Good article
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Wow, eye opening!
So basically a lottery ticket but the numbers didn’t hit. This argument is old and tired. The price for players goes up when supply stops exceeding demand. This is true of College and pro ball, it may not be fair but when there ceases to be a list of 10x players that are essentially replaceable parts they will have value.
if it makes you feel better corporate America isn’t a whole lot different, there is just way more competition for talent.
@old_school posted:So basically a lottery ticket but the numbers didn’t hit. This argument is old and tired. The price for players goes up when supply stops exceeding demand. This is true of College and pro ball, it may not be fair but when there ceases to be a list of 10x players that are essentially replaceable parts they will have value.
if it makes you feel better corporate America isn’t a whole lot different, there is just way more competition for talent.
I know very well about Corporate America, lead global application development. Had to develop the first offshore application service delivery model for the company in early 2000. So you can see where this is going.
As for talent, hard to measure, it is more who you know and who is your godfather.
@old_school posted:So basically a lottery ticket but the numbers didn’t hit. This argument is old and tired. The price for players goes up when supply stops exceeding demand. This is true of College and pro ball, it may not be fair but when there ceases to be a list of 10x players that are essentially replaceable parts they will have value.
if it makes you feel better corporate America isn’t a whole lot different, there is just way more competition for talent.
Yeah, the issue is that the demand for baseball players is lower and there is a very distinct edge after the Last roster spot.
The 2000th best engineer or lawyer in the US probably makes 500k a year but the 2000th best baseball player only makes 6000 bucks a year even though he is in the top 0.1% of ballplayers.
That is of course because the only value a player generates is drawing fans and minor league doesn't draw.
Still i think the salary is too low, especially with the contracted milb I think a minor leaguer should at least make 2k after taxes for 12 months a year so he can have a decent living maybe like a kindergarten teacher or so, baseball makes so much money that they can pay anyone a decent living.
Honestly, I've read more than a couple dozen articles like this over the last 15+ years. These are grown men making grown up decisions with their careers. They are taking their long shot at fame and economic fortune. Do we all agree their living conditions and pay as minor leaguers should be something different than it is? Sure, but I don't see the owners changing their economic ways, and government hasn't hinted at stepping in over those 15 years to make adjustments. It isn't going to happen. My local AA team is being told in so many words that they better build a new upgraded baseball facility in the next couple years....or else. The previous city govt officials played a game of chicken 10+ years ago with AAA ownership and lost due to the same baseball facility issue. So, the writing is on the wall and MLB/MiLB ownership can do whatever it is they want to do with facilities, players, etc...
Minor league teams have been cut by MLB and MILB, and it isn't getting better. I'll bet there are a bunch of us that personally knew a handful of guys in the minors that are no longer there after last year. I know I can name 10+ guys off the top of my head that were drafted or went there from high school who are doing something different professionally at this very moment. There are two kinds of people that are going to have a legit shot at this. First is the talented US player with deep financial resources to back him for those AA and AAA developmental years. Second, is the talented international player who doesn't know any other life.
By now, it should be no secret what it really takes to make it financially in this professional game. It amazes me how many people I've met over the years who are former minor league baseball players. Professional baseball is not a get rich quick scheme, but it seems like everybody is willing to take their shot. 35+ years ago, I took my shot as a professional tennis player in a few pro qualifier tournaments in 1984-85. I was young, in shape, and had a Coach working with me that knew what he was doing. Problem was his protege lacked talent for the professional level. The living & travel conditions sucked just as they do in minor league baseball. After a few months, I saw the writing on the wall and put that business degree (computer science/marketing) to work. I wish anybody trying to make it professionally in any sport to go all in and fight, fight, fight but be keenly self-aware of your skills and the business you are in.
JMO.
@Dominik85 posted:Yeah, the issue is that the demand for baseball players is lower and there is a very distinct edge after the Last roster spot.
The 2000th best engineer or lawyer in the US probably makes 500k a year but the 2000th best baseball player only makes 6000 bucks a year even though he is in the top 0.1% of ballplayers.
That is of course because the only value a player generates is drawing fans and minor league doesn't draw.
Still i think the salary is too low, especially with the contracted milb I think a minor leaguer should at least make 2k after taxes for 12 months a year so he can have a decent living maybe like a kindergarten teacher or so, baseball makes so much money that they can pay anyone a decent living.
I don’t think it matters if you are player 500 or player 5000, you are essentially a placeholder to create a roster for the 100 or so who really have chance. If you are willing to take that chance to play for basically Nothing to hope to catch the lighting bolt....have at it. If not the dream is over and you go get a job! It isn’t complicated, evil or fair, it is supply and demand.
