The union said Weiner died at his home in Mansfield Township, N.J. Weiner was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor 15 months ago.

Weiner was a plain-speaking labor lawyer known for his casual dress and easygoing manner. He helped maintain labor peace in the sport after succeeding Donald Fehr as executive director in 2009. He joined the union as a staff attorney in 1988.

"Here you had an individual who came to me as a kid for his first private sector job," Fehr told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "He impressed me at the time and ever after with his intelligence, his dedication, his innate sense of fairness, his focus on finding what the right thing was to do and then doing it. This was an extraordinary individual all the way around."

Players were universal in their praise of Weiner and expressed gratitude for what he did on their behalf. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was also complimentary.

"Our strong professional relationship was built on a foundation of respect and a shared commitment to finding fair solutions for our industry. I appreciated Michael's tireless, thoughtful leadership of the players and his pivotal role in the prosperous state of baseball today," Selig said in a statement. "Michael was a courageous human being, and the final year of his remarkable life inspired so many people in our profession."

A succession plan was put in place last summer that will lead to former big league All-Star Tony Clark taking over Weiner's role.

"Words cannot describe the love and affection that the players have for Michael, nor can they describe the level of sadness we feel today," Clark said in a statement. "Not only has the game lost one of its most important and influential leaders in this generation, all involved in the game have lost a true friend."

At Weiner's last public speaking engagement, a 25-minute meeting with baseball writers on the day of the All-Star game in July, he was confined to a wheelchair and unable to move his right side. Yet, he wanted to respond to questions about his illness and issues in the game, and did so with the grace and humor he was known for throughout his life.

"I don't know if I look at things differently. Maybe they just became more important to me and more conscious to me going forward," he said. "As corny as this sounds, I get up in the morning and I feel I'm going to live each day as it comes. I don't take any day for granted. I don't take the next morning for granted. What I look for each day is beauty, meaning and joy, and if I can find beauty, meaning and joy, that's a good day."

Weiner is survived by his wife, the former Diane Margolin, and daughters Margie, Grace and Sally.


ANGELS WANT FREESE


Add the Los Angeles Angels to the list of teams interested in St. Louis Cardinals 3B David Freese.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports the teams have discussed a trade. The Cardinals would be looking for outfield depth in return for the 2011 World Series MVP. Previous reports have indicated the Angels are willing to deal slick-fielding center fielder Peter Bourjos.

St. Louis is searching for a shortstop, but the Freese discussions do not involve Angels SS Erick Aybar, according to Rosenthal.

Freese, after a big postseason in 2011 and an All-Star season in 2012, struggled in 2013, hitting .262/.340/.381 with nine homers in 138 games. He was worse in the postseason, hitting below .200 in 17 games.

The Cards are willing to move the 30-year-old because they can move Matt Carpenter to third and plug elite prospect Kolten Wong in at second base.

The Angels are in need of an upgrade at third base. Journeyman Alberto Collaspo manned the hot corners until he was traded to the A's in July.


NO BRAUN TRADE


The Milwaukee Brewers shot down rumors they are shopping 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun.

"We have no intentions of trading Ryan," general manager Doug Melvin told the Journal Sentinel. "There's absolutely no truth to that. We've never contacted any team about Ryan."

But four or five teams have asked Milwaukee about the five-time All-Star, Melvin acknowledged. "I told them no."

Braun, 30, has been one of baseball's top performers since winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2007. The left fielder has averaged 36 home runs and 22 stolen bases while posting a slash line of .312/.374/.564.

But his career has been tainted over the past two years due to PED use.

Major League Baseball suspended him for the Brewers' final 65 games this past season after he agreed not to appeal a ban. Braun later issued a written admission that he used a cream and a lozenge containing banned substances while recovering from an injury in 2011.

Rumors have circulated since then that Milwaukee would like to rid itself of the Braun's PED stigma. He is under contract to the Brewers through the 2020 season and is owed $127 million over that time.


VARGAS TO ROYALS


The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a four-year contract with left-hander Jason Vargas in an attempt to fill the void in their rotation created by Ervin Santana's free agency.

Vargas was 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 24 starts for the Angels last season. He was 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA before going on the disabled list with a blood clot in his arm that required surgery.

Kansas City was searching for a veteran to replace Santana, another former Angels pitcher who rediscovered himself in Kansas City. Santana went 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA last season, driving up his price in free agency to the point where the Royals were unlikely to sign him.

Vargas isn't the sort of splashy signing that will make Royals fans salivate, but he does solidify the back end of what's expected to be a young rotation.


SOX AUCTION BEARD SHAVINGS


It's the ultimate display of Red Sox fandom: owning strands of David Ortiz's World Series-winning beard.

The hairs that Ortiz and Shane Victorino shaved off earlier this month are being auctioned for a men's health charity. Each "beard ball trophy" features a glass case holding a clump of whiskers and the razor used to trim them a few days after Boston clinched the championship.

The Red Sox were led to their third title in a decade by a roster full of bushy-bearded players, who grew their facial hair as team bonding.

Even some rabid Red Sox fans may recoil at the thought of a "beard ball trophy." Others consider it a collector's item. A few hours into the eBay auction, Ortiz's was up to $740, Victorino's to $460. The bidding ends Nov. 30.

Proceeds will go toward combating prostate and testicular cancer. The promotion is sponsored by Gillette.

Contributors: Justin McGuire, Tom Gatto. The Associated Press