Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that Major League Baseball has promoted executives Chris Marinak, Chris Park, Bryan Seeley and Morgan Sword.
Marinak, 36, joined the Office of the Commissioner in 2008. The Virginia native, who leads MLB's League Economics and Strategy group, has played a pivotal role in collective bargaining negotiations with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the World Umpires Association (WUA), administering significant provisions of the collective bargaining agreement, including the revenue sharing plan and the debt service rule. He supports MLB's Competition and Playing Rules Committees in the development and implementation of on-field rules and pace of game initiatives, and is responsible for the Commissioner's Office's technology initiatives, including the instant replay system and the medical records system. Chris is actively involved in MLB's youth participation initiatives, including the PLAY BALL and Pitch Smart programs, and he serves on the Board of Directors for USA Baseball. Recently, he has taken responsibility for overseeing the creation of the Major League schedule. Marinak is a key liaison to senior Club executives, general managers and youth organizations on special projects and industry trends. The former pitcher and team captain at the University of Virginia attended Harvard Business School. He has twice been recognized by the SportsBusiness Journal among its Forty Under 40 Awards recipients.
Since returning to MLB in 2015, Park, 37, has led MLB's International and Growth Strategy teams. He has been responsible for overseeing Baseball's international business operations, including as President of World Baseball Classic, Inc. Park, who served in prior stints in MLB's Labor Relations Department, has coordinated Commissioner Manfred's expansion of MLB International business development, including record-high revenues in 2016 and new initiatives in Mexico and China. This month, Park has assumed responsibility for MLB's global marketing function and social media content. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and was honored with a Forty Under 40 Award from the SportsBusiness Journal in 2012.
Seeley has headed MLB's Department of Investigations since 2014. Seeley is responsible for all investigations of potential violations of MLB policies and rules and threats to the integrity of the game, and has overseen every investigation initiated under MLB's Joint Domestic Violence Policy since its inception, in addition to other high-profile investigations. Prior to joining MLB, Seeley served as an Assistant United States Attorney for eight years in Washington, D.C., where he prosecuted cases involving public corruption, fraud, violent crime and narcotics. While a prosecutor, he served a one-year detail as counsel to the then-Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Seeley, 38, clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz of the United States District Court in Baltimore. Seeley is a cum laude graduate of both Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
Sword has been a key member of MLB's Labor Relations Department since 2008, during which time he played an integral role in the negotiation of two Basic Agreements with the MLBPA and the WUA. The New Jersey native oversees all economic and contractual issues involving players, including the salary arbitration system, the First-Year Player Draft, the international amateur talent system, the Competitive Balance Tax and free agency rules. The 31-year-old University of Virginia and Columbia Business School graduate is a primary point of contact for Club Baseball Operations personnel on all Basic Agreement and player contract issues.
MLB announces promotions of Marinak, Park, Seeley and Sword
Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that Major League Baseball has promoted executives Chris Marinak, Chris Park, Bryan Seeley and Morgan Sword.
April 12th, 2017