.

Judgment day is another shill account for the owner.

As long as revenues continue to grow, player salaries should continue to rise.

You do not understand how the business works.It does not matter if the owner has more or less, it depends on the income.

If someone is proposing a solid salary, what about a hard profit cap and a hard capital cost of how much an organization spends to meet the salary cap?Whatever is left after all the savings must go back to the fans who attend the games or subscribe to a streaming service for baseball.

arb year 2 years ago 3 arb year frequency increases to 24. Players will automatically receive 10% of their merchandise revenue.

A little out of line

A down year of team control?no thanks.Small-market teams already can't compete with big-market salaries.Now you want to rip their players a year early?

Read my other comments.

Just outside the front row

Yes, I hope the football union will not go on strike.

Players cannot go on strike unless they agree to play without the new CBA.Not so.

What happens is that owners lock up players as negotiating leverage.This doesn't work.The owners only lost money the last time they tried it, and the players are ready for it when they do.

Owners have multiple sources of income and if they don't play, they don't get paid and they don't get service time.I did not have to play for money, but could see some pre-arb players or others.

I can't blame him.I don't want to deal with future labor negotiations and I'm not even part of them.You have enough money to throw away your phone and go relax on the beach for a year or two.while someone else takes care of it.I honestly don't see why a former player would want the job.It just doesn't seem worth it for anyone who already has millions in the bank.

As with most top management unions.The inappropriateness of money.

Clark left to spend more time with his family in upstate New York.The law of content.

Or maybe spending less time with his family

Clark's legal problems must be worse than I thought.He survived the rebellion in 2024 and the massive split in the Union between the have-nots and the (relative) haves in 2021. (Union shill Bobby Nightengale calls it a "moderate rift" in the Union. Yeah, right. There was also a "moderate rift" between the US and Japan from 19441 to 19445.

But I do not think Clark can survive the Feds.However, the owners will get a new CBA the way they did before with a moan and a penny.I expect another 50% + increase in the minimum wage and at least a bigger increase in the early career process (and probably a post-season team).It will bring pride in the interior and what the owner wants.And there are more grievances than the elite players because the union made its disappointment known in 2021.

Also, I don't think most owners are interested in a cap-and-floor system.They love the current luxury tax system, which puts tens of millions of dollars in their pockets.Of course, Wildcats like the Dodgers and Yankees want a cap to save themselves from spending.But most owners prefer that sweet luxury tax money.Find sky-high penalty percentages under the new CBA, but no cap-and-floor.

Players also love the luxury tax as 50% of it goes into their pension fund.Hence, the salary cap is doubly bad for the earning power of the players.

If you had a choice between receiving some CBT tax after retirement or getting paid more now, which would you choose?

Overall, the MLBPA is completely inconsistent with CBT.When it was created, other negotiating points were taken over, and Clark couldn't have predicted how much it would reduce wages.No one expected teams to accept this as a hard cap, but many did.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers and Yankees are the teams that don't want the cap.They don't want to lose their edge.

Hal Steinbrenner looks like he wants a hat.The Dodgers stay quiet as always, but after a while even they get tired of financing other teams with luxury taxes.

Like the United States versus the Falkland Islands.

There is no 50% increase in the minimum wage for sportspersons.They got less than 20%.

In 2021, the union recorded its largest profit in 15 years.No regrets at all.They wanted more, but made huge profits.

CBT fines paid are not even split.Take a minute to read it.

Meyer spoke about the surprisingly low CBT threshold negotiated for the current CBA.In 2021, the union called for $270 million to begin with, which would be adjusted as MLB revenue increases in those negotiations.Look for the union to at least have a reduced level of penalties in the next CBA.

MLB may not maintain the same CBT without special penalties to comply with current CBA requirements for teams such as the Marlins, Pirates, A's and Rays who receive revenue sharing by spending it on MLB payroll.Players are well aware that those teams and several others collect those revenues without spending them on player salaries.The right to complain alone is not enough.It should be.either certain penalties or salary levels.

Small business owners will not agree to a salary cap unless there is a high revenue share.

Strong feelings on Clark here, but I'd say he was a good leader for the MLBPA players.Maybe he didn't play the ball well in possession, but I think players will generally be happy with that.I could be wrong there, I know, but I think that's the most important thing I can think of.

Clark worked for the players.The supervisor works for the owner.I think Clark helped the players.

Clark began helping the players when he realized he wasn't a labor negotiator and hired a much better one in Bruce Mayer.The owners gave the players 2 CBA first.

Did the owners take the players to the cleaners?Each time the contract was signed, the wages went up.

are you serious

Storm, Skip is right.Player salaries as a share of MLB revenue have declined in the previous two CBAs.

It was the first time everyone voted unanimously for Saul and Clark.When he received the votes in 2024, he won with a huge majority.The players liked and supported him a lot.Some former stars who thought they could make more money in free agency even voted to dump him.

