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NEW YORK -- Former major league All-Star Tony Clark was promoted Tuesday to deputy executive director of the baseball players union, giving ailing head Michael Weiner a No. 2 official who would take over if his health worsens. The 41-year-old Clark joined the union staff as director of player relations in March 2010 following a 15-year big league career. Easily recognizable at 6-foot-8, Clark assisted in collective bargaining the following year and was most recently director of player services. "Michael is my mentor," Clark said in a telephone interview. "He was and is the guy that I lean on for advice personally and professionally. In coming on board, all I had wanted to be was an extension of him in whatever capacity I could be. Thats not going to change." Weiner took over from Donald Fehr in December 2009 to become the fourth head of the union since 1966. Weiner said last August that he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and said last week his symptoms increased in June. He must use a wheelchair and cannot move his right side or right arm. "Tonys rise within the union will come as no surprise to those who know him," Weiner said in a statement. "It was clear from the moment Tony joined the MLBPA that his on-field experience and passion for the fraternity of players would make him a tremendous advocate for all who play the game." Clarks appointment was approved 26-0 by the unions executive board, which will address the situation during its annual meeting in December at La Jolla, Calif. If Weiner cant serve between now and the board meeting, Clark would become interim executive director. "I came aboard a few years ago in large part because Michael shared with me what his vision was and is for the players association going forward," Clark said. "In my role as director of player services, in my role now as deputy executive director, that vision and my excitement in being a part of it doesnt change." . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. West Indies 337 and 114 for 5 (Brathwaite 44*, Dowrich 36*, Yasir 3-30) need 39 runs to beat Pakistan 281 and 208 (Azhar 91, Sarfraz 42, Holder 5-30)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details After subsiding for 208 to set West Indies a target of 153, Pakistan took five wickets to leave the Sharjah Test tantalisingly poised at stumps on day four. But, just 39 runs away from claiming their first win of the UAE tour, West Indies held the edge thanks to Kraigg Brathwaites immovable presence at the crease.Brathwaite, who had carried his bat through the first innings for 142, was at the crease on 44, having seen his side through a startling wobble that had left them 67 for 5. He looked calm and solid throughout his knock, assured in defence and adept at rotating the strike. Shane Dowrich, who kept him company in an unbroken 47-run sixth-wicket stand that saw out the day, was less convincing early in his innings, playing Wahab Riaz with feet rooted to the crease and stumps exposed. Nonetheless, he settled in to hit some telling boundaries towards the end of the day and tilt the balance back in West Indies favour.That West Indies found themselves with the upper hand was thanks in no small part to some loose cricket from Pakistan. In a tragicomic collapse after lunch, Pakistan lost five wickets for 33 runs, including 3 for 4 in the space of 18 balls, to be bowled out for 208.The slide began in the seventh over after lunch, when legspinner Devendra Bishoo had Mohammad Nawaz caught at short leg. He landed the ball on a good length in the rough outside the left-handers off stump and extracted just enough turn to pick up an inside edge to Leon Johnson, who stuck out his left hand to take a sharp catch.Bishoos next wicket came four overs later, when Azhar Ali, batting on 91, gifted his wicket away. Seeing a liberally flighted delivery, Azhar started shaping for a sweep, before realising the ball was too far outside off stump for the shot. Instead of leaving the ball alone, Azhar then offered a limp drive and only succeeded in guiding it to Darren Bravo at first slip.Thirteen balls later, Mohammad Amir perished to one of the most entertaining run-outs conceiivable to leave Pakistan in even greater trouble.dddddddddddd Wickets were now falling at increasingly short intervals; the next one came after four balls when Wahab Riaz turned a Holder delivery to Johnson, who took a remarkable reflex catch at short leg, off the face of the bat.Zulfiqar Babar then chipped in with a six and a four in a seven-ball 15 that took Pakistan past 200 and their lead past 150. But Holder trapped Yasir Shah in front for a duck to conclude a breathless passage of play and collect figures of 5 for 30. It was Holders first five-wicket haul in Tests and put his team within sight of their first Test win under his captaincy.Having left the door wide open for West Indies, Pakistan then proceeded to give them encouraging nudges towards the threshold. Off the fifth delivery of the chase, Amir found Johnsons edge only for Misbah-ul-Haq to put down a regulation chance at third slip. Amirs frustration was compounded in his next over, when Sami Aslam, at first slip, made a total hash of another chance off the same batsman.But shortly after tea, West Indies lost 5 for 38 in a period of play that brought Pakistan roaring back. Yasir got the first three of those wickets. Johnson, looking to pull a shortish delivery, was hit in front when the ball did not rise as much as he expected. Bravo was set up beautifully by four legbreaks before Yasir slipped one in that did not turn as much and took the outside edge. Marlon Samuels went for an irresponsible loft with long-off in place and holed out to Babar.Then Wahab bowled Jermaine Blackwood when the batsman brought down an angled bat to a ball that honed into the stumps from around the wicket. When Roston Chase flicked Wahab in the air to midwicket, West Indies were tottering.Perhaps fittingly, West Indies recovery was engineered by a man who had hardly been off the field throughout the match. With Dowrich for company, and Holder and Bishoo still to come, Brathwaite can expect decent support as he attempts to steer his team to their first win in 14 Tests. ' ' '
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