Is there a revolution brewing in baseball? Ever since its inception, MLB has been the unicorn of the sporting world. Unlike other leagues, there is no salary cap in baseball. Similarly, the power that players enjoy is higher than most other sports. However, this power and uniqueness have led to multiple occasions of heads butting each other. With multiple interests to save – the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) has faced multiple attacks. Case in point – right now there’s a big revolt taking place against the deputy executive director Bruce Meyer. This battle has given rise to a new name – Harry Marino.

Who is Harry Marino? This lawyer/ex-ballplayer’s name has been in everybody’s mouth for the past few months. The young and smart lawyer’s huge role in getting the Minor League players a seat on the table has turned him into a mythological figure. However, more importantly – the current disturbances in the MLBPA are also due to growing frustrations among players. As a result, it’s important to dive deep into a matter and understand all the nitty-gritties of this story.

Who is Harry Marino? All details about him revealed

The fast-rising name of Harry Marino is a hint enough of the huge impact this 33-year-old has had on baseball. Marino started as a ballplayer, who played in the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Baltimore Orioles organization. Though he never rose above the minor league level, Marino understood everything that transpired in the league. Marino talked to his teammates and understood the struggles of his fellow minor leaguers. In 2014, he was released by the Orioles and that was when Marino decided to pursue law.

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Marino got his law degree from the University of Virginia. However, before pursuing that degree the former pitcher had made one promise to himself – he’d return to help his fellow players. That’s exactly what he did. 

Marino’s rise to fame occurred in 2022. As the executive director of Advocates for Minor Leaguers – he revolutionized minor league baseball. Marino’s group leveraged the collective force of minor league players to secure improvements in housing before coalescing into a union. Marino spearheaded the movement that led to the minor league players getting a seat on the MLBPA table. 

During his Minor League Collective Bargaining Agreement – the players at all domestic levels got pay increases of at least $15,000 a year and got an array of benefits previously unseen by a minor league. MLB was also forced to give a $185 million payout to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by minor league players who alleged that the league violated minimum wage rules.

With such a huge impact, it’s natural for Marino to become popular with players. His role in MLB unions cannot be understated.

Know the role of Harry Marino in MLB unions

Harry Marino became the part of MLBPA in September 2022 and left it in July 2023. However, his involvement with the baseball unions stretches back to 2020. Marino had just left his high-paying big law firm job to become a volunteer for Advocates. Gradually he became the full-time executive director of the Advocates for Minor Leaguers. His first step was to open lines of discussions with minor league players.

MLB had shut down the minor leagues in 2020 owing to the pandemic. Suddenly over 5000 players were out of work and had no money. That allowed Marino to advocate for a union for minor leaguers. Players quickly joined in as their struggle for housing became more pronounced. As a result, Marino became the prime face of the new revolution. The movement gained traction as fans started sympathizing with the players’ struggle. 

Finally, in September 2022 the players shook the baseball world by announcing their union. MLB relented quickly and Marino became the assistant general counsel of the union. Under him, the minor leaguers got 34 of the 72 voting positions in MLBPA’s executive board. With so much power in hand, Marino revolutionized every minor leaguer’s life.

With his star already high, Harry Marino has got another push after the recent fight between players and Bruce Meyer.

Why is he in the news? 

The player leaders dropped a bombshell in March 2024 when they called for the ouster of Bruce Meyer. The players made their frustration clear with the MLBPA executives during a Zoom call. Per ESPN, in an informal vote, the majority of players told the MLBPA executive director Tony Clark that they wanted to replace Meyer with Harry Marino.

The frustrations stemmed from the fact that teams have lowered their spending this offseason. During the 2022-23 winter, MLB teams had spent a record $3.9 billion on free agents. However, the 2023-24 winter has seen that number go down by almost a billion. With major free agents like Jordan Montgomery not getting a deal and the likes of Blake Snell signing just a two-year, $62 million deal – the players aren’t pleased.

The players also called for an audit of the MLBPA’s spending. Even the high-powered agents joined in on the protest against Meyer. They strongly backed Harry Marino as they felt that Meyer was ideologically aligned with Scott Boras. While Meyer has repeatedly declined this statement, there is growing discontentment with the 62-year-old. 

One of the biggest reasons for players’ disillusionment was the San Francisco Giants’ releasing J.D. Davis, their veteran infielder. He had beaten the team in arbitration and got a $6.9 million salary. However, as the arbitration contract isn’t guaranteed, the Bay Bombers released him and were required to pay only $1.15 million (1/6th) of his salary. Davis ended up signing with the Oakland Athletics for an additional $2.5 million. All of this had led to increased calls for Harry Marino’s appointment. 

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What’s next:- Will Harry Marino be the new trusted no 2?

As of now, 21 major league players representatives have agreed to back Marino’s appointment. Marino has generated support among players by promising to expand the union’s labor unit with experienced lawyers. As a result, Marino enjoys huge support currently. However, one cannot predict yet whether he’d be the next deputy executive director of the MLBPA or not. 

The story is still developing, however, Marino doesn’t enjoy the unanimous support of the players. There are a few players who have raised concerns over Marino’s age and inexperience. They doubt about his ability to negotiate with a seasoned labor team at MLB. As a result, there’s a growing tussle between the two sides.

Still, as it stands MLBPA is looking at a huge revolution at its doorstep. With frustrations reaching their peak form, there’s growing worry about the potential after-effects of this movement. 

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