SURPRISE, Ariz. — The second-highest ranking official in the baseball players’ union expressed deep personal distress over the circumstances that forced union leader Tony Clark to step down, while emphasizing that the leadership change won’t impact upcoming contract negotiations where Major League Baseball is anticipated to demand a salary cap.
Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer spoke candidly Wednesday about the emotional toll of recent developments. “Just on a personal level I think we’re all fairly devasted by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours,” Meyer stated. “I’m not going to go beyond that in terms of personal feelings, but it’s fair to say that we were all personally upset, concerned about Tony. But I think this was something that the players determined had to happen at this particular point in time.”
Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who led the union for over a decade since 2013, stepped down Tuesday with crucial labor negotiations looming. The current collective bargaining agreement expires December 1st.
According to a source familiar with internal union discussions who requested anonymity, Clark was pressured to resign by the union’s eight-member executive subcommittee following an investigation by external legal counsel. The probe uncovered evidence that Clark maintained an improper relationship with his sister-in-law, who has worked for the union since 2023.
Meyer explained the timeline of events, saying “The information that really led to this came out within the last … 72 hours or so. So this is not something that has been kind of sat on. When the information came out the players on the subcommittee made their feelings known. And Tony, to his credit, he’s always been about the players first and Tony decided to take the action he did in the interest of the players.”
Clark has not responded to requests for comment.
The union’s traditional spring training facility visits were delayed by one day, starting Wednesday with the Kansas City Royals. The executive board scheduled its second consecutive day of virtual meetings, with Royals player representative John Schreiber anticipating a leadership decision by Wednesday evening.
“We’ll see how the meeting goes today,” Schreiber commented. “We’re going on the right path and we’ll have a decision shortly.”
Meyer, who joined the organization in 2018 under Clark’s leadership, spearheaded the 2021-22 contract talks that concluded with a March 10 agreement, ending a 99-day owner lockout. He was elevated to deputy executive director in July 2022.
Regarding future negotiations, Meyer stated confidently, “I don’t anticipate that anybody’s going to be leading negotiations other than me.”
Clark’s exit occurs amid an ongoing federal investigation by Brooklyn prosecutors into OneTeam Partners, a licensing venture established in 2019 by the baseball union, NFL Players Association, and RedBird Capital Partners.
“There have been some issues hanging over, as you know, and in some respects it’s good to get them out of the way sooner rather than later,” Meyer acknowledged.
The union’s complete 72-member executive board holds voting rights for selecting the new executive director, including the executive subcommittee, 30 major league team representatives, and 34 minor league players who joined union representation in 2022.
With MLB expected to propose implementing a salary cap, the possibility of a work stoppage looms that could result in the first canceled regular season games since 1995.
Meyer stressed continuity in the union’s approach: “We don’t expect anything to change in terms of bargaining. We’ve been preparing for bargaining for years. Players have been preparing. Players know what’s coming. At the end of the day leadership is important and leadership comes and goes, but what remains is the players. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine the direction of the union. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine our priorities and bargaining. Those priorities obviously have not changed and will not change.”
The union maintains its firm opposition to any salary restrictions.
“Our position and the historic position of this union for decades on a salary cap is well known,” Meyer declared. “It’s the ultimate restriction. It’s something that owners in all the sports have wanted more than anything and in baseball in particular there’s a reason for that, because it’s good for them and not good for players.”
The 64-year-old Meyer brings three decades of experience from Weil, Gotshal & Manges law firm before transitioning to the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal affairs. He declined to discuss his interest in permanently succeeding Clark.
When asked about potential changes to family member hiring policies, Meyer remained vague: “I think it’s fair to say there are issues that will be addressed. There are various issues that will be evaluated, re-evaluated with the advice of counsel and, as always, at the direction of players.”
