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MLBPA, Tony Clark Hire Counsel Amid Federal Investigation

By Anthony Franco | June 4, 2025 at 8:13pm CDT

Last week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Don Van Natta Jr. reported that the MLB and NFL Players Associations were the subjects of a federal investigation. According to ESPN, the FBI had contacted multiple players involved with the MLBPA regarding OneTeam Partners — a joint venture initially co-founded by the two players unions and a private equity firm that is concerned with issues outside the collective bargaining agreement (e.g. licensing deals for the use of player likenesses).

The players themselves are not the target of the investigation. ESPN wrote that an anonymous complainant filed allegations with the National Labor Relations Board late in 2024 that — among other things — accused MLBPA executive director Tony Clark of “improperly (giving) himself and other executives equity” in OneTeam. It seems that’s the cause for this investigation; the MLBPA has previously denied those allegations. According to ESPN, the NFLPA commissioned its own audit after the NLRB filing and determined that the NFLPA was in compliance with accepted practice.

There aren’t many specifics available. Evan Drellich of The Athletic wrote last night that Clark (as an individual) and the MLBPA have hired separate attorneys. That’s sensible because the allegations in the NLRB complaint, if true, could involve a conflict of interest between Clark and the union.

Clark has been the head of the Players Association since 2013. He has led two rounds of collective bargaining negotiations. He’s currently positioned to do so again in 2026. Last spring, he and deputy director Bruce Meyer weathered an internal push from a segment of the players who wanted to oust them in favor of former minor league advocate Harry Marino.

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72 Comments

  1. ohyeadam

    2 months ago

    Great timing for the league

    5
    Reply
    • baseballandbrews

      2 months ago

      Just like an election!

      4
      Reply
  2. King. Of. Cards

    2 months ago

    This sounds like the kind of stuff politicians do all the time. I remember when Mark Mcgwire broke the home run record and the nation celebrated. Then Bonds did it and he was vilified. Tony Clark has the wrong skin color for this. Its not called black collar crime.

    5
    Reply
    • desertbull

      2 months ago

      What weak and ignorant take.

      31
      Reply
      • King. Of. Cards

        2 months ago

        McGwire cheats nation celebrates

        Bonds cheats and its time to clean the sport up

        You explain that to me champ.

        9
        Reply
        • CC Ryder

          2 months ago

          Here’s your explanation
          McGwire broke the record in the late 90’s and stopped playing in 2001 before we knew as much about PEDs as we do now. In 2001 Bonds hit 73 and followed that up the next few seasons hitting in the mid 40’s. In the meantime the BALCO investigation started in 2002 which brought PEDs to everyone’s attention. There’s your explanation champ. As desertbull said you do sound dumb

          34
          Reply
        • carlos15

          2 months ago

          You really need an explanation for that? You’ve ignored Sosa to make it a black white thing. Several years later everyone was wiser to steroids. McGwire and Sosa were breaking the untouchable Maris record. There’s a lot of other things too but making it a black white thing is dumb. But a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest.

          23
          Reply
        • VegasMoved

          2 months ago

          McGwire was likeable with fans and the media. And PEDs were not yet on anyone’s radar.

          Bonds was a jerk to everyone, and the whispers about PEDs were just starting to get loud.

          That’s it. Pretty easy to understand. McGwire’s popularity has also taken a hit since his PED connections came to light.

          19
          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          No no no CC. You are wrong

          When Bonds broke the record in 2001 the commissioner refused to celebrate it. Thats when people started investigating. It wasnt a problem when the great white hope was breaking the rules just when the black guy did it. And truly Bonds only did it to prove he was the best player of his time and so he could get paid which he did.

          1
          Reply
        • Metsies

          2 months ago

          Different time periods. In McGwire’s year people didn’t want to know about steroids. In Bonds’s they did. Baseball and their fans were educated about it during Bonds, oblivious during the McGwire run. It didn’t have to do with skin color imo. People don’t celebrate McGwire now the same way they don’t celebrate Bonds

          19
          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          Mcgwire was likeable? To who white guys???

          He was the 1b coach for the Cardinals years later. I don’t even remember the last time I saw Bonds he’s a ghost.

          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          Yeah why did they not care in 98 then suddenly care in 01? Because white guys good black guys bad.

          Its like politics.

          2
          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          Gwynning some of this is from the late 90s and early 2000s. Most Padres fans won’t remember this because they were either at the beach or not born yet lol.

          Reply
        • MacGromit

          2 months ago

          “We all know that people are the same whereever you go
          There is good and bad in ev’ryone
          We learn to live, when we learn to give
          Each other what we need to survive, together alive”
          -Stevie and Paul

          @prince of cards

          settle down. take your baiting somewhere else.

          13
          Reply
        • paddyo furnichuh

          2 months ago

          @cards….It sounds like you have really thought about this deeply and critically with such a nuanced opinion.

          /s

          3
          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          Just because you are white and haven’t experienced this stuff doesn’t make it unreal.

          I wish we had pictures here. It’s 95% old white guys. And that’s what I am too just an FYI.

