Minor League Wages -- A Major Issue in the MLB Boom Era

[LouisEly]

It boggles my mind that Major League teams aren't at least providing meals for these guys. How much would it really cost a big league club to hire a chef or nutritionist for each team to provide meals? How is that any different than an athletic trainer?

They wouldn't even have to do that. Just contract with local restaurants/caterers. You can get quality meals prepared in bulk for no more than $12-15/per person if that. A protein, fruit/veggies, starch (rice or potatoes). At 35 people, that's $420-$525/meal; so roughly $1000/day at most for lunch & post-game. 30 days per month, five months for the season, you're talking $150K/team/year. Teams could easily offset that by giving the restaurant/catering company some advertising space, and restaurants would probably take a smaller margin in order to guarantee 150 orders over the course of a season. Drop meal money down to $5/day for breakfast, and the net increase isn't that much.

[Mass Haas]

FANGRAPHS -- Tossed: Court Dismisses Minor League Wage Increase

 

Important last couple of paragraphs, battle not over yet --

 

On the other hand, even if the Supreme Court does not agree to overturn baseball’s exemption in the San Jose or Miranda suits, that does not mean that the battle for higher minor league wages is doomed. Indeed, Monday’s decision has no bearing on the two cases seeking to challenge MLB’s minor league pay practices under the nation’s minimum wage laws. And while the minimum wage cases face potential challenges of their own, they nevertheless have always had a much stronger chance of success than the Miranda suit in light of baseball’s antitrust immunity.

 

So despite Monday’s decision, the fight over MLB’s minor league pay scale is likely to continue on well into the foreseeable future.

[QuevedosTongue]

Can we stop putting minor league baseball players into yet another victim category?

 

Yea...a lot of jobs come with crummy situations. I did a year of student teaching and received $0. In fact, I had to pay in. I have a hard time sympathizing in this situation.

 

I really don't understand what you're trying to say here. Is it that, because you had to endure a crappy deal at the beginning of your career that others should do so as well? That is utterly ridiculous.

 

There are many career choices that seemingly attempt to crush the spirit of young people, either with poor pay, poor work/life balance, poor work environment, etc. There seems to be an attitude among people in these professions that, because they went through it, others should have to as well. I don't understand this!

 

It seems to me that people who have lived through something that is unfair or unjust should be more interested in helping change the situation so others have it better.

 

And yes JohnBriggs, they are victims. Being employees that are treated so poorly in an industry awash with money tells me they are being exploited and victimized.

[DHonks]

I don't get the teacher comparison. Student teaching is like high school or college baseball in that you're doing the work but actually paying for it. A student teacher is not legally a professional teacher hired with a contract. As for teacher pay...that's another issue, and I'm extremely jealous of Wisconsin teachers. At least I don't have to shovel my driveway though!

[igor67]

I'm sure if you want to move back and get a teaching job in WI now DHonks you could. The state is starting to face substantial shortages because it is not as remotely as desirable as it was even a few years ago.

[DHonks]

igor67, I have a hard time believing that. I knew new teachers that took 6-8 years of applying to find jobs because of a lack of turnover. Even now my friends in WI make plenty more than my district would ever allow. It's a small sample, but my friends and their wives have generous compensation packages there. That would lead me to think there can be no shortage (34 year old friends and their wives making $55-85,000, and one wife works 1/2 time making $25,000).

 

Besides that, my fiancé and I are happy in Arizona. I know AZ ranks last in funding education, but salaries there are 25-110% more than here. Throw in that I'd hate to start over with pension standing

 

But back to baseball. I always felt bad for the low draft picks and undrafted guys in the AFL. It made me happy to see several get time in the bigs.

[1992casey]

Student teachers are not only unpaid, they get to pay tuition to do it. But the situation ends after a period of months rather than years. Also, it's part of getting a college degree vs. being a means of livelihood, and those who really need it will have financial aid available, just as they would have throughout the rest of their college education. Minor leaguers don't really have "aid" if their families aren't able to help out.

[jerichoholicninja]

Student teachers are not only unpaid, they get to pay tuition to do it. But the situation ends after a period of months rather than years. Also, it's part of getting a college degree vs. being a means of livelihood, and those who really need it will have financial aid available, just as they would have throughout the rest of their college education. Minor leaguers don't really have "aid" if their families aren't able to help out.

 

To play devil's advocate... The minor leagues is basically student teaching. MiLB is not the goal, it's training to get the job you want. More like an apprenticeship. And, yes, I realize that apprenticeships are usually paid.

[Mass Haas]

Baseball America -- Minor Leaguers Can Expand Lawsuit Against MLB

[Mass Haas]

Industry Keeps Eye On Minor League Lawsuit

Josh Leventhal, Baseball America

 

Read the entire piece, this was the final section --

 

Time To Raise The Bar?

 

Those interviewed were divided on whether players really needed a raise.

 

“They don’t have that many responsibilities,” another GM said. “They don’t have a whole lot of expenses. They pretty much live and breathe baseball while they are here. Sometimes you’ve got to make the sacrifice for it to pay off down the road.”

 

A team owner likened ballplayers to tennis players or musicians trying to reach the top of their profession. He suggested that if they are victorious in their lawsuit, then ballplayers should be charged to train with coaches in the same fashion those other professions do.