I don't think he was effective in his first two CBA negotiations, but I'm not a voting member of their union so my opinion doesn't count.Most of my adult life has been spent working on the other side of the aisle as a team worker, so to speak.

Thanks for the insight, Web.

How to solve the problem of income distribution without a salary cap

1. There is no deferred payment for contracts of less than 250 million dollars, a maximum of 30% of the contract can be delayed.The team will also not be allowed to have more than 5 deferred contracts on their roster, will be taxed at 250% on team excess luxury tax, 100% on non-revenue and 50% on food revenue.

2. Make a soft cap of $250 million.If you believe this, you lose your 3rd pick and 500k from the international bonus pool, 50% tax and an additional 100% for each crossover year.Another $275 million threshold, where you lose your second, fifth and fourth picks and lose $1 million in international bonuses.You get an additional 200% and 100% tax for each crossover year.get itGo over the third $290 million threshold and you lose all your international bonuses and the first, second and fifth picks.$300 million means you can't sign international free agents, losing the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 2nd, and 4th picks is delayed 15 slots and taxed 500% and 100% up front.Bites and money are redistributed.

3. To make a soft floor for 100 million dollars.You lose your 'special' options such as compensation or PPI if you fall below the threshold.If you fall below the 90 million threshold, you lose $2 million in the international bonus pool, special picks, and the 3rd and 4th picks after that.You also cannot apply at the Rule 5 stage and your prospects are identified a year early.If you fall below the 80 million threshold, it's all early penalties and a 75% tax each subsequent year.If you fall below $75 million, all penalties accumulate, but you lose $5 million from your international bonus pool and cannot give bonuses over $100,000.You also lose your 1st, 3rd and 4th round picks and all special picks.(If you fall below any of the floors, you will not be able to get any money in the income distribution process.

4. New acquisitions cannot earn the full $125 million; players who earned less than $1 million are not counted.This is a hard cap, but if a player signs a superstar contract but exceeds the $125 million mark, both MLB and the MLBPA must agree that the player must be a special exception, but he cannot add more than $1 million.

It's a well-thought-out effort, but in practice it's basically just squeezing the player - the vast majority of teams would accept it because it would significantly reduce their overhead.There is one thing that is interesting.Your total salary cap of $125 million will lead to a different kind of market - upper-tier players will be signed to short-term contracts.

I'm not sure if I made it clear or not, but new players can't get more than 125 million this year, that's what I mean.For example, if a team adds Skubal next year and he earns 45 million, this is 45 percent of 125.

5. Market Dilution.NY and LA get expansion teams, and their stocks drop back down to ... well, all 6 teams will still be top 10 stocks.It would be a great start.

…It will never happen, but it addresses the issue directly rather than dealing with market value and generating returns in relation to fair allocation between markets.

Do you really think an expansion team in those big markets, with their history, and frequent playoff appearances, is going to hurt the market for the Dodgers or Yankees?The Mets have been around for 50+ years and they haven't.Do you believe the expansion team will get a promotional offer for a comparable amount?It's not just the truth.

stymeedone - As someone who has seen first hand that the new franchise in the market has changed the market, I can say that it really affects the existing group in the market.History is offended.

People today love the “latest”.

Please stop adding teams to those markets.You sound like an idiot.

Dolemite means a lot from you.Thank you sir.

What about offers that allow teams to re-sign their free agent in part (or all) of those contracts for free.That could reduce the current onslaught of small markets to become real farm clubs for larger markets.It was a vicious cycle.Fans watch men grow and develop, but their hearts are torn.

I think it's possible, but smaller marketing groups get better options than larger ones.

That would only help the big market teams in the current system.The problem is income.Teams like the Dodgers and Yankees have 3 to 4 times more revenue than teams like the Rays and Marlins.That has to be fixed or nothing else will help.

3 steps.The NFL, NBA and NHL have taken the same steps

1 - 100% revenue share with all media contracts managed by the league.

In this way, one ownership group could only generate more revenue than another if it split the money from its pocket to build its own stadium and make money from other events.

2 – Guarantees a percentage of revenue to players.48-51% is the percentage of the other championships.This ensures that the League as a whole has to spend.

2a - Open the book with the Holy.This is a prerequisite for #2.

3 – Salary floor per team. One that rises with the revenue increases for the sport. This guarantees that individual teams have to spend. At current revenue levels that salary floor would have to be around $200-210 million to fit a 48-51% guarantee to the players.

3A?– It would be possible to add salary caps across baseball to prevent teams like the Rockies and Angels from becoming complacent with their player spending.

That would make the cap useless.If an owner didn't want to dip into their own pockets for a particular player, the same revenue streams would limit team spending to a level that could compete with all teams, and the floor would ensure that owners couldn't just pocket money like Fisher, Sherman and Nutting.

