It was reported on Monday afternoon that former MLB first baseman Tony Clark has been given a five-year contract extension as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), which will run through the 2027 season.

The 50-year-old Newton, KS native and first-round (second overall) draft pick in 1990 by the Detroit Tigers out of Christian High School in El Cajon, CA, spent 15 seasons in the Major Leagues – seven with the Tigers, five with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and one each with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.

Clark retired as a player following the 2009 season and served briefly as a broadcaster with (then new) MLB Network satellite television. He became active with the MLBPA in March 2010, serving as Director of Player Relations.

Having been a player representative for many years and being familiar with union business, Clark was named deputy to (then) executive director Michael Weiner. Weiner was struck by brain cancer in July 2013, and upon his untimely passing on November 19, 2013, Clark replaced him on an interim basis. On December 3, 2013, Clark was confirmed and unanimously elected as executive director. A few days later, he named Hall of Fame outfielder and former teammate Dave Winfield as his deputy. The MLBPA renewed Clark’s contract In November 2018, which ran through the just-concluded 2022 season.

Clark’s new five-year deal will run through the 2027 season which, by no coincidence, will include negotiating for a new MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with the current CBA set to expire after the 2026 season.

By every indication, the MLBPA – the most powerful union in all of professional sports – is very pleased with Tony Clark through his (thus far) nine years as their executive director.

Play Ball!

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