His legacy clouded by the fallout from baseball's steroid era, Major League Baseball Players Association head Donald Fehr is leaving his position.
After adding to the success that Marvin Miller had in negotiating one-sided labor contracts with the fractious group of MLB owners, Fehr more notably has been dragged alongside commissioner Bud Selig to a string of congressional hearings into steroids throughout much of the past two decades.
Fehr did not give a specific reason for his decision to resign Monday, saying only it was time to move on.
"I don't know if it's fair to say I've lost my taste for it," Fehr said in a conference call with reporters. "It's fair to say I've done it for a very long time. My conclusion is it's better for me to see what else I can do before I'm too long in the tooth and to have some down time. ... I think it will be good for everybody."
Michael Weiner, general counsel for the union, has received Fehr's recommendation as a successor, pending approval of the union's members. Gene Orza, Fehr's longtime No. 2 man, seemed to have been in line to replace Fehr, but Weiner is more likely to provide a new direction. The change is targeted to come March 31, 2010, but could happen sooner.
Fehr, 60, has run the union since 1983, the first two years as acting director. He assumed the position permanently in December 1985. During his time in charge, the average salary rose from $289,000 to an estimated $3.26 million this season.
But while the union continued to win economic successes for its members, it is seen by many to have contributed to the anything-goes, Wild West mentality of baseball by opposing random drug testing long after it had become a reality in other sports.
Former commissioner Fay Vincent said Fehr protected players at a cost to the game's credibility.
"He was wrong to see things in terms of civil liberties for the players and not in terms of the overall interests of baseball," Vincent said.
Fehr said he understands the criticism that links him to the widespread use of steroids - an even bigger cloud - in the past two decades.
"If we - I - had known or understood what the circumstances were a little better, then perhaps we would have moved sooner," Fehr said.
Selig praised Fehr.
"Don has represented his constituency with passion, loyalty and great diligence," Selig said in a statement. "Although we have had our differences, I have always respected his role."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