          3
          Reply
        • desertbull

          2 months ago

          He was the hitting coach for the Marlins.
          You were too busy race baiting and virtue signaling to notice.

          12
          Reply
        • desertbull

          2 months ago

          The entire PED story was born when McGuire was being interviewed post game and a reporter noticed the “supplements” in his locker.

          You are not good at history.

          13
          Reply
        • Huh?

          2 months ago

          Yes but you have to take into account the fact that when Sosa left his home and his family he was no more than a boy in the company of strangers in the quiet of a railway station running scared.

          Reply
        • avenger65

          2 months ago

          The sad thing is, Bonds was good enough to be one of the all-time greats without using PEDs, but that wasn’t good enough for him. He had to go and cheat.

          4
          Reply
        • casey37

          2 months ago

          Reporters were asking McGwire what that stuff was that was in his locker back in ‘98, that is now banned as a PED. It was being brought up then. There were articles written about it.

          2
          Reply
        • avenger65

          2 months ago

          Did you ever happen to think that maybe Bonds didn’t want to go into coaching after his cheating days were over?

          1
          Reply
        • avenger65

          2 months ago

          Huh?

          Reply
        • Blue Baron

          2 months ago

          VegasMoved: I met Bonds at the 1992 winter meetings in Louisville, where his free agent signing with the Giants was announced.

          I was a freelance writer, basically a nobody, but he was gracious and struck me as a nice guy.

          He wasn’t “a jerk to everyone.”

          Reply
        • aragon

          2 months ago

          We all knew it even Big Mc was doing it. And we all knew that David Ortiz had roid rage e

          1
          Reply
        • jnorthey

          2 months ago

          Wrong. Bonds was great, saw the media-fans-MLB celebrate a known cheater and decided “screw it”. Very well documented in a book by the SF sportswriters from that era.

          1
          Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          The sad thing is he was the best player in baseball for years but didnt get the credit he deserved because McGwire and Sosa were stealing the spotlight. Then he does exactly what they did and he’s labeled the villain for it.

          Reply
        • JoeBrady

          2 months ago

          King. Of. Cards
          You explain that to me champ.
          ==========================
          Fairly easy. When McGwire broke the record, no one immediately thought of PEDs. He was always a big power hitter.

          When Bonds did it, he was on a whole different level of PEDs, was already old, and just made it too obvious. And there were a ton of people rooting for Sammy Sosa, and last I looked, he still isn’t white.

          3
          Reply
        • Flanster

          2 months ago

          ……in the clearing stands a boxer…..

          Reply
        • WadeBoggsWildRide

          2 months ago

          Whoa there sport let’s not get carried away. Hey there tiger no need to get nasty. Let’s just calm down boss.

          Reply
    • avenger65

      2 months ago

      King: The nation (and the Maris family) stopped celebrating when it was proven that McGwire was using PEDs. Bonds should be vilified for grossly cheating. Same with Sammy Sosa who proved how dumb he was when he played the race card in order to get the attention McGwire was getting only to find out that he only brought the same wrong attention to himself that McGwire was getting. Cheating seems to come in all colors.

      13
      Reply
      • King. Of. Cards

        2 months ago

        They stopped celebrating because it had already happened. Mcgwire was coaching years later. He never got any real punishment for what he did at all.

        Cheating definitely comes in all colors. But the punishment is the issue here. And whites tend to get off a little easier than blacks. Thats a historical fact.

        Reply
        • seamaholic 2

          2 months ago

          Yup. Neither did Clemens. Although I think the discrepancy was less about race than Bonds’ personality. No one liked him.

          4
          Reply
        • MacGromit

          2 months ago

          @cards

          Spike Lee told me that down at Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, that guy has a Wall of Fame with Rocky Marciano on it but not one brother. What the heck? How about adding a brother to the wall?

          Can we discuss that now?

          Reply
      • AL B DAMNED

        2 months ago

        Yeah some players juiced,
        Some got caught, some didn’t!
        But what about the obviously
        Juiced balls that MLB put into play.
        They are the ones that never got
        caught or received any punishment.
        Everybody was hitting a lot more than
        the normal amount of homeruns
        during that time frame when the ball’s
        were juiced, especially 2017-2019!

        1
        Reply
        • King. Of. Cards

          2 months ago

          Yes Al the balls got away with it. Why? Because they are white. Thats called white privilege……..

          1
          Reply
        • BrisbaneGreg

          2 months ago

          One thing that stands out for me… the roids not being common knowledge..?
          88 olympics.. Johnson, flo Jo rumours.. they were known by a fair few. I remember the mcgwire rumours too. Maybe being outside the US. Maybe the media ignored it? A bit puzzling

          Reply
    • GarryHarris

      2 months ago

      Both Barry Bonds and his father, Bobby Bonds went out of their way to be miserable human beings. Of course the media won’t be kind. It’s not unique to them.

      2
      Reply
    • reflect

      2 months ago

      David Ortiz has the same skin color and he’s doing fine. Ryan Braun is white and he was vilified. Its almost like the world is a little more complicated than this toddler-level analysis.

