Tony Clark’s unexpected departure from his role as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) followed revelations from an internal probe into an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, as reported by several sources.

ESPN broke the story about the alleged affair, and efforts to reach the players’ union for a statement have been made by the Daily Mail.

According to ESPN, Clark’s sister-in-law joined the MLBPA staff in 2023, though her name has not been disclosed.

Clark shares a son with his wife, Frances, according to various reports.

Initially, Clark’s resignation on Tuesday morning was presumed to be linked to impending labor tensions between players and team owners, who are expected to enforce a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement lapses in December. Echoing the 1994 scenario, when a player strike led to the cancellation of the World Series, owners are once again advocating for a salary cap, which the players are opposing.

Tony Clark and his wife Frances (right) have one son together and reportedly live in Arizona

Clark’s exit also coincides with a federal inquiry into Players Way, the MLBPA’s youth baseball initiative, as highlighted in an October ESPN report.

Players Way allegedly spent $3.9 million despite holding few events, none of which are believed to have attracted large crowds. ESPN reported the spending to be closer to $10 million, according to two sources.

One ex-Players Way official told ESPN that the company paid six-figure salaries to executives and consultants, many of whom were former MLB players with full-time jobs outside the union.

Clark was specifically accused of self-dealing and abuse of power in an anonymous whistleblower complaint to the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn but denied those allegations at the time.

‘From its creation in 2019, the mission of Players Way has been clear,’ Clark said in an October statement. ‘To empower tomorrow’s generation of players by providing access to the knowledge, experience, and talents of the best our game has to offer – our current and former members – and to serve as an oasis for young athletes and families who too often get exploited in today’s billion-dollar “youth sports” machinery.

A one-time All-Star as a first baseman over 15 Major League seasons, Clark has served as the union’s executive director since 2013. He is best known as a player for his years in Detroit 

‘Any suggestion that Players Way has not been supported by our elected Player representatives and broader membership is patently false. Players Way has been front and center at every annual meeting of the MLBPA Executive Board in recent memory, and our dialogue with Players regarding youth development continues throughout the calendar.

‘The goal – informed by Players themselves – isn’t to become just another cog in the youth sports machinery, putting profits over players. It aims higher: to meet players where they are, teach the game the right way, and to foster lifelong lessons creating lifelong fans. Future generations deserve nothing less.’

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York are also investigating the MLBPA’s business practices with OneTeam Partners, a multibillion-dollar group-licensing company partially owned by the union, according to ESPN. 

MLBPA reps were scheduled to meet Tuesday evening to discuss the ongoing issues facing the union. Another meeting is reportedly planned for Wednesday, where an interim director could be named, according to ESPN. 

The silver lining for the group may be the timing. The MLBPA can theoretically have Clark’s replacement established long before the CBA expires in December 1, after which, the sport’s future appears uncertain. 

‘This happening during the investigation is not overly surprising,’ New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien, a member of the union’s eight-person subcommittee, told reporters Tuesday. ‘But it still hurts. It’s still something I’m processing and I just want our player group to move forward this year and be able to have a good year of negotiating with leadership that cares about what players want.

‘The timing being February, when we’re looking forward to December when the CBA expires, is better than it happening in November if something came out.’