I remember reading about the Feds looking into MLBPA earlier this year but now we have more details. Turns out this is an entirely separate investigation into MLBPA from the OneTeam Partners, a group-licensing firm the MLBPA co-founded with the National Football League Players Association in 2019.
The comments by players and the data is extremely damming.
The Florida-based business, Players Way, has generated barely six figures in revenue since its founding in 2019. While the union said it has put $3.9 million into the company, two sources with knowledge of union finances and who have talked with investigators told ESPN that the amount is closer to $10 million. Former officials said Players Way funds largely paid the six-figure annual salaries of its executives and consultants.
One of the former senior union officials described Players Way finances as a "black box."
The complaint itself is going to easily be a huge issue for MLBPA given the issues players have already expressed at MLBPA leadership.
The complaint accused MLBPA executive director Tony Clark of self-dealing, misuse of resources and abuse of power at the union. It also alleged nepotism in his dealings with Players Way, which he helped launch with lofty aspirations to transform youth baseball across America. At the time of the complaint, the MLBPA denied all the allegations as "entirely without merit."
Kicking off the investigation ESPN launched they went to the address on the freaking website and....
On its website, Players Way lists its company headquarters at 13506 Summerport Village Parkway, Suite 226, in Windermere, Florida, about 20 miles west of Orlando. It's in a strip mall, flanked by a liquor store and a chain hair salon. But the "suite" is not a suite at all. It's a mailbox at a UPS Store where an employee confirmed to ESPN that Box 226 is registered to Players Way LLC.
The article is remarkable and is super damming of MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark. The guy seems to just be hiring friends and family and giving them way over market sums of money. Events this year, according to the Players Way website, had less than 500 total people attend. That is wild for people making hundreds of thousands of dollars.