It is not possible to share 100% of the income.Teams like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets won't like that.Other profitable teams like the Astros, Red Sox or Cubs won't like that.The Pirates, Marlins and Rays will pocket the money.

The Astros would need 23 teams for 100% revenue sharing.The Mets have higher than average revenue, but they're not in the same stratosphere as the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, or Red Sox.I'm not sure if Cohen would object to this.

100% profit sharing would absolutely work, but that doesn't mean the owners will agree to it, and therefore no wage cap, and the union will fight hard to raise the CBT cap and reduce the fines for Tier 1 and possibly Tier 2.

Skip, all these points are things the union has said many times and need to happen before they even discuss a tough cup.

I think if MLB was willing to do these things, the union would agree to a hard cap.A cap that was pretty close to the floor, which as you said should exceed $200 million.$200 million cap and $240 million cap with an NBA-like clause that allows teams to waive players they drafted/signed and developed at a salary over the cap.I can see it working both ways.

I'm sorry.He knew what was coming and he didn't want to deal with it.How will the players stop the owner trying to stop himself?

He may be a Tiger, but he is also a Snake.He is not a warrior.

I never thought Tony Clarke was a good choice, ever!

It is not a good choice, but not because of this.He was a bad choice because he had no experience as a recruiter.The players took him in the first two CBA he was in.Then they hired Meyer and things started to change in this last CBA.Clark's absence will be fine.Losing Meyer would be a disaster for the players.

Players would do well to try to extend the current contract by a year or two.

Why are they smart to do so?The players' salary increases until the end of the union contract - so you need a new one sooner rather than later.The difference between the 1.4% increase in 2025, the 7.2% jump in 2023 and the 14.8% jump in 2022 is after the wage loss period until 2021.

God damned

Scott Boras on board!

Its slogan will be:

What salary cap?

The players do not have to be united.in the beginning.They have brought nothing but trouble to this great game.Players go to games to create a festive atmosphere and stadium experience.We want to feel part of something big, and there are 30 memories that bring us joy summer after summer.Baseball was made by the owners, not the players.

Yes, they still get peanuts and can be controlled like cattle.Now they are just a few millionaires after a few years in the game.The scary thing is these associations.

It is astonishing that the highest paying and most successful industries, such as Hollywood and professional sports, employ essentially top-down unions, yet the main thing people learn from these money-printing machines is that unions are bad.

So why aren't owners playing the game?

These Chinese bots are becoming more sophisticated, but not more effective.

There is no MLB without fans.No one will return to see the master.Stop taking such a hard thumb.

I never saw the owner beat up or hit the guy.

Ultimately, this does not change the shape of the upcoming CBA negotiations as the issues remain the same.You can benefit from

a new beginning, but we are talking about billions of dollars, and the MLBPA will not hire someone who has no knowledge of the game.

Looks like he has plans to enter politics....where is the real money.Book them Dano!

It's interesting to see posts from owners these days with such cheap prices.While teams are spending $400 million, there are currently five teams spending more than $300 million and nine teams spending more than $200 million.There are some owners who don't spend as much as other teams, but there are teams that don't have the revenue from streaming TV and marketing.

MLB needs to work harder to get television services for every team.A prime example of this is Texas who pay teams significantly, start their own RSN due to the loss of cable rights and streaming now dominates everywhere.Texas is said to be a big market team, it is not true.Football is a big market in Texas.We are very lucky to have an owner who has been spending lately, but is now cutting and maybe ready for a cap and floor.

Every team in baseball needs to be on a level playing field when it comes to spending, and the only way is floor and cap.The players making the big numbers you see today are ridiculous and have really cost the game $700 million over 10 years.

At any point in history, all teams in baseball have been the same in terms of spending - for the entire 150 years of the game.Why should today be any different?

Because some of the teams that still exist today and the market has not grown for them. Oakland is an excellent example of the market and ownership.

Oakland is part of the 9th largest media market.The Bay Area is huge.Which is smaller will be their next market in Las Vegas.You might want to stop commenting if you don't know basic things like that.

They only had access to a small portion of that market in Oakland.

Oakland may be the 9th largest media outlet but this is an ad that has nothing to do with Baseball, the big difference is, if that's why the 9th largest media outlet Baseball will not offer a new stadium where the gutters are filled with dugouts and clubhouses and, that's right because it's not a baseball advertising market.

You're right, California might be the biggest market, especially Los Angeles and SF, moving the A's from Vegas to smaller stadiums with more luxury suites is the way to go now and more profitable, our Rangers have done that, lower seating capacity but more luxury boxes and we haven't participated in a significant decline.I can't get anyone to understand that just because it's a big media market doesn't mean it's a baseball media market, big difference.

Oakland and the SF Bay Area are richer and more affluent than most MLB markets

Its economy is bigger than most countries and states.

