Players League: what do owners actually own?

Tony Clark

Position: First Baseman

Bats: Both  •  Throws: Right

6-8, 205lb

Born: June 15, 1972 (Age: 45 and 239 days) in Newton, KS

Debut: September 3, 1995 (Age 23 and 80 days), 14,375th in MLB history) vs. CLE 5 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB

Last Game: July 12, 2009 (Age 37 and 27 days) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Clark

Clark was a union representative while he was a player, and after retiring he joined the staff of the MLBPA in 2010.^[1] He served as deputy executive director and acting executive director of the union before he was appointed executive director in December 2013, upon the death of Michael Weiner.^[1]Clark is the first former player to be executive director of the MLB players' union.
__________________________

Players Union Will Host Spring Training Camp for Free Agents
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FEB. 8, 2018 nytimes.com

The Major League Baseball Players Association will open its own spring training camp for the first time since the end of the 1994-95 strike, inviting free agents to work out at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Tony Clark, the executive director of the union, said Thursday the camp would open Tuesday and workouts would start the following day under Bo Porter, the Houston Astros’ manager in 2013 and ‘14. The camp is scheduled to run through March 4, and the union has the option to extend the camp through the end of the month.

More than 100 players who exercised their right to become free agents last November are without final agreements. Teams start spring training workouts next Wednesday.
___________________________

Looks like a shot across the bow. Major League management should consider that, despite the fact that the players are making LOTS of money, they are very competitive and, if provoked, will react accordingly, even if it's not in the players own best interest. That happens on the field all the time.

It's become obvious to the players that the team owners are making proportionately more money and, as usual, fans oppose "spoiled" players acting like fans wish they could.

There was a Players League in 1890. Yes, 128 years ago. You can read about it elsewhere, including:

http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-19-1890-debut-players-league

Then there's my idea from nine years ago:

Super League Sunday, March 29, 2009

I really don't care whether Kansas City has a MLB team. Nor Toronto. Nor Pittsburgh. I'm tired of junk like small market teams and revenue sharing. There's a reason it's called MAJOR league...

Ten teams would do it...

Let the remaining teams go their own way. Who would care? Not SL fans.
_________________________

They own franchises in an entity called Major League Baseball (MLB). That's what owners own. All commissioners have been called the commissioner of baseball, not the MLB commissioner. The NFL has a commissioner. So does the NBA. But the sports of football and basketball limit their commissioners to their respective leagues, not the entire sport.

The players are the sport. Not the owners and sure as heck not the fans.