Your 2007 Huntsville Stars -- Latest: Katin Ready for Camp

[dadofandrew]

Yeah, the $80K is wrong, to say the least. Guys on the 40 make decent money, and as BC said, the top minor league FA's get paid ok, but most make $2150-4K a month, and that's just for the season.

 

BC, could you comment on insurance? I believe I have read some guys with families take a minimal offer just to be covered for the entire offseason, rather than seek out the highest bid.

[pogokat]

i was guestimating earlier...

 

anyway, they aren't playing for the money in the minors...well, not literally at least

[Cyanogen5]

Dr. Wood...I understand that 1200 a month all year is less than 1500 a month for 7 months...but it was just my job. Yes, I did have tuition paid for...but again, school was my job, I was not allowed any other job. I did get health care, but nothing like what a ball player gets. No, I did not get any meals (except the occasional bagel and soda at a presentation). I guess you can call it cheap entertainment to get student prices at basketball or football games...but on $1200 a month it isn't really that cheap. I had to pay for rent, car, food, transportation, everything with that. Plus, I had no oportunity to make overtime, or have a little better paying job for 5 monbths out of the year. I was stuck with what I had...or quit the program.

[BrewCrew Fan]

What you have to realize about the minor league players is that most of them have already lived through attending college and not being able to hold any type of job because their job was going to school and playing ball. They also receive very little tuition reimbursement as baseball is on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to tuition money. So after having lived on a tight budget for 2 or more years and not being able to hold down any type of regular job, including summer work because they were usually playing in the summer leagues these guys are then subject to 3 to 4 more years of this after getting drafted. It's a long tough road for them especially if they don't get much of a signing bonus. The prize on the other side can be great but getting there can be a tough road. Kind of like finishing school and then having to perform intern work for next to nothing for another 3 or 4 years before you ever get to start your real paying job.

[LouisEly]

A buddy of mine (Jak Kraus) was in the Brewers minor league system in the late '90s. Signed as a free agent after 4 years at UW-M. Hit .390 and was second in all of Rookie ball in homers and RBI. Next year got his girlfriend pregnant before spring training, married her, got off to a bad start but recoverd to be around .314 in Beloit until he broke his arm in a collision at first base. Next year backed up Alvin Morrow, former 2nd round pick, at Stockton and with a wife and kid at home to support and making $1000/month playing ball and not starting he quit two months into the season and went home. They don't make squat in the minors. The dollar menu at McD's is a staple of every minor leaguer.