I would love to see the feds investigate how Selig, Manfred, the SF Giants and the A's Fisher allegedly threw the Oakland A's into financial limbo to make the A's economically "financially unviable" and move the team to a much smaller and poorer TV and revenue market in Las Vegas.

And what is the role of gambling interests and their growing influence on MBL and revenue in those decisions?

Former MLB commissioner, judge and attorney Kenesaw Mountain Landis must go to his grave as baseball embraces gambling interests and encourages America's children and grandchildren to get hooked on betting on baseball.

They have 100% access to the media market.They are seen on TV in every area of ​​the market.That's why they have more than $70 million a year in TV deals.

Nothing prevents A’s from attracting fans from all over the Bay Area except Fisher.

what are you sayingAll differences in income and expenses are related to the media contract.are you thickOr are you just a shill account?

The Bay Area is a huge media market for baseball, which is why the A's are paying such a huge TV deal.10th largest in MLB.They went to Sacramento to try to keep at least part of that media deal.

Why should taxpayers fund stadiums for billionaire owners?

As you know, the state of California, Alameda County and the city of Oakland approved $665 million in funding for the playground there.Mr. Fisher pulled out because he couldn't get the money to do the rest of the business. He pulled out two other field deals after taxpayer funding was approved. They even gave him a portion of the land where the Hall is located, as he intended to build there.

You are either the most ignorant person I have ever read or you are a fool to the owners.

I have a reason why.The A's ballpark was a dump.Nothing says yuck more than raw sewage on your property.

You have access to the entire market.

All 2 team markets split their locations 50%/50% in other cities like LA, NYC, Chicago etc…

But Commissioners Selg and Manfred will not revive party A's valid request to take back their 50% market share from Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley that party A previously (Walter Haas of Levi's) loaned to SF GIANTS to help save SF GIANTS FOR THE SF BAY AREA.A non-profit publicly owned group purchased the SF Giants and loaded the rolling stock for Tampa Bay.

Former A's owner Walter Haas Jr. 50 miles away after the SF Giants built their new stadium in SF instead of Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley.said, and former commissioner Bud Selig confirmed in an interview that the SF Giants should return 50% of Santa Clara County to the A's.

The SF Giants opposed the deal and prevented the A's from building a new stadium in the area, which would have made the A's more economically viable in the SF Bay Area.

Gutless Commissioners Selig and Manfred could hold a general election to give the A's back 50% of the field and allow the A's to build their new stadium in Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley, where the stadium problem was solved decades ago.

Ironically, the SF 49ers eventually built a new Lewes Football Stadium in Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley, but Selig, Manfred and Ownership A refused to make it economically viable in the SFB area of ​​Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley.

The SF Giants would also have hit the A's in the back and would be the Tampa Giants today if they hadn't had an assist/save from the Former owner of the Oakland A's.

Selg and Manfred prevented the A's from moving to San Jose or elsewhere in Santa Clara County's Silicon Valley.

The SF Giants were to return 50% of their land in Santa Clara County that former A's owner Walter Haas Jr. had lent to the Giants to help save them in the SF Bay Area and prevent the SF Giants from moving to Tampa.

Selig, Manfred and the Giants reneged on that deal.

So the SF Bay Area becomes the only major MLB 2 team market that doesn't have a 50/50 split

(Not LA, Not Chicago, Not NYC).

Which was caused by Fisher not doing the ballpark maintenance he agreed to in his lease.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob had a "standing offer" to purchase the A's and/or partner with Fisher and build a new A's stadium.Fischer, Selig and Manfred refused to pay for the deal and put over a billion dollars in revenue share into the A's and waived LV 400 million in transfer fees?!

Reggie Jackson tried to buy the A's decades ago.

He was in a group with Bill Gates, Paul Allen & McCaw Cellluar Owners.Selig said he would

Selig lies and burns Reggie.

Several other SF Bay Area billionaires have offered to buy the A's and build them a privately funded new baseball stadium.

Busted by Selig, Manfred and Fisher.

Selig, Manfred, the SF Giants and Fisher sabotaged several potential attempts to acquire a new A's baseball stadium and/or new A's ownership in the SF Bay Area.

The only way teams can spend money is to have a 100% revenue share like the other major US sports.

So, he is guilty and resigns before it is made public.

If Manfred quits then maybe we could have two competent people handling the CBA negotiations instead of two thugs (now one) like last time

Charlie's old uncle

1. Open property books

2. Split 50/50 between players/owners.An increase from the current share of 43% for players.

3. Owners agree to hit the ground, putting pressure on players so they can hit cover

4. Improving revenue distribution between clubs

5. Play football

MLBPLA will never accept a cap and owners will share their revenue.

Ol's uncle is Charlie

@Dolemite - It's definitely an MLBPA scene where everyone's heels are dug in...but if there's no shutdown, we're definitely looking at a strike.

