Crasnick: Michael Weiner was a voice of reason for MLBPA
From SABR member Jerry Crasnick at ESPN.com on November 21, 2013:
Michael Weiner was the focus of only the occasional personality profile in his roles as a labor lawyer and head of the Major League Baseball Players Association. But writers in search of a human interest angle invariably headed in one of two directions: His fondness for Bruce Springsteen, or his lifelong allegiance to Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
A New Jersey boy to the core, Weiner found something magical and magnetic in the Boss’ melodies and lyrics — from the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets to barefoot girls sitting on the hoods of Dodges, drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain. Yes, he represented millionaire Lexus and BMW drivers as head of the most successful and effective union in sports. But he did so with blue-collar sensibilities, minimal ego and perspective in abundance.
The shoes were no-frills and built for comfort, just like the man who wore them. Weiner kept a suit and tie handy for special occasions, but his work attire generally consisted of the white high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers, jeans, short-sleeved polo shirts and “hair by pillow,” as his players’ union colleagues jokingly referred to it. B.B. Abbott, the representative for Chipper Jones and numerous other big leaguers, once observed that Weiner “single-handedly dressed down” the annual baseball agent meetings.
Read the full article here: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9199757/michael-weiner-executive-director-mlbpa-passed-away
Originally published: November 22, 2013. Last Updated: November 22, 2013.