Feds investigate for-profit venture that MLBPA sent millions - ESPN

Federal law officers are investigating a youth baseball company owned by the Major League Baseball Players Association that spent at least $3.9 million dollars while holding few sparsely attended live events for kids, sources familiar with the inquiry told ESPN.

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.

The former officials said Players Way funds largely paid the six-figure annual salaries of its executives and consultants. They include a handful of former major leaguers, some of whom were simultaneously working other full-time jobs outside the union.

One of the former senior union officials described Players Way finances as a «black box.»

Players Way was cited in an anonymous whistleblower complaint last November that triggered an ongoing criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, which last week brought criminal indictments against two NBA coaches, a current player and nearly two dozen Mafia-connected figures.

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. The MLBPA at the time denied all the allegations as «entirely without merit.»

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark released the following statement to ESPN:

«From its creation in 2019, the mission of Players Way has been clear: To empower tomorrow's