If the owners went 50/50, opened the books, set a salary floor, the MLBPA would look very bad.Ownership has a legacy of screwing over players, but if the owners do the right things, I think this can be done.

This isn't 1994, and baseball has taken an incredibly severe hit since the strike.Such an attack would have dire consequences for the future of the game.

People have more to spend their time and money, and baseball is not the only priority for many people as it was thirty years ago.

Something has to give.

Revenue, attendance and ratings were all up.

Old Charlie didn't mention a cap.He talked about one floor.

The owners have long agreed on a floor.He proposed it last time.Players are up against a goal.

Charlie at the party

The floor is AMONG the necessary things.

Open the books and split the revenue 50/50 (like many other sports leagues) and this thing has a chance.

Everyone must meet in the middle.

The owners offered the land of $ 100 million, but only if the cap was set to $ 180 million.The bottom line is that owners do not offer a sustainable land.

The players insisted that the current CBA retain something about teams spending money by sharing revenue on player salaries.The owners refused to add an actual penalty to that rule.Again the owners blocked the right floor.

Now the owners are talking about a minimum of $160 million and a hard cap of $240 million in the next CBA.The players will never agree to that and here's why.With MLB's $13 billion in revenue from Manfred's statements, each team would be required to have a payroll of more than $200 million to match the percentage of revenue currently going to the players.To reach 50%, the FLOOR must be $216.5 million.

I'm going to assume that all the teams that collect the revenue don't have the revenue to get the player salary of $216.5 million.To reach the possible place, there must be 100% revenue sharing between the teams.

As usual, you are wrong on this petition.The hosts suggested a ridiculously low floor tied with an even more ridiculous cover.Players rejected both options because it would have significantly reduced their share of the overall income.

It is not the job of the players to create financial equity in the game, that is for the owners.One hundred percent revenue sharing and that's it.

Publish Theo Epstein Files

good. Tony Clarke's dismissal was long overdue. They should bring in Harry Marino, who helped create an organization for small clubs and keep the membership organized.

Something is happening behind the scenes

Enjoy a sack lunch

I'll take the job.Potato salad!

I can't figure out why they're not negotiating now.If so many people expect contentious negotiations and quick issues, but neither side wants to stop what would hurt both of them, start the back and forth with suggestions and objections now.Start with easy (or should be easy) wins like trading draft picks until after od.baseball start now.

And I would argue that there are a lot of players on the MLBPA committee, but there are also labor lawyers who are doing or could be doing a lot of the actual negotiations.Let them sort it out and present the players to the committee.It’s not easy to do this during the season, but it’s better to skip the whole year without paying anyone.

Foolish player to hire a temp at this critical time.Hire a top negotiator for the job.

They have the best dialogue for graphics work.

I hope Brent Suter and his friends change their mind, it is incomprehensible and borderline criminal that they did not conduct an outside investigation, not even to see who is willing to fill this position.

What would be a borderline crime would be to change the negotiating team at this final stage.The mayor would have to stay and making a real labor bargaining director would make a lot of sense.

Some people can lie, steal, and cheat, but they can wake up and look at themselves in the mirror.

Well done to all the kids you run..

I/we can say the same for PIT's Nutting, MIN's Pohland, ATH's Fisher, CIN's Castellini, COL's Monforts, KC's Sherman, Moreno (he costs money but doesn't build a competitive team), Sherman MIA (who even hired Jeter and then Jeter when they decided to stay next year), Kim who lost the next year.near monopolies for baseball in their area but rarely have competitive teams on the field, increase fan bases or attendance, or give their fans some hope or keep HG players to claim.

DIET's Ilitch gets a small amount of credit for spending so much this year to peak Skubal, while at the same time getting praise for not spending close to what he's worth or extending him.

I give the Brewers Attanasio credit for having a competitive MIL team on a very tight budget, but have lost some respect for spending a little this offseason along with losing some key players.Dolan of CLE is an HM.

Wow left handed.Do you really not know what's going on?There are no claims that the children cheated.The only argument is that the player-funded Players Way is really just a way to pay Clark and other former players if they are part of union money outside of their MLBPA contracts.

C Our sinking

Payment duration...

If Bruce Meier loses the union, they are on a river without an oar.

This one belongs to the Reds

Surprised the investigation didn't happen sooner.It doesn't look good for the union.

I find it amazing that the union did not have a contingency plan for Clark.Or maybe they did, but managed to cover it up... we'll find out soon...

Another Dodger fan

Shortly stepping down from his current position to represent the Players Association as Vice President, we present Scott Boras!!!

Boras demands a 10% cut for himself.The players union needs someone who is not corrupt and doesn't want to take down giants.

I give you Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Counsel is Judge Andrew Napolitano.

Two total corrupts.Good choices./s

⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️.Avoid 🫵🏻🖕🏻

Skip's Fungus is an MLB specialty,

His net worth was $703k according to his statement when he took office.Currently $5.85 million.