Maybe the contracted minors even are a good thing in that regard. Sucks for the kids who can't watch pro ball live anymore but it also means less fringy prospects get the chance to exploit themselves.
Sure they are grown men who make their choice but such a system always leads to a selection towards more privileged people who can afford a multi year unpaid internship (which doesn't exist in any other industry, usually an internship is a couple months).
MLB squeezes as hard as they can on MiLB players because the players have no rights. Congress made certain of that by ensuring MLB did not have to pay players for their true time commitment. In return for buying off Congress with "Save America's Pastime" they moved on to the second phase of squeezing not only the players but communities across the country by cutting teams. Better to spend money on lobbyist than on player development, the short term cost will be surpassed by long term savings. Granted many of these minor league teams may have has little following or impact to most people. It is the occasional family outing venue for most.
The sad part is that while MLB continues to take from the minor league players and staff they continue to make ridiculous financial decisions at the MLB level. Bad contract follows bad contract with little ownership of the bad decision. They spend Millions on a bad contract for a talented but non-performing player but then will not pay a minor league player or coach for their time. I think most college coaches provide good guidance to the players on the decision to go pro. Reality is for most players it is an opportunity to play professional baseball and give it a shot, many people on this forum would pay to have the shot to play. Players are aware that financially their bonus is the paycheck. If you are in a position of not receiving a bonus then hopefully a college degree is in hand and some off season work can be available and maybe open doors in the future. I don't feel sorry for any Minor league player, they should have known what they were agreeing too and they can walk away at any time. There are a lot harder jobs with little in the way of financial upside that people are stuck in. They are still "playing a game after all." I do think that MLB should not get a free pass on abusing a class of employees. That goes for the MLB players' association who clearly subscribe to representing minor league players rights when they can use them to their advantage. Still seems ridiculous they can negotiate on draft bonus levels for a group they do not represent. I guess the same can be said of Doctors who spend two years or more as Interns for hospitals that a profiting off them as well. It is not justifiable but it is the system.
wow
I 100% agree with much stated in your post.
I am a firm believer that unless someone pays you a ton of money not to go to college, your average 18 year old doesn't belong in professional baseball.
@Dominik85 posted:Maybe the contracted minors even are a good thing in that regard. Sucks for the kids who can't watch pro ball live anymore but it also means less fringy prospects get the chance to exploit themselves.
Sure they are grown men who make their choice but such a system always leads to a selection towards more privileged people who can afford a multi year unpaid internship (which doesn't exist in any other industry, usually an internship is a couple months).
I disagree. There are a handful of players who can stay in the game comfortably due to family finances. But most players stick it out because they want it badly regardless of their background. It’s the kid from a family with money who is more likely to throw in the towel. He’s never had to live in places like he does in A ball, stay in hotels that aren’t high end and travel on busses.
After one year of A ball and a promotion a friend decided he didn’t need “this” crap. He went home to go to work in the lucrative family business he would be taking over as the oldest kid.
@TPM posted:I 100% agree with much stated in your post.
I am a firm believer that unless someone pays you a ton of money not to go to college, your average 18 year old doesn't belong in professional baseball.
I agree. A kid from our high school signed. He was 6’1” 170 and not turning 18 until September. Between nerves and diet he lost 10 pounds in three months. He was physically and mentally over matched. Most short season players are 21 or 22yo men. He repeated short season and didn’t get past low A before being released. Being young he hung around in Indy ball for two years hoping to resign with an organization.
He ended up working at a facility I took my son and attended the local JuCo. One time we were there I chatted him up to see where he would take the conversation. It came around to signing. He called signing versus playing at a HA D1 the biggest mistake of his life. Fortunately, when you’re only 24 you can flip your mistakes.
Friend of mine (D1 stud) from a few years ago. Offered way, way to much money to turn it down right after HS. Stuck it out in the minors for 3 years while trying to hit a big league slider with wood (his words not mine, lol). Didn't work out, but he had a plan. Went back to college and currently teaches. No hard feelings, he knew what he was getting himself into. Simple as that. He took a shot, missed, moved on with his life....... I seriously doubt anybody reading this wouldn't have done the exact same thing if they had his choice to make.
I don't know why, but hearing someone moan/complain about the minors rubs me the wrong way. The biggest issue relates to the Caribbean players. For every one superstar that makes decent money, thousands of others get dropped with no future outside of baseball.
Then there are guys like Tim Dillard who make a carrier in the miners. Going into his 18th year, with I think 4 short callups during his time. I mean he is not making Low A ball money, but wow playing pro ball for 17 going on 18 years. And the guy is funny/nuts, check out his Instagram, he seems to be having a great time.
Sorry, that may have been a little off topic.