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Former Tiger and union boss Tony Clark drawing battle lines for 2021 negotiations

Tony Clark, the former Tiger and current executive director of the MLBPA, talks about video technology ahead of negotiations on a new CBA. The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. – Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players’ Association, was talking to a couple of reporters Sunday morning when he stopped in mid-sentence.

“Sweet Lou,” he said, greeting Lou Whitaker.

“So you are the big man now, huh?” said Whitaker, who was in his final season in 1995 when Clark broke in with the Tigers. “I didn’t know you were that smart.”

Clark threw his head back and laughed – something he probably doesn’t do as much these days as he tries to gird the rank-and-file for the major fight that’s coming in a year when negotiations start on a new collective bargaining agreement.