Now make the Drumpf.

You do Drumpf.I wouldn't touch him with a walking stick.

According to Forbes, Trump's net worth dropped by $1 billion during his first term in office.

Read my post again.Forbes.

Regrettably, it has run into the billions due to money laundering from the presidency.

His net worth doubled in the first year of his second term.

Allow teams to trade draft picks Small market teams with FA studs waiting can get more than one draft pick if they trade him and finish rebuilding.

Because it actually happened

Teams may trade recently drafted minor league players.

Not even close.

A new king will be tough, won't back down, and will absolutely force the block to continue throughout the season.

If baseball continues in the middle of the season, I consider ourselves lucky.

I see comments that the property should open the books, why?

Some jobs don't open the books for their employees, people are hired and paid to do a job, baseball is no different.Yes, ownership must make a lot of money, they have a business.Players demand so much, how many jobs can you qualify for lifetime pension benefits and insurance as a baseball player after 10 years of MLB service.Wow 10 years and giving up.

Literally EVERY other major US sport has open books and their unions.All publicly traded companies have open books.Only small businesses don't and most have a CBA that has a union as part of their CBA.Almost all jobs have pension plans, at least the good ones.Baseball is an entertainment business which is why the players are in the business.If they leave, the business collapses.they are nowThe community already owns most of the football.My workers had 5 years.I'm sorry you work for such rubbish employers, but when you don't have the skills it happens.

“There is no baseball without the players” is a very explosive statement.There is baseball without THESE specific players.But there is no baseball without a team.

This is a lame argument.Without these players, you wouldn't be willing to pay to watch, so you wouldn't have MLB.

Imagine the level of play if none of the current members of the MLBPA, including all minor league players, were in the league.

You do not need these owners to create a team.There are more people in America with a net worth of $100 million or more than there are MLB players.You can get a new owner much easier than replacing a player.

Most stadiums are owned by taxpayers.Teams lease them.New leagues can be formed, new owners buy franchises, and most still play in the facilities.

Either you mean open books or "open books" or there is no publicly traded company on the planet that has real, honest open books.I also disagree with the annual analysis of ownership and players.Yes, you can't play baseball without players.It's easy.But these players cannot be financed without rich owners.Of course, Ohtani and others can always go play in the sandbox… someone has to build the field.

How many stadiums built were purchased from team owners without tax dollars?If you said zero, you are correct.Even the couple who ostensibly financed the park's construction had hundreds of millions in public spending on infrastructure, land gifts and tax breaks.

In the end the club owners did not pay anything.You and I do.We pay 100% of you and the "rich owners" in the middle who take a cut and make our entertainment more expensive.

You are right that public companies do not have 100% open books.Key elements such as revenue and its sources, costs and operating compensation are public.Every shareholder report contains that information and more.In MLB, there is nothing public except Braves and Blue Jays.

I'm fully aware of businesses that have retirement plans and my players can earn me in 10 years, I've done that twice.I am currently pulling 3 and 2 myself on my children under 18 and have the luxury of being on the computer or phone all day answering this post, I have been retired for 2 years and I love it and I am still young enough to enjoy it and life.Not all teams rent stadiums, some actually own the stadium and vero.Player contracts are getting out of hand is all I'm saying and new boundaries need to be set.

A career as an athlete is short.

Players have representatives, a union, and are allowed to work with other players without the team being able to talk to each other about almost every matter.

All the while I was thinking of Tony. Clark was incompetent and over his head ... that he was corrupt.

Sorry to let you down, Tony.

I wouldn't be surprised if #47 is involved

ol uncle charlie

Yes, he is such a good negotiator 🙄... Let's not make a bad situation worse to hell 🙏

He'll turn his nose up at your home improvement business if you write a check for his commission.

I thought he might be named as one of Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators.

You won't get in trouble for this in the United States.Just every other country.

I would like to nominate Thomas Massey of Kentucky to represent the Players Association.For the counsel of Judge Andrew Napolitano.This would make owners more flexible.

This spells stagnation for the league.

Best screen name ever

Not a word from Drelich or Rosenthal about this corruption in recent months.Imagine being so one-sided in your coverage of MLBPA/MLB relations that you never mention that the side you support is always being investigated by the feds because it's wrong.

Get ready for another MLBPA one-pager in December from Drelich and Rosenthal.There's all the news that Scott Boras thinks is worth printing.

Wow, that's an incredibly stupid comment.The Athletic is owned by the New York Times.All they care about is clicks and shares, not what Boras says unless it leads to more clicks and shares.

According to Suter's comments, it looks like Bruce Meyer will be and can be the interim director, which is a good thing after the owner brought the first two CBA CBA's radical Clark. Meyer also started to hunt a lot of players and brought small players into the team in the CBA.Today he is a skilled negotiator.

