Michael S. Weiner (December 21, 1961 – November 21, 2013) was an American attorney who served as the executive director of the
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
for four years. He assumed the role on June 22, 2009, replacing
Donald Fehr
Donald Martin Fehr (born July 18, 1948) is an American former sports executive. He was the fifth executive director of the NHL Players Association from 2010 to 2023. He became nationally prominent while serving as the executive director of the ML ...
, becoming only the fifth executive director of the union. Weiner joined the organization in September 1988 and had been
general counsel
A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department.
In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...
since 2004.
Early life
He was born in
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Pompton Lakes, New Jersey at the age of two and attended
Pompton Lakes High School
Pompton Lakes High School (PLHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the borough of Pompton Lakes in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Pompton Lakes School District. ...
. Weiner received his undergraduate degree in political economy from
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...
in 1983. He graduated from
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
.
With Weiner at the helm, the union signed an agreement in November 2011 for a five-year contract running until December 2016, which ensured 21 consecutive years of labor peace in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. The agreement allowed for blood testing for
human growth hormone
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...
, introduced restraints on bonuses for amateur draft picks and international signings, and restored salary arbitration eligibility for part of a class of players that lost it in the 1980s.
Personal life and death
A resident of
Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Mansfield Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Warren County, New Jersey, Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7,781, its highest decennial census count ...
, Weiner was an active congregant of the Jewish Center of Northwest Jersey in Warren County
Weiner was diagnosed with a brain tumor in August 2012, and died 15 months later, on November 21, 2013. He was 51 years old. He was succeeded by his deputy, Tony Clark, the first former Major League Baseball player to lead the union. He was survived by his wife, the former Diane Margolin, and three daughters, Margie, Grace and Sally.