A youth baseball organization owned by the MLBPA is under federal investigation, according to ESPN.
Players Way — a for-profit entity — has generated “barely” six figures in revenue since its 2019 founding while receiving close to $10M in funding from the union, according to the report.
The organization was cited in an anonymous whistleblower complaint against MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark last year, accusing the ex-big leaguer of self-dealing and other malfeasance.
The complaint led to federal law enforcement expanding its probe into professional sports unions and a group-licensing firm, according to the report.
Clark has not been charged with a crime; he and the union have denied the claims.
Also in the ESPN report:
Players Way paid “six-figure” annual salaries to executives and consultants; some were former big leaguers and had had full-time jobs outside MLBPA
MLBPA declined to detail how Players Way was funded and budgeted; officials told ESPN the organization did not follow standard accounting practices
The organization’s listed headquarters is a PO Box at a UPS store in Florida
Players Way has held limited events with low attendance in its history, but activity has increased since the probe began — including a partnership with US Sports Camps this year
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