MLBPA Chief Executive Donald Fehr to Step Down

According to a report on ESPN.com, Donald Fehr is retiring as held of the baseball players' association after more than a quarter of a century.

Fehr, 60, plans to retire before the end of March.

Subject to approval by the union's executive board, union general counsel Michael Weiner, his longtime heir apparent, will replace him.

Weiner is expected to head negotiations heading into the expiration of the current labor contract in December 2011.

"I have no hesitancy in recommending to the players that he be given the opportunity to do this job," Fehr said.

Fehr has presided over three work stoppages during his time in charge, first the 1985 strike followed by a 32-day lockout in 1990 and a 7½-month strike in 1994-95 that wiped out the World Series for the first time in 90 years.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential union leaders of the last 25 years, Fehr will certainly be missed in the game.

Fehr, like almost everybody, has been tangled in the midst of the recent steroid controversy that has taken over baseball. Most will agree he is not solely to blame, but he certainly does bare some responsibility.  However, since Fehr has taken over the players association the average salary has risen from $289,000 to over $2.9 million as of last year. 

While he has not always been popular, there is no mistaking the contributions he has made to the growth of the MLBPA.