A "corrupt union," run primarily for the benefit of the Scherzer family, Verland, Sotos, and Scott Boras, a very shady attorney.

Yes, because MLB owners are snotty guys….

“Like puffy boys”… Nice digression Tony.Corruption is fine, as long as you're the only one doing it, right?

As long as there are supporters of corruption, there will be corruption.

MLB fanYou are an apologist for corruption.

Clark resigned because he spoiled his sister-in-law.The only ones affected were his brother and his wife.

That.His daughters love him.

Boras is an excellent negotiator who does his job and gets the best deal he can for his clients.

Ha ha. Bobby is the man. Problem over. Just like the farmer. When you meet him, you have to keep your nose very clean.

kermit isel

I think it's fair to ask why he was the head of the MLBPA.

He graduated from high school with no legal experience.And they are fighting some of the most experienced labor lawyers in the country.It is considered bad practice to present yourself.But that's what players have been doing for years.

It's not that they don't have legal staff.

Want hat holders?Bright.Open your books and start sharing broadcast rights revenues like the NFL does, and then we can talk about gross revenue sharing with the players.That would be fair, right?

This man will be charged.He will be charged with a crime on the way.

I know it's a crazy idea, but players need to think about changing the culture.Most of us against them baseball is no good for anyone.It was punished.Exchange BS.No one gets hurt by saying it.The young guys need to step up and change that.

All players lose if they "Third Down".

I'm sure they'll be fine.Pretty sure patching will still see a very good life in the future.You never know, it might even be appreciated to the point of helping.Love it!People show respect and consideration and are rewarded.Crazy stuff.

Their ego can hurt a little but that's what happens when you grow up.You don't care much about your ego.

Wondering what would happen if back-load contracts stopped?Neither team can use them anymore.Contract reduction or extension?

They are not that common.It wouldn't have much effect.

So it was clear that he was making fun of his sister-in-law who also worked for him.Cool.But that is the immediate reason for the dismissal, which was mainly a disappointment and not a resignation.

Tony!Tony!Tone!——>

Hello, fellow parents!

It seems the truth is escaping you.In the article it was written that the board of directors, the only one who could remove him, did not respond.He was not fired.

Shady union leader???

How will they replace Switzerland 6 ft 8?

I don't know why everyone is fussing about this.They are both adults.

Money and greed....wine women and music

Combine all that.. if anything it is poor example!!

After reading the article and comments, I know less than before I started.

Dude has a very close relationship with his mom

dish?Oh man, this is going to be fun.Soap Opera!!

The action hurts…

Let's normalize firing and prosecution instead of resignation.

So TC cheated on his brother's wife⁉️ Shame on him and her.I think comp is crazy for players.It can increase the floor and punishment level of CBT.But the guys in the top 5% are crazy.3/4 billion for a BA .260 guard and meh is crazy.No player more than Ohtani comes close to the final contract value.Fans have the cheap tickets they need.They need a salary cap.

bucket number 6

Was she my brother's wife?Or the wife's sister?

Dumb Jerry Hairston Jr.

However, the soap works very well…

I think I'll be watching a lot of tennis in 2027 because there won't be a season.

We have blown the whistle on the sources of these allegations.I wonder who owes you a favor?The internal and external political battle is very interesting.It seems that there are more than two groups.It is clear that there are leagues, a camp office and a players union;However, the Players Union may not meet both parties.Whoever takes on the role of Clark will be very interesting.There is a long way to go in future fan discussions, especially related to the future of baseball.

Wow, that's great.

Jerry Hairston Jr. Toupé

Tony was a bad boy. Allegedly….

Cutia also gives Jarred Kelenic

Well, I guess we'll have to find new distractions for 2027. Maybe we can all get into Indy Ball leagues?

If the owner locks out players, it will only be baseball in the summer after college and high school ball.

Wonderful treatment of the pre-1980 guys who screwed up on their pensions. Many of these guys picket and pay union dues.They are offering these guys a maximum pension of $718.00 for 43 days of service. Today's pension for 43 days of service is $6875.00.500k a year union plus his MLB pension shows that sometimes guys fall through the cracks.Rodgers has no spirit because some of these guys have fallen on hard times after their MLB careers.

He is a former player.How does this happen?How do you qualify for a job like this after playing baseball 8/9 months a year for over 20 years?Seemed shady from the start.Instead of a figurehead, they need a leader.A realistic leader trained in labor law and not stuck with a line in the sand that doesn't represent a viable business plan.The union is clearly divided.They let the MILB into the union and the owners wouldn't.Clark should never have allowed it.He did, and the owners can now hold the hammer.A salary cap is fine for those below and they won't exceed the cap.As long as there are rules for this game spending, players can agree.

I guess baseball doesn't start until June 2027.

Clark was a longtime union representative, executive committee member as a player, then a union employee and deputy under Weiner when he was unanimously elected CEO.That’s how he was put in position.The player who created the union felt he was the best choice at the time.

