Yankees P Aroldis Chapman has indicated that he would appeal any domestic violence-related suspension handed down by MLB, but it is "unclear whether the closer will be able to pitch while the case is pending appeal," according to Mark Feinsand of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark yesterday "did his best" to clarify the Chapman situation, but even he "seemed uncertain about the specifics." Clark initially said that Chapman "would be allowed to play during the appeal process, much the same as offenders of the Joint Drug Agreement can continue playing until their appeal is heard." But Clark later added that the league "could place a player on paid administrative leave," like it did earlier this month with Rockies SS Jose Reyes. Clark did make it clear that the union "will work to protect Chapman's rights if the reliever opts to appeal any penalty." Clark said, "It's a very sensitive issue to discuss, but our job is very fundamental: we protect, defend and advance the rights of our members" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/29). The N.Y. Daily News’ Frank Isola said domestic violence has been "tolerated for too long, and it's about time some of these leagues really took the lead on this." Isola: "I'm glad to see baseball taking the lead.” But the Boston Globe's Bob Ryan asked, "Is it too much to ask the teams to enact the punishment before it even gets to the commissioner? Is it too much to ask the teams to want to present a face to the public of proper behavior and that there are certain things that are intolerable, one of which is domestic abuse? ... It shouldn't even get to the commissioner's office sometimes if teams would do what they should do” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 2/28).
OTHER UNION ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED: Clark on Saturday said that the union will "look to discuss changes to the qualifying offer process" during upcoming CBA negotiations. In Baltimore, Eduardo Encina noted several prominent free agents who declined the offer to "pursue multiyear deals" remained unsigned into the beginning of Spring Training "because teams were hesitant to give up their first unprotected draft pick" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 2/27). Meanwhile, USA TODAY's Ted Berg noted with the Pirates having been eliminated from the postseason three straight years in the one-game Wild Card round, CF Andrew McCutchen "hoped to address" the playoff format with Clark on Saturday. Clark said, "Cutch' and I have talked. Others have spoken on it, and we will undoubtedly continue to talk about what may make the most sense" (USATODAY.com, 2/27).
POSITION OF POWER: In DC, Barry Svrluga profiled Clark, writing that a former player or African American has "never before sat in the big chair" Clark finds himself in. While Clark could have "enjoyed a comfortable retirement in Arizona... doing some television work," anyone who knows him understands that "such work would have left his other talents untapped." Clark will not only "negotiate around the issues that become centerpieces" in MLB, but he will "insert into the conversation his own passions." Clark: "We have a diversity problem. More specifically, we have a problem in that we've lost generations of young black kids" (WASHINGTON POST 2/28).
