MLB player rep resigns

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tony Clark resigned as head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union announced Tuesday, as a possible salary cap fight looms during a federal investigation of its finances.

“The full executive board of player representatives met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside counsel to discuss next steps,” the union said in a statement. “As always, the players remain focused on their ongoing preparations for collective bargaining this year.”

Clark was asked to resign by the eight-man executive subcommittee of the players’ association after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence that 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 was not announced.

Clark’s departure took place during a probe by the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, into OneTeam Partners, a licensing company founded by the union, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners in 2019.

“A lot of people have known that the investigation has been going on,” said the New York Mets’ Marcus Semien, a member of the subcommittee. “I think that this happening during the investigation is not like, as a subcommittee, is not like overly surprising, but it still hurts and it’s still something I’m processing.”

The union’s executive board, which includes the subcommittee and the player representatives of the 30 teams, did not make any decisions about a successor during Tuesday’s meeting, the person told the AP.

Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer is set to be the primary negotiator in the upcoming labor talks, as he was in 2021-22. After Clark and Rick Shapiro led the 2016 negotiations, Meyer was hired in August 2018 as senior director of collective bargaining and legal and was promoted to his current role in July 2022.

Semien said he believes Clark is leaving to deal with the probe.

“I think so,” he said, “because up to this point, before any investigations, I’ve had the ultimate confidence in Tony Clark to lead this player group. I’ve had the ultimate confidence in Bruce Meyer to be the lead negotiator for this player group.”

RedHawks move to 26-0

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Miami of Ohio coach Travis Steele isn’t afraid to talk to his team about the 26-game winning streak that makes the RedHawks the last unbeaten team in Division I.

“Obviously, it is the elephant in the room,” Steele said on Tuesday night after Miami beat UMass 86-77. “I tell our guys to enjoy the ride, enjoy the moment, be present. Not very often are you going to be in this position.”

Steele himself didn’t seem to be focused on the streak, saying in his postgame that he didn’t know who the next opponent was or when they played — it’s Bowling Green, on Friday. He also needed to be reminded how many games they had won.

“It’s incredible. It’s awesome. It’s unique, so enjoy it. You only live life once,” said Steele, who said the streak is a distraction like texting while driving. “We have to be able block out that, and always focus on the things that we can control.”

UMass trailed by eight points with 14 minutes left before tying the game 68-all on Isaiah Placide’s banked 3-pointer as the shot clock buzzer expired. But the RedHawks scored the next five points and UMass never got closer than one possession again.

The crowd of 7,524 was the biggest for a UMass home game since the opener of the 2014-15 season, according to The Daily Collegian. Steele said he expects to face hostile crowds for the rest of the road games, with stops at conference opponents Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Ohio.

“Our group loves to be the villain in a lot of ways. They love going on the road and silencing the crowd,” Steele said. “The communication gets a little harder when you’re in a loud environment, but I would argue that it’s harder to get your team ready to play when there’s nobody in there, where you can hear everything, a pin drop. I think that’s hard as well, because then you’ve got to be able to create your own energy.”

Yale football coach resigns for health reasons

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Tony Reno, who led Yale to five Ivy League championships over 14 seasons, resigned Tuesday because of health reasons.

Reno had been on medical leave since the end of last season. His resignation takes effect immediately.

“When I arrived at Yale 14 years ago, I could never have imagined what this journey would become,” Reno said in a statement. “The relationships formed, the moments shared, and the people I have been privileged to be surrounded by have changed my life and my family’s lives forever. I am deeply grateful to the players, the coaches, and the staff who gave everything they had to Yale Football.

“From the very beginning, I spoke about honoring the proud tradition of Yale Football and fully embracing the responsibility that comes with leading this program. Together, we pursued excellence and built something truly meaningful. I am incredibly proud of the foundation we laid and confident in the future of Yale Football. Serving as the head coach of this program has been the greatest honor of my life.”

Reno, 52, went 83-49, second in the program in career victories to Carm Cozza, who was 179-119-5. Under Reno, Yale defeated archrival Harvard seven of the past nine meetings. Dante Reno, the coach’s son, quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record and Ivy League championship last season.

Playing in its first postseason game, Yale came back from a 42-14 deficit in the third quarter to defeat Youngstown State 43-42. Eventual FCS championMontana State defeated Yale 21-13 in the next round.

The Bulldogs finished 13th in the FCS rankings.

“Coach Reno’s leadership has been truly transformational,” Yale athletic director Victoria Chun said in a statement. “His impact on Yale Football, our department, and the university extends far beyond championships and wins — it lives in the countless people he has inspired. Coach Reno led with integrity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, giving his whole heart to this program every day.”

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