La Jolla, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield has joined the staff of the Major League Baseball Players Association as a special assistant to new executive director Tony Clark.
The MLBPA's executive board named Clark its new chief on Tuesday, replacing the late Michael Weiner. Weiner, who led the union for close to four years, died Nov. 21 at the age of 51 after battling inoperable brain cancer for 15 months.
Winfield spent 15 of his 22 big league seasons as a player representative. He also served as a founding member of the advisory board of the Major League Baseball Players Trust, which was founded in 1996.
"As a former union leader, I'm thrilled to be joining the ranks of the most accomplished and respected sports union in the country to help provide a generational link and historical perspective to today's players," said Winfield in a statement Thursday. "I have participated in nearly every aspect of the game, and I look forward to putting that experience to good use in support of Tony Clark and various MLBPA activities and initiatives."
A 12-time All-Star, Winfield finished his career with 3,110 hits, 465 home runs and 1,833 runs batted in. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001 on the first ballot.
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