The news that the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to join a union certainly caught the attention of Tony Clark.
He was a baseball and basketball player at San Diego State before playing 15 seasons in the majors and becoming executive director of the MLB Players Association in 2013.
The Big Green players, men and women, had called to get Clark’s advice on the matter.
“We believe that a lot of the challenges that currently exist in the college landscape can be remedied by guys having a formal seat at the table,” Clark told the Globe.
“So that call that we got from the Dartmouth men’s and women’s team at the time, I tip my hat to those guys and gals. The guys moving forward in the fashion that you’ve seen them and being able to come alongside them in whatever fashion that we can has been great.
“We’re hopeful that there are additional conversations that are had beyond the Dartmouth men’s basketball team.”
Now that the MLBPA represents minor league players, the next logical step could be to do the same for college baseball players. Given the large number of former collegiate players in its ranks, the MLBPA is uniquely positioned to render assistance.
That could come from the union being a member of the AFL-CIO’s Sports Council along with the NFL Players Association, the NWSL Players Association, and some smaller unions. But not necessarily.
“There’s an opportunity as we continue to discuss among that council and separately for all of us to engage in a way that’s a little bit different than happened at this point,” Clark said. “Obviously our expertise would be in baseball.”
The MLBPA could aid college baseball players in a number of ways: improving facilities, finding more routes to NIL income, mentorship programs, and representing the players in any disputes with their schools or the NCAA.
The Dartmouth basketball players voted to join a local union that represents service employees at the college. The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board had previously ruled the players were employees of the school, something that may not be applicable to public schools.
It’s also uncertain to what degree other teams or athletes from other sports will follow Dartmouth’s lead. But it has been clear for several years that college athletics is changing dramatically.
As to major league issues, Clark has spent much of the last month dealing with problems the players have had with the look and comfort of the new uniforms designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics.
The clamor has died down, with the league vowing to get the fit right, particularly for the pants.
“We’re working through that,” Clark said. “I admit that I didn’t think it was going to be a topic of discussion and it has been maintained as a topic of discussion. I reiterate that I’m hopeful that by the time we get to Opening Day, it’s less of a topic of discussion.”
Within the Red Sox clubhouse, fit has been less of a problem than the idea that the new uniforms don’t look as stylish and well-designed as you’d expect for the major leagues.
The other big issue that has come up — MLB’s seemingly endless free agency — doesn’t seem to have an answer.
As the weekend approached, Mike Clevinger, Adam Duvall, Michael Lorenzen, J.D. Martinez, Jordan Montgomery, Tommy Pham, and Blake Snell were among the players who are still free agents.
Is there any way the league and the union could come together to tighten up a process that has become aggravating to all concerned?
Commissioner Rob Manfred has suggested a deadline be put in place in conjunction with the Winter Meetings.
That would create content for the league and its media partners. But the players don’t see that as their problem.
“The conversation around a [signing] deadline, we don’t believe there’s value in that,” said Clark, who also pointed out that teams had the freedom to sign players a few days after the World Series and there was little action.
Meanwhile, the league has rejected the idea of rewarding teams who sign players early in the process.
It’s a stalemate and nobody benefits, fans included. The topic will likely come up when the next collective bargaining agreement is negotiated after the 2026 season.
“That tango could be held at some point,” Clark said. “We’ll have a formal tango in a few years.”
LESSONS LEARNED
Crawford appreciated
his time with Sale
Chris Sale is now an Atlanta Brave. But he’s still a good influence on Kutter Crawford.
Sale surprised Crawford with a congratulatory text message when he was drafted in 2017, then became a mentor once they became teammates in 2021. Both grew up in central Florida and attended Florida Gulf Coast University.
“It was huge having somebody I could relate to,” Crawford said. “We’re not the same pitchers. He’s a tall, lanky lefty and I’m a stock righty, so to speak. I just tried to pick his brain.”
Crawford vented to Sale after a poor start last season, and after he let his frustration out, Sale offered simple advice.
“He said, ‘It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to show up for work tomorrow. That’s it. It’s not going to be your last bad outing,’ ” Crawford said. “That resonated with me.”
Crawford has stayed in touch with Sale since he was traded to the Braves and hopes to face him this season.
Sale has looked sharp in spring training after joining one of the best rotations in the game. Atlanta’s plan is to carefully parcel out his starts with an eye on keeping Sale healthy for the postseason.
That could be a chore, as the Red Sox learned. But Sale is hungry to show he can still be one of the best in the game.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Rich Hill was at Fenway South for two days this past week to call two games on the radio and be around the coaches and players.
“Now back to the great unknown,” he joked.
The lefthander, who turns 44 on Monday, is a free agent who could return to the mound once his son, Brice, is finished with his final Little League season in Milton.
Here’s a thought: The Sox should offer Hill a chance to join the team as a player with the further understanding that a job in the front office awaits once he’s done pitching.
The Sox do not have many alumni in meaningful roles. Given the breadth of his experience and knowledge of pitching, Hill would be a smart addition.
▪ The Sox sent $17 million to the Braves along with Sale to get back second baseman Vaughn Grissom. That money counts against the luxury tax, as will the $19.25 million paid to Lucas Giolito this season.
That’s $36.25 million for pitchers who will not play for the Sox this season — roughly 20 percent of their luxury tax payroll.
▪ Sam Kennedy added his latest two titles earlier this month. He was named chief executive officer of Fenway Sports Group on March 1, and Wednesday he was named to the board of directors for PGA Tour Enterprises.
Kennedy also is president and CEO of the Red Sox, CEO of Fenway Sports Management, and CEO of FSG Real Estate.
