7/23/21

Reese Kaplan -- Minor League Compensation Is Worse Than Ever

Every now and then I get back on the bandwagon criticizing how minor league ballplayers are treated by the parent organizations.  There are issues with working hours, training equipment, food and the miniscule size of the paychecks.  Extrapolated out it’s clear that minor league ballplayers are not making federal minimum wage but the sport of baseball has an exemption not granted to other businesses.


This week the SFGATE website which was formerly the online portal of the San Francisco Chronicle published a scathing review of what Oakland A’s minor leaguers are facing in this time of pandemic practices being put into place.  The story specifically covered the Stockton Ports, the A-ball affiliate of the Oakland franchise.  


In the recent past minor leaguers helped stretch their paper thin paychecks by staying in the residences of host families when they played in their home ballpark.  These families would volunteer the spaces or charge an extremely nominal amount to provide ballplayers with a place to sleep when playing games in Stockton.  


The pandemic, however, changed things dramatically and host families are no longer available to the A-ball players for fear of spreading the COVID-19 virus.  That now means that the players must stay at the team’s officially selected and designated hotel for their residence.  On the surface, that doesn’t seem all that bad, as hotels would provide a clean room, maid service and have a place for players to get breakfast.  



However, what most folks don’t think about is the expense of the hotel selected for the players to call their home in Stockton.  According to SFGATE, they analyzed the financial records of the ballplayers and the bills from the hotel.  What they discovered was appalling.  The price of the room in the hotel exceeded the entire paycheck given to the A-ball players!  Apparently neither the Stockton Ports nor the Oakland A’s are making a single penny of contribution to help defray these unforeseen expenses nor did they negotiate a significant kind of volume-based reduced rate discount from what is normally charged.  It’s slightly reduced, but not enough to help the players.



How bad is it?  Well, SFGATE says that the standard paycheck for A-ball athletes is $500 per week before taxes.  That amount would drop to about $375 or less after normal deductions.  Now think about even the most reasonably priced hotel near you.  Seven days per week at $50 per night would reach $350 plus taxes.  That would leave players with no money for food, clothing nor training gear.  


While the business is not supposed to operate like a charity, one would think it’s reasonable to expect some kick-in from the top given the pandemic situation that is making host families unavailable.  Players cannot normally get apartments since they are only needed in the summer months and then they would wind up paying for 50% of the time when they are out of town in hotels that are then paid by the Stockton Ports.  



Right now most players are working with roommates in the hotel to try to reduce expenses as much as possible, but the situation is embarrassing, frustrating and frankly unacceptable.  Oakland A’s team owner John Fisher has a $3 billion net worth according to Forbes magazine.  Stockton Ports players don’t even have enough left over to order off the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s.  Something is most definitely wrong here.


By contrast, the Houston Astros had a similar situation and kicked in money to help defray the cost of the team hotel so that the ballplayers would have some pocket money available (though it is on the order of under $100 per every two weeks).  Still, that gesture is significant when compared to what Oakland and the Stockton affiliate are doing to their own players.


These issues are not the only ones affecting minor leaguers, but the drums need to be beaten and the horns blown to alert fans, politicians and team owners that things need to change. 


6 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

There ought to be GoFundMes for minor league players.

Mike Steffanos said...

Good piece, Reese. The way teams treat minor league ballplayers is a real scandal that nneds to be addressed

Anonymous said...

The Grass Being Always Greener...

So true TB, so true.

It's all of our humanness leaking out is why. It waters. No one ever stays satisfied for very long these days, although Jen is finally dating again "US Magazine" says on their cover this week. Thank goodness. I was worried.

We always think that one more piece of the puzzle (the one we don't have right now but want badly) will clinch it for us. But does it ever really? Maybe sometimes.

A little too quiet on the Cole Hamels front.

Threw his showcase and many teams came to watch. But no real word on how he did. My guess here is Cole wants to get back to Philly again. It's a heart thing. Where he made his mark. We'll see. Could be wrong.

Listen to me cookie people!

Team's chemistry here with these Mets is phenomenal. Making a big "splash trade" could go either way. But it would take a good player or two here right now to get. Potentially deleting team chemistry right now. Careful as she goes.

I mentioned Kyle Gibson lately here.

I thought he'd make a really good insurance starter and he's having a terrific 2021 career type season. But having studied this a bit more today, he does have a health issue as well that a team might want to consider.

As such, and keeping with Mets current magnificent team chemistry, I might also look at either lefty veteran Wade Miley ($8.0 mill final season) or righty Kent Maeda (3 yrs./$6.5 mill). Can start or relieve these two veterans. I watched Miley on the Red Sox and Braves some over the years. He impressed me. But so has Maeda really.

Might also take a peak at MacKenzie Gore at Padres AAA El Paso. Something does not equate there, he should have been up to the bigs by now and maybe a change of scenery could help. Was only thinking of Syracuse fans when I researched this. Oi vey momma.






Reese Kaplan said...

If anyone wants a first hand report on Mackenzie Gore, I just happen to live here in El Paso.

Reese Kaplan said...

Mets stepping up to help compensate minor leaguers better: https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-minor-league-housing-pay-cohen-20210723-ow2qtwhax5govlthdvlv2cgka4-story.html

Anonymous said...

Who else would I throw into the starting pitcher mix?

Let's take a moment to re-examine this whole thing a tad more, where the team is right now.

The Still Injured:

Noah Syndergaard (Mid-September possible return but still iffy.)

Carlos Carrasco (just getting back now, but still not definite on a return date to the Mets. Could take a bit of time to get it all ramped back up, but worth it) Has been out all season long with a leg hamstring injury which is impossible to forecast out for each player's return timetable at 100%.)

Corey Oswalt (right knee) out until at least early September.

Joey Lucchesi - Total UCL tear at the elbow. Hard to estimate return date. All depends on how good of a cadaver arm they sew back on. See "Saw" movie.

David Peterson - Oblique muscle strains include the internal oblique, external oblique and/or the transverse abdominal muscle. Which one David has I simply do not know. However, if surgery were required his overall recovery time could be 3-4 months. I don't think his oblique muscle injury required surgery, so it would instead be a sort of "wait and see" sort of propositional phrase.

Jake deGrom (Have you ever seen a more thorough diagnostic MLB pitcher/arm engineer than this guy is? His is practically Dr. Frankenstein I tell ya'! Jake clearly knows and understands his own body really well. And he knows when he is ready to pitch, and when it isn't quite right to go yet. The man is clearly extraterrestrial (or something) in this way.

I have never seen any other pitcher who could do this. Pre-1980 in MLB, pitchers just went out there no matter what was wrong with their arm or how badly it hurt. Bob Gibson twice pitched games in his career where he had to keep picking his arm up off the mound and sticking it back into place for the next pitch. It was a different sort of world back then to say the least.

The Currently Active:

Marcus Stroman - Proved why his ERA is so low his last outing. This guy can do it all.

Taijuan Walker - Outstanding addition to this NYM team this past off season. A true fighter and All Star caliber right hander. Well done.

Tylor Megill - Like I said here recently, Tylor came out of AA and blew us all totally away with his pitching and composure. The biggest and best surprise this NYM season to me. He is for real people. Count him in.

My fifth starter spot for this rotation, once Jake gets back whole, would Drew Smith. Drew his quietly put together a strong argument for this fifth starter spot. He has won games and held a very respectable ERA as well. I think he is most indeed ready for this assignment now. His time has come.