      2
      Reply
    • mazbilleroski

      2 months ago

      That’s one of the most racist things I’ve ever heard

      Reply
  3. desertbull

    2 months ago

    Unions are trash

    11
    Reply
    • stevewpants

      2 months ago

      Incorrect

      7
      Reply
    • MuleorAstroMule

      2 months ago

      I certainly miss seven day work weeks and tripping over the severed limbs of children on the factory floor. I can’t believe my forefathers had the nerve to stand up strike breakers, hired goons, and often the US Army, to ensure their offspring had chance at a decent future, unlike them. At least those offspring show some respect for that sacrifice, am I right?

      But these days we can ignore the growing wage gap and continued concentration of wealth among the top 1% because it’s more fun to pick a billionaire and cheer for them.

      7
      Reply
      • 14thor

        2 months ago

        What are you going on about with wage gaps and forefathers? Union business agents pull in $100k in the teamsters and they’re corrupt as any other man. Next you’ll tell us Jimmy Hoffa was a stand-up guy lol

        2
        Reply
    • JoeBrady

      2 months ago

      Nonsense, and I am a RW-C.

      Reply
  4. 14thor

    2 months ago

    A succulent Chinese meal?

    4
    Reply
    • humphrey x boegarts

      2 months ago

      spot the Aussie 😉

      Reply
  5. Captainmike1

    2 months ago

    If it’s true, then jail time is in order

    1
    Reply
  6. wallabeechamp

    2 months ago

    When did Harry Marino change his name to ‘Anonymous Complainant’?

    3
    Reply
  7. Dooper

    2 months ago

    Can we get an investigation into pacs and politicians that work for taxpayer funded stadiums? And can we also investigate the connections the development companies have to the ownership groups?

    An in-depth look at player and owner “non-profits” would be nice, too.

    6
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      2 months ago

      Well, now that they know you know… it was nice knowin’ ya Doopers.

      3
      Reply
      • Dooper

        2 months ago

        Most people know, they just don’t care. Bread and circuses.

        1
        Reply
        • JoeBrady

          2 months ago

          IRT to business/government partnerships, there are some of us that are very happy that Yankee Stadium is still in the Bronx.

          Reply
    • Jerry Hairston Jr's Toupee

      2 months ago

      Yeah and I’d like an investigation into the connections of the President, Wall Street, tariffs and insider trading. But we’re not seeing that any time soon….

      2
      Reply
      • Dooper

        2 months ago

        Maybe we can get the toupee on it?

        Reply
        • Jerry Hairston Jr's Toupee

          2 months ago

          Doesn’t matter at this point. Supreme Court gave him immunity for any acts done in office. Though it’d be nice to drain the swamp….

          Reply
  8. seamaholic 2

    2 months ago

    It’s a private deal that can give anyone any equity the parties agree to. I don’t understand the complaint here. Is it that a contract was violated by cutting Clark in?

    Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      2 months ago

      Anyone can file a complaint. The FBI are in the their due diligence process. Lawyers were brought in to protect from self-incrimination. We don’t know anything nor if laws were even broken.

      2
      Reply
  9. HEHEHATE

    2 months ago

    Tony Clarks here

    He’s here for the players

    He’s definitely here

    Here for something

    Reply
    • James Midway

      2 months ago

      Here for the cash

      3
      Reply
      • HEHEHATE

        2 months ago

        No salary cap or no soup for you?

        2
        Reply
  10. Free Palestine

    2 months ago

    Tony Clark has always been incompetent and corrupt. That’s why Manfred protects him. Notice how the MLB announced automatic ball strike challenge for 2026 right when this news broke. If Clark is willing to rip off the players for this, imagine what he was doing for the league. That’s probably why the last few previous bargaining agreements have been horrible for the players.

    3
    Reply
  11. HubcapDiamondStarHalo

    2 months ago

    Wait, what?? Somebody with money in a position of authority might have discovered a hidden perk? That NEVER happens!!!

    Nothing to see here, move on…

    2
    Reply
  12. vikingbluejay67

    2 months ago

    Wait, what was this article about again?

    4
    Reply
  13. GarryHarris

    2 months ago

    I would be interested in the result of this investigation.

    Reply
  14. chiefnocahoma1

    2 months ago

    Manfred is the “anonymous source”

    Reply
    • JoeBrady

      2 months ago

      LOL! Why would Manfred object to Clark? I’d make a modest wager that this is an inside job.

      1
      Reply
  15. AcidHead

    2 months ago

    Was Trevor Bauer, who is now known to have been wrongly accused, blacklisted by MLB because he’s white? In MLB, players are discriminated against by writers and the commissioner’s office not because of race but because they are jerks (with writers) or harsh critics of the commissioner or his office. Bonds was a jerk. Bauer is apparently a jerk but also very critical (and rightly so) of the commissioner’s office regarding pitching rules. Jeff Kent should be in the HoF but writers disliked him because he wasn’t friendly with them.

    2
    Reply

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