Labor lawyer Michael Weiner, who has led the Major League Baseball Players Association for the past four years to relative peace, died Thursday after he was diagnosed last year with inoperable brain cancer. He was 51.
Weiner died at his home in Mansfield Township, N.J., according to the Associated Press.
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"Words cannot describe the love and affection that the players have for Michael, nor can they describe the level of sadness we feel today," Tony Clark, the union's acting executive director, said in a statement. "Not only has the game lost one of its most important and influential leaders in this generation, all involved in the game have lost a true friend. As one of the most beloved and respected members of the baseball community, Michael will be missed by all of us."
The Associated Press wrote that Clark will be voted on as Weiner's permanent successor when the players' union board gathers Dec. 2-5 at La Jolla, Calif.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said that Weiner earned the trust of the union and MLB executives.
"Our strong professional relationship was built on a foundation of respect and a shared commitment to finding fair solutions for our industry," Selig said of Weiner's influence in a statement. "I appreciated Michael's tireless, thoughtful leadership of the players and his pivotal role in the prosperous state of baseball today. Michael was a courageous human being, and the final year of his remarkable life inspired so many people in our profession."
Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen, the National League's most valuable player, said on Twitter that Weiner would be missed by the players.
Others passed their condolences through social media.
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