Federal Investigators Looking Into Connection Between Mlbpa, Youth Baseball Company

Federal authorities are investigating a younker shot institution owned by nan MLB Players Association, ESPN reported connected Thursday.

The company, named Players Way, was founded by nan MLBPA successful 2019. In a connection to ESPN, MLBPA executive head Tony Clark said nan purpose of nan institution "isn't to go conscionable different cog successful nan younker sports machinery, putting profits complete players. It intends higher: to meet players wherever they are, thatch nan crippled nan correct way, and to foster lifelong lessons creating lifelong fans."

The national investigation was launched by an anonymous whistleblower title successful which Players Way was cited. According to ESPN nan title accused head Clark of "self-dealing, misuse of resources and maltreatment of powerfulness astatine nan union," and of nepotism successful regards to his dealings pinch Players Way. Additionally, sources told ESPN investigators were asking astir "whistleblower allegations of excessive national spending connected world and home trips for Clark and different elder national executives."

The MLBPA decried nan allegations arsenic "without merit" and Clark, who has not been charged pinch a crime, denied them and said they are "baseless" successful a connection to ESPN.

ESPN reports nan events Players Way puts connected are fewer and sparsely attended. Consequentially nan institution has generated "barely six figures successful revenue" since its founding. The national has invested $3.9 cardinal into nan company, according to nan MLBPA's nationalist documents, but nan national declined to explicate really that money was spent. ESPN further reports nan existent number is person to $10 million, and that those costs "largely paid nan six-figure yearly salaries of its executives and consultants," which see "a fistful of erstwhile awesome leaguers, immoderate of whom were simultaneously moving different full-time jobs extracurricular nan union."

Multiple erstwhile national officials said Players Way operates pinch "no modular accounting practices" and "no yearly fund circulated among elder finance officials." Clark was idenitifed arsenic nan driving unit down nan union's engagement pinch nan company, but a erstwhile charismatic said location were nary events, actitivies, aliases partnerships pinch different younker shot companies. ESPN sources said Players Way "appeared to beryllium a landing spot for Clark's loyalists," and fewer players successful nan national knew astir it.

Federal investigators declined to comment. ESPN reports this investigation is portion of a larger enquiry into nan MLBPA's financial dealings pinch different institution called OneTeam Partners from past spring.

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