RJM posted:Smitty28 posted:roothog66 posted:Goosegg posted:If a player is deemed to be a seasonal employee - similar to teenage camp counselors or summer carnival workers (which were the reasons for the exemptions in the first place) - working less then six months, there is no federal minimum wage.
Players report in late February and play through Labor Day. Then for some there are the Instructional Leagues, Arizona Fall League, and mini-camps; as well as year round drug testing and year round contract requirements which dictate behavior (must remain in first class condition) and prohibit certain behavior (skiing, rock climbing, etc.).
If a player only plays ST and the season, it's more then six months. So, except for the very first draft year, the minimum a player plays exceeds the statutory exception of seasonal. That's why MLB insists that ST doesn't count - and pays about $25 per day, plus two hots and a cot for it.
Not to mention they are under contract which doesn't allow them to take their services in their profession elsewhere even during the "off-season" when they supposedly aren't working. Could you imagine other "seasonal workers" being under those restrictions?
No other field I can think of offers the opportunity to make $10M, $20M or more per year if you are really good at it. Obviously this is what keeps the "worker" pipeline filled. If MLB paid $50k to start and offered 5% annual raises + health insurance we probably wouldn't have an MiLB. Baseball is a unique field and really doesn't compare to corporate internships or seasonal employees. Having said that, I think it is time to pay these guys a living wage.
If you look back before free agency MLB players worked second jobs in the off season. In 1967 Jim Lonborg wrote 10K on his glove. It was to remind him when he took the mound in the World Series how badly he needed the money.
100k was outrageous pay in 1967 reserved for the best players. The Red Sox were called crazy for giving Yastrzemski 500Kfor three years. The minimum salary in 1967 was 6K
The net present value of 100k in 1967 is 793K. It hardly compares to the best players now making 20-30M per season. The net present value of 6K in 1967 is 45K. Minimum pay is now 507K.
My point is players before free agency were willing to play because they loved the game rather than big bucks.
Pro sports has changed. When I was a kid a NBA player lived down the street. He didn’t have the nicest house on the street. He probably wasn’t in the top 50% of income on the street.
Totally agree sports changed when the revenue went from a few million to a few billion over the last 50 years. Players in US Professional Sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) generate more revenue per capita than almost any other labor in the world. Apple generates $1.9MM per employee. For a MLB baseball team that would be $50MM. The A's generated over $200MM last year and that was the lowest number in the sport. Payers should get paid, they earn it. IMO there is a decent argument that they are underpaid for the physical trauma many endure.
As for the idea players played "For the love of the game" is way over romantic nostalgia. The Players hated the Reserve Clause as much as blacks hated Sharecropping - mostly because they were brothers as approaches to labor. They hated it so much they created the Federal League 100 years ago and nearly broke the hold of MLB.
In todays day and age - they might have been able to do it but because of Free Agency 40 years ago it became unnecessary. Although the thought of watching the players running the sport would be amusing. We'd get to see what happens when labor makes decisions....my bet is it would end badly.
As for Milb and the lobbyists...it is just more evidence that our government is not working correctly. Paying people minimum wage and OT should not be too controversial. If you figure the average MilB player probably puts in close to 80 hours a week when travel is factored in - that would be the equivalent of 100 hours at $7.50 which is $750 per week. Or roughly $3,000 per month. Currently in low minors most make $1,100 to $2,200 per month. If you assume all were at $1,100 for 25 players that means the cost would increase would be $250-$300k for a season. For the 4 or 5 low level Milb teams this would impact costs about $1.0MM per club max. More likely it would be less than that by a fair amount.
This is the kind of thing that happens all over the place every day because people are not paying close enough attention to what our representatives are really doing.
Follow the money - In God We Trust.