Michael Weiner

Michael S. Weiner

• School Williams College, Harvard University
• High School Pompton Lakes High School

• Born December 21, 1961 in Paterson, NJ USA
• Died November 21, 2013 in Mansfield Township, NJ USA

Biographical Information

Michael Weiner succeeded Don Fehr as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association in December 2009. Weiner had previously been Assistant General Counsel, Associate General Counsel and General Counsel for MLBPA. He was elected by the membership by a vote of 1,055-4 on October 2, 2009, and took over for Fehr the following March. He had started working for the MLBPA since 1988 after graduating form Harvard Law School in 1986 and working as a clerk for a federal judge in Newark, NJ. He originally was the staff counsel, working on grievances pertaining to the Basic Agreement, then became the organization's general counsel in 2004. He had specialized in labor law after working summers on unionized crews for his father's construction company.

Weiner continued on the path set by Fehr in his last years as counsel, which was one of cooperation with Major League Baseball on issues such as PEDs in order to create a better atmosphere conducive to the growth of the game and its revenues. As a results negotiations to renew the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2011 were not contentious, while salaries for players continued to increase.

Weiner was diagnosed with an inoperable form of brain cancer in 2012, a disease which greatly affected his motor skills, forcing him to a wheelchair, although his mental faculties were unaffected. By the time he gave a press conference at the 2013 All-Star Game, he was no longer able to walk or use his right arm, but remained fully engaged in the Association's business. In concession to his condition, however, the MLBPA decided to recruit a deputy executive director to assist and potentially succeed him.

Weiner passed away from brain cancer a few weeks after the end of the 2013 World Series. While some of his predecessors had been divisive figures, it was not the case for Weiner: his passing as mourned by Commissioner Bud Selig and a number of team owners in addition to members of the MLBPA. Former player Tony Clark took over as executive director upon Weiner's passing.

Source: 2013 World Baseball Classic Media Guide

Related Sites

• Paul White: "Ailing union chief ready to take on MLB", USA Today, July 16, 2013. [1]
• Obituary from mlb.com