quote:Originally posted by Bulldog 19:quote:Bulldog,
Maybe you can tell us what percentage get six figures? Then after that perhaps you can tell us how much of that is left after supplementing a few years of very little pay while toiling in the minors. Don't forget taxes on that signing bonus when you are doing your calculations.
Higher than the average profession I'll bet... Hmm I'll be lucky to make six figures for a total yearly salary with 6 years of higher education. And I'll get to take the first two years after undergrad making about $10k meanwhile let's not forget all the loans from undergrad I have to pay off still...
Bulldog19,
To be honest, I am a bit surprised by your comments in this thread. I say that because I think you posted that you worked in Milb for a team one Summer and I assumed would have seen the broad spectrum.
If so, I am not sure why you have the focus so much on the narrow spectrum.
Just some illustrations:there are 50 rounds in the draft, about 40 players get signed. Of those 40, most are like our son.
They sign for $1,000 and work morning, noon and night to earn one chance and then do the same to earn another chance tomorrow.
Our son ended up with 2 shoulder surgeries, 6 anchors in his shoulder and risks for degeneration later in life.
He is not an exception. There are many, many like him, far more than the players with larger bonuses that seem to cause some angst for you on a comparative basis. There are equally compelling stories to describe how that injury/disability process occurs vs how it legally should/must occur.
Let's just say the players who don't fight tooth and nail might not get what they should when they are on their way out of MLB.
Probably the majority of players drafted get released within 1-2 years. Many, many of those remaining after 1-2 years get released with some injury, often times permanent, to live with for life.
If you want to compare your financial situation with those drafted in the first 5-6 rounds, that is certainly fair to do.
It just does not represent, on a comparative basis, the vast population of those who get drafted, play and get released or get injured and permanently disabled along the way.
So we present all sides, one player with whom I am familiar was drafted after his junior year in rounds 10-20. I assume he may have received anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000.
Pitched for a bit less than 3 full seasons.
Is now out of baseball having had one spine surgery, one shoulder surgery, is looking at a possible need for a 2nd spine surgery(is recommended but the team refused to pay), and was offered less than $5,000 for his settlement.
So, would you like to be starting over in life at age 27 with that?