The minor leagues are devised intentionally to exist as a form of obstacle course. The low pay, subpar living conditions, jammed game schedule, and long bus rides eventually take their toll on many; preventing front offices from having to do the dirty work of releasing players who no longer fit. Self-selection to find something else to do will always be considered preferential to having to make tough choices about who to cut.
That, plus the fact that the Major League Players' Association views an increase in minor league compensation as a potential dollar-for-dollar reduction in major leaguers' salaries combine to make the plight of minor leaguers an inevitability.
Meanwhile, who can fault a kid who is passionate about the sport from continuing to pursue his dream in the face of all the obstacles? Not I, in part because my son...like thousands of others before him and to follow...will always have the memory of having played in the midst of the best the game has to offer.