Meyer takes over MLB union

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players’ association on Wednesday, a day after Tony Clark’s forced resignation.

It was a move for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners.

Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel.

The decisions were made by the Major League Baseball Players Association executive board during an online meeting. Both votes were unanimous.

A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, Meyer joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. The deal barely avoided what would have been the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.

Three members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito and Ian Happ, were among the players who in March 2024 advocated for the ouster of Meyer in an effort led by former union lawyer Harry Marino. Clark backed Meyer, the effort failed and those three players were dropped off the subcommittee that December.

The subcommittee voted 8-0 against approving the 2022 labor contract and Meyer had advocated pushing management for a deal more favorable to the union. Team player representatives, the overall group supervising negotiations, voted 26-4 in favor, leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification.

The current subcommittee includes Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Brent Suter.

A former All-Star first baseman who headed the union since 2013, Clark resigned Tuesday just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 1.

He was asked to resign by the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.

Meyer, hired by Clark in 2018, headed the 2021-22 negotiations that led to an agreement on March 10 that ended a 99-day lockout. Meyer was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

Nussbaum, 47, succeeded Ian Penny as general counsel in July 2022. He was hired in 2011 as staff counsel.

Gophers muscle past Ohio State

MINNEAPOLIS — Sophie Hart had 18 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 23 Minnesota overpower No. 10 Ohio State 74-61 on Wednesday, the ninth straight win for the Gophers.

Mara Braun had 18 points and nine rebounds with two key jumpers in the closing minutes as Minnesota (21-6, 12-4) moved past Ohio State (22-5, 11-4) into fourth place in the Big Ten. The Gophers, who entered the AP Top 25 this week for the first time this season, are on their longest winning streak in conference play in 22 years.

Amaya Battle added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Grace Grocholski hit four 3-pointers for the Gophers, who outrebounded the Buckeyes 47-32 and had a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Jaloni Cambridge, the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten, had 23 points on 10-for-27 shooting for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes blew a 19-point lead at home in their last game and lost 76-75 to now-No. 14 Maryland, an inauspicious start to a tough five-game finish to the regular season.

Ohio State used a 12-0 run over nearly six minutes in the first half to build a nine-point lead, while Minnesota went 0 for 14 from the field during that stretch.

The Gophers never wavered, continuing to feed the 6-foot-5 senior Hart in the post, find their open shooters on the perimeter and take good care of the ball against the full-court press. Minnesota had just nine turnovers and has the fewest in the nation.

Despite missing 30 shots in the first half, the Gophers trailed by only three points at the intermission and started the third quarter on an 18-4 run to take charge.

Up next

Ohio State: Hosts USC on Sunday.

Minnesota: Hosts No. 18 Michigan State on Sunday.