 

“It is a very strange situation,” the owner said. “I understand labor law and this sort of thing and minimum wage. But when a guy is out there practicing baseball, is that his job or is he doing it because he wants to get from Single A to Double-A to the majors? The same thing is true if you think of musicians or ballerinas out there practicing all of the time. No one is compensating them for that. They are doing it to try and improve in what is a very competitive field.”

 

Others hoped a way could be found to benefit both sides.

 

“These guys are dreamers. There’s no guarantees they are going to make it, but there has got to be more than 1,200 bucks a month for a low-A guy,” another GM said. “The only thing I go back to is that none of these guys are forced to do it. But at the same time, our franchise does well. It seems like there has got to be some way to find some middle ground so that it doesn’t hurt everybody . . .

 

“We’re in a different climate. Legally if they should get more, then I get it. But it stinks if it comes off of our dime.”

 

Added the first GM, who has worked at several levels of the game:

 

“I’m torn by the whole thing. Some of the stuff they say in the lawsuit about the hours they work isn’t true. They’re just fooling around in the clubhouse a lot of the time. On the other hand, my gosh, the amount of money that is being brought into this game . . . You just have the feeling that we should be doing better for our employees.”

[MKE81]

Welcome to the real world. It's supply and demand. There's a much larger supply of guys willing to sacrifice in pursuit of their dream than there are jobs available in the minor leagues. If it's too much of a hardship for them, somebody else will take their spot. Many minor league teams operate on a shoe string as it is. True some additional funds from the parent clubs might be in order, but they'll likely try and diminish signing bonuses to compensate and that won't sit well with agents.

 

lol except this large supply of guys you mention also have to be talented enough to "compete" at that level. we're not talking about guys trying to get a minimum wage job as a cashier at a fast food chain, where literally 99% of adults qualify. so no, it's not supply and demand. it's wealthy owners and a wealthy league that, like the vast majority of wealthy business owners, don't care about folks at the bottom putting in the work. it eats into their money and that's all they care about. it's easy to give these "professional athletes" a standard salary based on their level with minimal bonus' based on performance (ie 5-10K for making all-star team, etc). as someone mentioned - 40K/60K/80K and such is very easy per level. these young adults might be starting families and they can actually assist in providing for their family when away just like any of us making these salaries. hilarious how someone mentioned that young kids getting money in their hands isn't a good thing (citing NBA, NFL). except these baseball playing teenagers/young adults aren't making millions hand over fist annually. in the real world - how many 18yr olds making 40K or 22yr olds with a college degree starting out at 50K throw money around like it's nothing?? apples and oranges for days

[1992casey]

lol … hilarious how someone mentioned…

I don't see anything in Briggs' post that's LOL-able. And while I don't necessarily agree with some of the points made in this thread, I don't see anything that qualifies as hilarious.

[Mass Haas]

Tony Blengino, formerly of the Brewers (followed Jack Z. to the Mariners), is the latest to pen his thoughts (click on the "comments" section as well).

[Mass Haas]

A ton of internet buzz today on this proposed government action

[QuevedosTongue]

Link below to a quick read on Baseball Prospectus regarding MLB's press release supporting H. B. 5580. It's clever and funny.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=29704

[jerichoholicninja]

Does this involve independent leagues too? I'm sure the time commitment isn't as much as affiliated minor leaguers but I'm sure they are still making less than minimum wage when figured on an hourly basis.

[Mass Haas]

Fangraphs Update:

 

Final sentence --

 

All in all, then, the significance of Thursday’s ruling for MLB cannot be understated. The league won a huge victory in the minor-league wage litigation, one that significantly reduces the chances that MLB will be forced to change its minor-league pay practices in any appreciable way.

[dacbrewers]

Horrible ruling! It is amazing to me that guys are required to report to spring training but don't get paid, if I'm not mistaken they only get meal money. This needs to be addressed in the next cba along with wages for all levels.

[Crash2303]

this is atrocious. I haven't read through the whole thread yet, so perhaps this was brought up already, but is there any possibility of affiliated minor leaguers forming a minor league union? they have little to no voice. owners don't want to increase their pay, I don't see why it would be in the interest of current major leaguers to increase compensation to minor leaguers, as that would reduce the piece of the pie for them on some level. so, who is there to advocate for minor leaguers- they are generating revenue and building blocks for MLB with less than fair compensation.

[FVBrewerFan]

"Fair" compensation? It must be fair if players are willing to keep playing. Getting paid anything to play the game you love is a job a whole lot of young men would take.

 

It's a temporary job anyhow. Either you make it to MLB or move on in life to something else. Milb is also an internship to get a job within the organization.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Horrible ruling! It is amazing to me that guys are required to report to spring training but don't get paid, if I'm not mistaken they only get meal money. This needs to be addressed in the next cba along with wages for all levels.

 

I don't know how the CBA would address this, since the MiLB players are not union members.

[And That]

MiLB forms a PAC to engage in wage lawsuit.

 

MILB's Stan Brand announces start of MILB Political Action Committee to lobby for MILB re: "our legislative issues." I.e.,player lawsuit

Called creation of PAC "crossing political rubicon." This is all to fight player lawsuit. Also reconstitute minor league caucus in Congress