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That same day, ESPN<\/a> and The Athletic<\/a> reported that the decision followed after an internal investigation discovered Clark, who is married to Frances Clark, engaged in an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who has worked with the union for over two years.<\/p>\n AP Photo\/Richard Drew<\/p>\n The internal investigation reportedly began after a federal investigation into union finances was launched last year, ESPN<\/a> reported at the time.<\/p>\n PEOPLE reached out to Tony’s attorney, Daniel Collins, for comment.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cClark joined the MLBPA staff as director of player relations in 2010 and succeeded Michael Weiner as executive director in 2013. He was the first former player to serve in the role,\u201d the organization said of the former first baseman.<\/p>\n Tony was active in the MLB from 1995 to 2009 before becoming the sixth executive director of the MLBPA.<\/p>\n \u201cThe full executive board of Player representatives met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside counsel to discuss next steps; as always, the Players remain focused on their ongoing preparations for collective bargaining this year. The strength of this union is — and will always be – the solidarity of our membership,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “We have a long history of fighting for the rights of every Player, and we’re committed to making sure we can continue that fight successfully.”<\/p>\n Tarik Skubal, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and member of the MLBPA\u2019s eight-person executive subcommittee, told MLive<\/a> the situation was “tough.”<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, I haven\u2019t really seen everything that\u2019s come out,” he continued. “I know we have a call this afternoon, and we\u2019ll get more information on it and how to communicate it to the rest of our team.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Skubal stayed optimistic about the future of the union.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re still as strong as ever. The union\u2019s always been about the players, and it\u2019s up to us to accomplish what we want to accomplish,\u201d Skubal added.<\/p>\n Skubal told MLive he has faith that union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer will be able to make sure contract negotiations won\u2019t be negatively affected in Tony\u2019s absence. Meyer was unanimously selected to be the union’s interim executive director, ESPN<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n \u201cBruce has been our lead negotiator, and he\u2019s done it in the past. Although Tony\u2019s kind of been the face of the [MLBPA] in terms of negotiating, I\u2019m still as confident as ever in Bruce and everyone else that we got behind him,” Skubal told MLive. “I think there\u2019s a lot of strong people in the PA and very valuable people that are going to work for us and try to accomplish what we want to accomplish when it comes to bargaining time.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark’s resignation comes months before the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, which could spark a lockout if the union and MLB don’t reach a deal.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Meyer told The Chicago-Sun Times <\/a>on Wednesday, Feb. 18, that a lockout “is all but guaranteed at the end of the agreement” as the league pushes for a salary cap.<\/p>\n Still, he added that Clark’s departure “is not going to affect collective bargaining in any way, really.”<\/p>\n “And we’ve just got to make sure we put the players in the best position to understand what\u2019s going on, make whatever informed decisions they\u2019re going to make,” he continued. “And whatever that takes, we\u2019re committed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n PEOPLE reached out to the MLBPA for comment.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Major](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/d5aaf58d48377c289d41c57796e53655.jpeg\"\/)
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark on March 11, 2022 <\/p>\n