I don't think he has the skills to negotiate a contract, and that was evidenced in the first two CBA negotiations he participated in.That's why he had to hire Bruce Meyer as chief consultant.

Bringing minor leaguers into the MLBPA was slow.It took away the power of ownership, or as you say, "the hammer," to say we're only going to bring the smaller players into the game if you don't agree with what we want.This was the best move there was for a decade.

There is a revenue gap between MLB teams, and as long as there is financial transparency and an agreement is made to split revenue 50-50 between teams and players, a salary cap will never happen.More than 90% of unions, from minor league players to the highest paid superstars, stand together on this cause.

In 2022, the owners lost millions each as they locked out players and had to pay costs associated with rescheduling games and summer workouts.Not a single regular season game was lost, so the players collected 100% of their salaries.

I'm not so sure the owners are willing to lose billions this time to keep the players already stacked against them.The players are ready to face any lockout that lasts the season.While the owners face a huge loss in revenue while having to cover all costs associated with running the team, except for player salaries, the players will tap into a fund established in 2018 to help meet their obligations to players in need.

Rob Manfred said at the owners' meeting that MLB's revenue is expected to exceed $13 billion in 2025. If the 2027 season is lost due to an ownership lockout, the teams will lose all of their revenue despite having billions in financial obligations.Huge losses can force some teams into bankruptcy.

Also remember that the minor league players are now part of a union and their CBA also expires at the end of the 2026 season. There will be no major or minor league games.

Looks like ever since baseball decided to get in bed by encouraging online gambling, bad things are starting to happen, dig Mountain Landis before it all goes to shit

He looks like a corrupt, horrible, terrible, rotten, inferior, poor, wretched, despicable, miserable human being.

No wonder the NFL is America's sport.Baseball is dead.It served its purpose, but other sports and other leagues are better anyway.

o Enter the negative

David Cohn for Pres

I'm glad I lost all the speculation as to why he left.There is certainly a lot of gratuitous hate and trolling on this site.Tim, you really need to do more to promote this, it's driving a lot of good people away.

My 2 cents on Clark's resignation.

Well, about 4 cents because it's going to be a long post.

#1 - Clark has not been convicted of any crimeAs long as he is convicted and tried for both, he says he is corrupt, both stupid and un-American.It reveals a lot about you as a person to make such a claim about him

#2 – He resigned due to an internal investigation into inappropriate relationships with union employees.That she was his sister-in-law made him annoying, but not the reason for his resignation.As others have said and written today, if it had been someone unrelated to him, an affair with a union employee would still have resulted in him resigning or being fired.

#3 – He was not fired or even expelled.As many articles indicate, the executive committee is not scheduled to meet to discuss the results of the investigation into the relationship.They met after he resigned only to discuss his replacement.

#4 - Clark is ineffective as a team leader.He failed in the first two CBA negotiations to protect the interests of the players.It seems to me that he felt as a player and former member of the board and employee of the team for 3 years under Weiner that he knew how to negotiate a labor agreement and he was wrong.It was only after he met the demands of the players in the board and brought in Bruce Meyer as the chief negotiator that the players began to make progress in addressing the unfairness between the owners and the players as compensation.

#5 - His resignation doesn't change what players and owners will discuss in the next CBA.

The players will also say no to the cap unless there is a 100% revenue sharing agreement, the owners to open their money to the union, and the players to receive a guaranteed share of the sport's total income.

The owners still refuse to do anything.

As has happened in all other CBA negotiations, not just baseball, there will be additional changes to the CBA, and baseball, a growing and expanding sport, will continue.

The only thing that can change is that the owners think they can force the players to agree to better deals when they are locked out.That can't happen.Meyer has ordered the players to build a large fund to protect players who will not be able to bear the loss of money if the owners close out and the union is ready.I heard it described by a representative of the players' union as "big enough to buy our club".Owners may lose more players if they try this again.

That doesn't mean the union won't compromise, it doesn't mean the owners won't compromise.That is the case with honest negotiations.It only means that the closure will have the effect of disrupting the organization and causing the owners a significant loss of income.Owners have financial obligations that they will have to deal with even if there is no revenue because part or all of the 2027 season is lost to the lockout.

We will see tomorrow who will be appointed general manager, and I hope for the sake of the players that they at least appoint Meyers as interim director until the current CBA negotiations are completed. Teams need a lawyer on the job. The risk is too high.

hahahaA recent Pads fan.Kudos to him.At least it reads like he is trying not to be arrogant and offensive.Know everything here.Bravo!Congratulations sir.

Never forget that the team owners tied the players to a fake disaster.

You cannot negotiate with these items.An independent negotiating committee with no conflict of interest shall decide the next CBA.

Yes, right.Um...you are the right person to lead them...

I like and stick with them.