OneTeam International, the global business venture of OneTeam Partners and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), has announced a partnership with the Japanese Baseball Players Association (JPBPA). The MLBPA, a co-founding partner of OneTeam Partners, joined this announcement at the JPBPA’s annual Congress in Sapporo, Japan, where leaders from both organizations discussed plans to strengthen the position of baseball players in Japan and the United States.
Tony Clark, MLBPA Executive Director and OneTeam Partners board member, along with Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, Senior Vice President of Global Business Affairs and Head of OneTeam International, met with 30 player representatives from Nippon Professional Baseball clubs and JPBPA executives. They explored opportunities to grow the game of baseball and enhance players’ career opportunities.
Baer-Hoffmann commented, “We are thrilled to welcome the JPBPA as the first officially announced partner of OneTeam International. This partnership aims to create new player-led business and fan engagement opportunities across OneTeam’s verticals and further integrate our efforts with the MLBPA and the JPBPA.”
This partnership comes along a broader cooperation between the two leading Player Associations in baseball including the MLBPA’s youth development initiative, “Players Way,” to nurture young talent in Japan, and collaboration across the charitable activities of both the JPBPA and the MLBPA’s “Players Trust.”
Marking a significant step in optimizing economic opportunities for athlete collectives and their unions, fostering innovation, and expanding the global baseball business, this partnership underscores the shared vision of the MLBPA and the JPBPA.