Privately, some people within the organization wonder if this will lead to Kennedy giving up his day-to-day duties with the Sox and FSG hiring a team president whose sole focus is the team and Fenway Park.
That’s probably overdue at this stage. And, while Kennedy tries to be earnest, it’s clear his public comments about the team have done more to anger fans than assure them.
▪ BetOnline lists Texas outfielders Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford as the favorites for American League Rookie of the Year at 3/1.
Wilyer Abreu is the eighth choice at 16/1. Ceddanne Rafaela (50/1) and Marcelo Mayer (80/1) are among the long shots.
▪ No matter how many baseball games you watch, there’s always something new to see.
On Tuesday, Masataka Yoshida was at the plate with Rafael Devers at third and two outs against the Rays in the fifth inning. As Yoshida swung and missed at a pitch from Ryan Pepiot, the white thumb padding on his hand came loose and flew to the backstop.
Devers thought it was the ball and took off for the plate. Catcher Rob Brantly was waiting with the actual ball and tagged out Devers. It went down as a caught stealing.
“Everybody thought it was the baseball,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who briefly argued. But no rule covers the situation.
▪ U.L. Washington, who died Monday at the age of 70, was best known for his eight seasons with the Royals and ever-present toothpick.
But he also worked as a minor league hitting coach for the Red Sox from 2003-14. His pupils included Mookie Betts with Single A Greenville in 2013. Washington also influenced a number of other future major leagues as the Gulf Coast League hitting coach from 2006-12.
ETC.
An opera house
in the desert
Renderings of the 33,000-seat ballpark the Athletics want to build on the Las Vegas Strip look a lot like the iconic Sydney Opera House. A press release described the structure as a “spherical armadillo.”
There have been renderings of ballparks in multiple spots in California over the last 20 years and a shovel has yet to hit the ground.
But this time John Fisher does have permission from his fellow voters to move the team and commissioner Rob Manfred approves of Las Vegas.
The latest plan calls for a $1.5 billion park at the site of the Tropicana Hotel that would open for the 2028 season. The overlapping roof structure is designed to allow in indirect sunshine.
There would be an 18,000-square-foot scoreboard in right field with left field open to views of the Strip, largely the New York New York Hotel & Casino.
Only 2,500 parking spots are planned, meaning the team will have to work with local officials on a bus system to bring in fans who park away from the area.
The team also believes a good percentage of fans will be tourists who will walk to the park from nearby hotels or use ride shares. It seems likely that weekend games in particular will draw a large number of fans of the visiting teams.
The financing is not yet settled and until it is, this is all hypothetical. But the Athletics have taken another step out of Oakland.
Extra bases
When it comes to Mookie Betts, it seems anything is possible. The Dodgers initially decided to move him to second base this season to fill a need. Now he’ll be at shortstop, the move coming after Gavin Lux struggled with his throwing during spring training. Betts started 12 games at shortstop last season, all in the first half. Before that he hadn’t played the position since 2012 when he was with Single A Lowell. You have to wonder if the Dodgers will eventually obtain a shortstop — Willy Adames of the Brewers? — and move Betts back to second base or right field to protect him from wearing down physically. It also raises the question of how the Dodgers could invest as much as they did in their roster and not have a reliable shortstop. Whether Betts plays shortstop for 25, 50 or 150 games, that he was willing and able to switch positions further underscores what a historic blunder the Red Sox made in trading him. It was incredibly foolish in 2020 and has only gotten worse since . . . The Blue Jays have Justin Turner and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on their 40-man roster with Daniel Vogelbach and now Joey Votto in camp on minor league deals. Guerrero will be the regular first baseman and Turner took a $13 million deal to be the designated hitter. Votto can play first and DH, while Vogelbach is a full-time DH. Those parts don’t fit together well. Guerrero has averaged 158 starts the last three seasons, DH-ing on the days he doesn’t play first base. If there’s a role for Votto, it could be as a backup first baseman and DH against some righthanders. Votto is a Toronto native and Blue Jays fans will want to see him on the field . . . If he can stay healthy, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal will be a Cy Young contender this season. He’s taken a step forward with his command . . . James Wood, 21, was 9 of 24 with 3 homers, 5 RBIs, and 6 walks in his first 11 Grapefruit League games for the Nationals. The 6-foot-6-inch outfielder was one of the prospects Washington received from San Diego for Juan Soto in 2022. Wood finished last season in Double A and will be in Washington soon. The ball comes off his bat with a noticeable crack . . . Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were in the lineup for the Dodgers on Wednesday when they played the White Sox in Arizona. There were 10 media members representing outlets in the United States, 35 from Japan. To a lesser degree, that’s happened in Fort Myers, too. When the Rays started Naoyuki Uwasawa on Tuesday against a Red Sox lineup that included Masataka Yoshida, there were 10 Japanese media at JetBlue Park and only five who regularly cover the Sox and Rays . . . Northeastern beat Georgia Tech, 7-0, on Wednesday. Upsetting an ACC team is a major accomplishment for the Huskies, but the bigger story might have been the work their pitchers did against Yellow Jackets star freshman Drew Burress, who was 0 for 5. Burress was 18 of 43 (.419) in his first 10 games with six doubles, a triple, seven walks, 10 home runs, and 23 RBIs . . . Happy birthday to Mike Timlin, who is 58. The reliable righthander pitched for the Red Sox from 2003-08, appearing in 394 games, fifth in team history. Timlin won World Series with the Blue Jays (1992, ‘93) and Sox (2004, ‘07) and appeared in 46 postseason games.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.