Feb 20, 2026 | 11:33 AM EST
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Baseball Hall of Fame-Parade of Legends Jul 25, 2015 Cooperstown, NY, USA MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown National Baseball Hall of Fame NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGregoryxFisherx 8717732
Imago
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Baseball Hall of Fame-Parade of Legends Jul 25, 2015 Cooperstown, NY, USA MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown National Baseball Hall of Fame NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGregoryxFisherx 8717732
Imago
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Baseball Hall of Fame-Parade of Legends Jul 25, 2015 Cooperstown, NY, USA MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown National Baseball Hall of Fame NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGregoryxFisherx 8717732
Imago
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Baseball Hall of Fame-Parade of Legends Jul 25, 2015 Cooperstown, NY, USA MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown National Baseball Hall of Fame NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGregoryxFisherx 8717732
Just a day ago, Jeff Passan acknowledged on The Stephen A. Smith Show that he was in shock when breaking the news of Tony Clark and his alleged relationship with his sister-in-law. And now, we have another reaction coming in from Chris “Mad Dog” Russo. But it might not be something that we expected.
Following his 15-season MLB career, Clark was the first player to serve as Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association for 13 years. The 53 YO led the union through labor negotiations, with the 2021-22 lockout for 99 days being the most notable. He even helped unionize minor league players and addressed player safety regarding increased interaction with gambling entities when the Supreme Court legalized betting. While all of these have probably become old news, there is one undiscovered aspect of Clark.
He supported up-and-coming journalists, especially from the African-American ethnicity, as revealed by Clinton Yates. No wonder the baseball community is overwhelmed. But the timing definitely feels odd. And now, Russo is questioning things.
“It was due to an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who is in her 50s – what’s so inappropriate about that? This happens all the time, this stuff. Why would that be considered inappropriate? It’s his sister-in-law. Alright, so it’s his brother’s wife. I guess that’s inappropriate. Isn’t that a family matter more so than it’s a union matter?”
While Mad Dog’s comments may seem bizarre and controversial, too, especially considering the sister-in-law in question was an MLBPA employee, Russo doesn’t think it was a resignation-worthy issue.
“To me, it reads more of a cover-up with the FBI. The FBI is investigating the union…I thought this was a little bit of a camouflage,” noted the NY radio host on his Tuesday Mad Dog Sports Radio.
Tony Clark’s sister-in-law was reportedly hired in 2023 when the MLBPA’s Phoenix office opened. Then, in November 2024, a whistleblower complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, and the federal investigation started, per Passan. A bunch of allegations came up.
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Self-dealings. Inappropriate appropriation of money. nepotism.
But all of it came to light when the alleged inappropriate relationship was revealed.
The resignation came in one day after the union player’s leadership asked Clark to step down, reported The Athletic. The Eastern District of New York is conducting a federal investigation, too, for apparent financial handlings, too. Amid that probe, the union supposedly brought in outside counsel from the firm of Morrison Foerster, which revealed the rest of the allegations.
“He didn’t do anything criminally wrong. He did something stupid. He’s not going to jail,” concluded Russo.
Tony Clark was supposed to start his annual tour of spring training camps with the MLBPA the day he resigned. Instead, it left doubts and uncertainty.
As Passan and Stephen A. Smith discussed, owners are pushing hard for a salary cap, and this time, it looks more like 1994. Players even missed the World Series back then. Right now, all we can do is hope for the best, as Bruce Meyer steps in as the association’s interim executive director.