Best Business Practices

Your suggestion make too much sense.

Deldad,
This is one of the reasons why many choose college first. At son's school, all of the drafted players (and one MLB player)come back to campus (except those in fall instruction show up later). They have access to the facilities, work with the trainers and team, someplace to go, no charge, which they would not have otherwise.

deldad ....

I agree with you to some extent, and that is that there should probably be some way to standardize the off-season work outs. But I would imagine the following factors come into play if you are talking about reasons clubs do NOT centralize their minor leaguers for the off-season:

(1) As with my son, I am sure many of these players enjoy the 'home' time they get during the off season, as well as having more to do during the day than training and work outs. Many of our son's teammates felt that spring training was a bit 'boring' insofar as the limited amount of time spent actually working out and scrimmaging etc. Every player that had to stay for extended spring training thought it was 'painful' at best.

(2) Where would the players live and who is going to pay their rent and daily expenses?

(3) Would the players receive income during this time or be expected to survive on their per diems as they do during spring training?

(4) What about the club personnel who would be expected to stay around as well at the centralized location? It seems that most of the coaches and trainiers have families that do not live near the clubs' spring training facilities (which I would imagine would be the most logical location for the centralized work), and they deserve to be able to return home as well.

These are just a few of the questions I came up with about this idea. As far as the players who sign for millions ... well, they are indeed few and far between and if they are smart, IMHO, they will not sit on their laurels at home during the off season, spending their fortunes, but will instead be doing something productive which may include working and/or continuing their education. Personally, tho our son is not one of those select few, he still enjoys having something to do during the day to keep him and his mind active. Having the income is obviously a necessity for him and his wife, but I know that he won't do just anything while he is home ... he needs to be challenged. (FYI, he has not had the luxury of continuing his college education at this point because he is a chem major and some classes that are required for graduation are sequential and only offered in the winter and spring quarters, which he cannot attend. If he could finish his degree, he would.)

The MLB domestic product development system does have a distinct disfunctional feel to it.

A former scout with excellent AA pitching coach experience recently got out of pro baseball. He had great success developing and keeping pitchers injury free. After scouting for awhile, so he could actually travel less, they asked him to be their roving pitching instructor because their pitchers were having too many injuries. The Club would not pay him a decent wage to go back on the road, so he declined. Apparently they preferred paying orthpedic surgeons and rehab guys. Makes no sense.

I ran across the current work-out brochure for a National League Team.....

FutureBackmom that's exactly what I'm getting out wouldn't it be a much better investment of the MLB's clubs money to pay year round. Train year round.

I understand all the logistics of the situation, and that most of the players go out and seek their own offseason programs, but from a business aspect it seems to ridiculous to let your assests to their own devices for half a year.

It would be as if I were in the lawn mowing business and didn't store and maintain my lawn mowers over the winter. Let them go to other places and just expect them to return in the spring in the same condition if not better when I needed them. I can't imagine any other business in the world that pays what major league clubs pay for these assets and has as little control over them for 6 months.

If the teams would pay their salary year round the p[layers could pay for their own trainers
I was surprised how poorly the players are fed in the minors. Doesn't make sense

njbb-not at 1100 a month

one section of the workout manual they sent was on nutrition. That was after 6 months of fast food and chain restaurants. I guess they need to focus on nutrition in the winter since they eat so poorly during the season.

deldad ...

quote:

one section of the workout manual they sent was on nutrition. That was after 6 months of fast food and chain restaurants. I guess they need to focus on nutrition in the winter since they eat so poorly during the season.

That's a pretty good observation ... the clubs expect the kids to eat healthy when the clubs are not paying them but they have them overspending on fast food when they are "paying" them.

Deldad - great subject IMO.

From a purely business perspective - 2 observations:

1) MLB is run as a pure entertainment business now. It is not about the sport. It is about building viewership. If a player can draw fans into the stadium or onto the TV set - if makes no difference if they hit .180 or .380

2) An asset analogy. A camera.

Most of the younger prospects - those who received very small - if any - signing bonuses - are disposable cameras. That is how ownership views them.
You use them - and when they break - or degrade in quality - you throw them out and buy another one. You DO NOT invest in repair and maintenance for a disposable camera. You also DO NOT buy a $500 zoom lens for a $15 disposable camera.

You put your repair/maintenance and upgrade money into the expensive camera you bought.

Its

Good analogy. Players are a depreciating asset with limited shelf life, with a new crop to be picked.