SAN DIEGO -- Tony Clark said hes "blown away" that he is the first former major leaguer to become head of the baseball players union. The executive board of the Major League Baseball Players Association voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Clark to replace Michael Weiner, who died Nov. 21 of brain cancer. The decision is pending a vote of the general membership. Clark was an All-Star in 2001 and played for 15 seasons with Detroit, Arizona, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston and San Diego. The 41-year-old was appointed deputy executive director in July and had been acting executive director since Weiners death. The executive board is meeting this week at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. Clark went to high school in the San Diego area and played basketball at San Diego State. After retiring during the 2009 season, Clark had opportunities in broadcasting and coaching. Instead, he said he woke up one day and told his wife that he should work for the players union, "having no idea that we would be sitting before you, Dec. 3, 2013, in this capacity, but appreciating all the while that Michaels vision for our organization, my involvement with it, and the hope and having and making a difference for our group, active and inactive and those that are coming next, was the final decision-maker for me." Clark spoke on a conference call and then to a handful of San Diego reporters. Clark joined the MLBPA staff in March 2010 as director of player relations. He got active in union affairs after attending his first executive board meeting in 1999. From there he became a team player representative, before spending his last seven seasons as an association representative. As a player, Clark was actively involved in 2002 and 2006 collective bargaining as well as negotiations on revisions to the Joint Drug Agreement. "I expected to be tied to the hip with Michael for 20 years," Clark said. "He rides off into the sunset, I ride off into the sunset, we ride off into the sunset, having, Lord willing, affected the game positively. Blown away, yes. Humbled, yes. Excited to carry on the vision that Michael put into place, yes. ... Focused, not just now but going forward on what we stand for, who we are and how weve arrived at the place weve arrived? Blown away, yes." Jeremy Guthrie of the Kansas City Royals and free agent outfielder Curtis Granderson spoke glowingly of Clark. Guthrie pointed out that Weiner had been groomed before he took over for Donald Fehr in 2009, and Clark was groomed to replace Weiner, "although the time came way too fast, much more fast than any of us hoped or expected." Guthrie said he met with Weiner in 2012 after the cancer has been diagnosed, and the two agreed that Clark appeared to be the best candidate to eventually succeed Weiner. "Michael had the intuition, the foresight, whatever it was, to bring Tony on board when he did and to have him at his side," Guthrie said. "Tony clearly rose to the top as someone that wed never necessarily had planned to see in this position, but when we needed to find someone, his candidacy was clear, that he was someone prepared to do this. "I think this is a unique time," Guthrie said. "Baseball changes a ton and our union continues to progress and now we have a former player on board. I dont think theres a better player thats ever been a part of this game, one as prepared, one as intelligent, one as powerful, one as knowledgeable, as Tony, to step in and do that. Its funny how things happen, but preparation has been on our side." Granderson said that when the 6-foot-8 Clark walked into a meeting Monday, he didnt have to say a word and the other players stopped talking and took their seats. "That was an additional confirming moment for me as far as this person demanding attention," Granderson said. "The information hes going to provide is going to be of importance, no matter when hes speaking or what hes speaking about. "The idea of him being a player, you never forget that as part of his resume, but thats not all he is," Granderson added. "For some reason people have coupled him to that category, but he is by far more than that and will continue to be more than that. Thats just a chapter in his background. This is a new chapter and there will be many new chapters." Air Max 90 2019 Outlet . His stated reason for abruptly resigning as head coach of Canadas Olympic womens hockey team was he felt there were doubts about his ability to coach the team to Olympic gold in February. Cheap Air Max 90 Black China . 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Cheap Off White Air Max 90 . - A lot of scenarios ran through Terrell Suggs head when the Baltimore linebacker prepared to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.TORONTO - Following the final game in each of his first four NBA seasons, DeMar DeRozan has stood in front of the media contingent at the Raptors annual post-mortem gathering, vowing to work tirelessly on his game during the summer and return a more well-rounded player come the fall. One of his most glaring weaknesses as a young guard in the league was his playmaking ability. As a 19-year-old rookie in 2009-10, DeRozan averaged less than one assist per game. Among NBA guards that logged at least 20 minutes per outing that season, DeRozan assisted on the lowest percentage of his teammates field goals (just under 5 per cent, tied with Orlandos Mickael Pietrus, per NBA.com/stats). Hes come a long way since then, making good on his yearly end-of-season promise. DeRozans four assists in Sundays win over the Magic raised his season total to 205, a new career-high, besting last years mark with 26 games left to play. "I want to make my teammates better," said the Raptors guard, who continues to evolve as a distributer, averaging a career-best 3.8 dimes this season. "It just comes with experience and understanding. Its something that I really enjoy doing, getting my teammates involved, looking for them." The 24-year-olds assist numbers have increased in each of his five seasons and his assist percentage this year (18.6) is more than three-times higher than it was in his rookie campaign (4.9). DeRozan had recorded five or more assists in just five of his first 2222 games as an NBA player, his first three years in the league.dddddddddddd Since then hes accomplished that feat 28 times in 136 contests, including 15 during his 2013-14 breakout season. "Thats huge," Dwane Casey said of his leading scorers improved court vision. "Now hes drawing so much attention from the other teams as far as double teaming, guys helping, theyre sinking in and hes making teams pay for it." "Hes one of the best wings right now in the league as far as passing the ball out [of the double team] and hes doing a great job of it," Casey continued. "So thats a big step in his growth process. Its good to see and the more attention he gets the more hes going to have to rely on that part of his game." A first-time all-star this season, DeRozan has had to adjust to the defensive attention hes getting now that he finds himself on the top of the oppositions scouting report. Theres nowhere left to hide, not after the trade of top dog Rudy Gay, but DeRozan has embraced the responsibility. "The game definitely does slow down," he noted. "You understand every defence. Theres not too many defences I havent seen yet and just watching film and understanding how teams play key players, especially key scorers, once you understand that a lot of things come a lot easier." As a team, the Raptors are just 14-17 when DeRozan scores 20 or more points, however theyre 18-8 when he tallies at least four assists. ' ' '