Baseball players' union head Tony Clark nearly doubled pay to $4.25 million last year

FILE - Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark answers a question during a news conference in New York on March 11, 2022. Baseball players' association head Clark nearly doubled his salary to $4.25 million in 2023, according the union's annual federal disclosure filing Monday, April 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players’ association head Tony Clark nearly doubled his pay to $4.25 million in 2023, according the union’s annual federal disclosure filing Monday.

Clark’s income had risen from just under $2 million in his first full year after succeeding Michael Weiner as executive director in 2014 to $2.25 million annually from 2019-2022.

The union said Clark’s salary was $3.25 million and his 2023 income included a $1 million bonus that followed collective bargaining. The players’ association said it thought that bonus was similar to what other major league union executive directors received.

Clark has a $17.95 million, five-year contract that includes salaries of $3.41 million this year, $3.58 million in 2025, $3.76 million in 2026 and $3.95 million in 2027, according to a financial statement by Mazars that also was filed Monday.

The disclosure of this raise came roughly two years after Clark oversaw a lockout that ended with a new collective bargaining agreement and about two weeks after lawyer Harry Marino attempted to rally players and oust Clark’s No. 2, chief negotiator Bruce Meyer. Marino’s critiques include mismanagement of MLBPA funds.

The players last week appeared to reject Marino’s insurgency. Clark said the executive subcommittee authorized him to release a statement saying: “We still have issues to discuss, but one thing clear among the MLB executive subcommittee members is that this is no longer a Harry Marino discussion, in any respect.”

Marino earned $215,993 in 2023 before leaving the union last July. After helping minor league players unionize, Marino joined the MLBPA staff in September 2022 and earned $68,977 during the remainder of the year.

Meyer increased his pay to $1.55 million from $1.36 million in 2022, when he was promoted in July to deputy executive director from senior director of collective bargaining and legal. He has a five-year contract for $7.8 million that includes salaries of $1.5 million last year, $1.53 million this year, $1.56 million in 2025, $1,592,000 in 2026 and $1,624,000 in 2027. His agreement may be terminated by either side with 90 days’ notice and by the union at any time for cause.

DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, earned roughly $9.3 million in the year ending Feb. 28, 2023, then left last summer. Tamika Tremaglio, executive director of the National Basketball Players Association before resigning in November, made $3.1 million in the year ending Sept. 30.

Total MLBPA spending on employees rose to $16.6 million last year from $15.4 million in 2022 and $11.9 million in 2021.

General counsel Matt Nussbaum earned $866,168 and deputy general counsel Jeff Perconte $681,330. Senior adviser Ian Penny, who had been general counsel until July 2022, earned $834,404 and chief operating officer Xavier James $662,952.

Former players listed include Chris Capuano, senior director of operation ($432,625), and Dave Winfield, a special adviser to Clark ($367,500). Other former players are special assistants Mike Myers ($278,319), Steve Rogers ($276,775), Phil Bradley ($246,206), Rick Helling ($217,324) and Bobby Bonilla ($132,477).

Jeffrey Hammonds, associate director player programs and initiatives, was at $25,884.

As part of its disclosure, the union filed its revised constitution, which specifies 38 executive board seats are held by major leaguers and 34 by minor leaguers.

The union paid $427,484 in rent for its Arizona office, whose opening was announced in February 2023. Rent for the main office in New York totaled $2,085,336.

The accompanying financial statement says the union signed a 15-year lease in December for a new office space it estimates it will move to in October with a five-year extension possible. The union’s rent obligations for all leases will rise from $2.3 million in 2024 to $3.7 million in 2028.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb