MLB's Press Release about Minor League Player Wages

[Vanimal46]

A bill called the "Save America's Pastime Act" was recently disavowed by the Congresswoman who created it. This bill aimed to lock in poverty-level wages for minor league baseball players by formally amending the Fair Labor Standards Act and creating a specific exemption that barred minor league baseball players—who earn between $1,100 and $2,150 per month for a five-month season—from receiving minimum wage or overtime pay.

Now the MLB released a press release of their own yesterday in relation to the bill:

 

Major League Baseball issued the following statement this afternoon regarding the bipartisan legislation introduced in the United States House of Representatives:

 

"There are approximately 7,500 players in Minor League Baseball. MLB pays over a half a billion dollars to Minor League players in signing bonuses and salary each year. Minor League clubs could not afford these massive player costs. MLB heavily subsidizes Minor League Baseball by providing Minor League clubs with its players, allowing professional baseball to be played in many communities in the United States that cannot support a Major League franchise. Moreover, for the overwhelming majority of individuals, being a Minor League Baseball player is not a career but a short-term seasonal apprenticeship in which the player either advances to the Major Leagues or pursues another career. 

 

"Minor League Baseball players always have been salaried employees similar to artists, musicians and other creative professionals who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. Like those professionals, it is simply impractical to treat professional athletes as hourly employees whose pay may be determined by such things as how long their games last, when they choose to arrive at the ballpark, how much they practice or condition to stay in shape, and how many promotional or charitable appearances they make."

 

Source: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/187167466

Your thoughts?

[ashbury]

Yeah, you can't pay guys decent hourly wages when you can't possibly predict how many hours they'll work. Why, some games go 10 innings, sometimes 11... what's to stop one from reaching 9999? And I've seen a single half-inning go 30 minutes, maybe 45 - someday one might take all day and a half. And how about them rain delays? Minimum wage alone would bankrupt the league if a perfect storm (pun intended) of such events were to happen.

[Rosterman]

What time are players required to report to the ballpark.2 hours before a game. 4 hours? What are they expected to do to get ready for a game? If they want to get together early to play catch, should they get paid?

 

Yes, they should be compensated for personal appearances, or x-amount should be written into your contract each season.

 

Yes, minor league ball is an apprentice program. It is not a fulltime job. It is not a fulltime living. It can be if you put in the time and hang in there and become an AAAA guy. But even managers and coaches...how many hold another job.

 

At some point, you leave the fast food restaurant and pursue something that will get you work and an honest salary. 

 

You have to have a plan about what do you do when your pursuit of your dream stops at age 21, 23, 27, 32. 

 

How much should we compensate dreams?

 

 

[nicksaviking]

7500 players? What are they counting as minor leagues? Even if they count short-season leagues, most clubs have 4 full season affiliates and two short season.

 

So forget about the Dominican League for a moment, 6 affiliates x 25 players = 150/team

 

150 players x $10/hr x 40 hrs/wk x 52 wks = 3.12M/ yr per team. Or about 1/4th of what the Twins pay Ricky Nolasco every year.

 

Bravo MLB, bravo.

[Arak30s]

MLB wins! Class action suit against MLB re minor league wages cannot go forth as class action ... players must file individually. Unfortunate as players are already behind financially and now must pay the cost to file. Opinions I have read players should be given minimum wage and changes should be made. It would not be that expensive to continue to provide American communities with their favourite pastime.

 

 

 

[Vanimal46]

Deadspin posted an article "Hot to Get By In the Minors On $1,500 a Month"  and how Matt Pare, a catcher in the Giants organization, budgets in a particular week on that budget. 

 

[Thrylos]

 

 

"There are approximately 7,500 players in Minor League Baseball. MLB pays over a half a billion dollars to Minor League players in signing bonuses and salary each year. Minor League clubs could not afford these massive player costs. MLB heavily subsidizes Minor League Baseball by providing Minor League clubs with its players, allowing professional baseball to be played in many communities in the United States that cannot support a Major League franchise. 

 

Other than the numbers are plain ridiculous, the fact that a couple of MLB clubs (Braves and Cardinals) own all their minor league clubs, and most own at least one (like the Twins own E-town) makes that statement a strange oversimplification.

[big dog]

I know a solid handful of actors and musicians who, like minor leaguers, work a long time with long hours and short pay in order to pursue a possible career, but most of them are at least able to hold a significant part- or even full-time job to subsidize their dream.

 

A son of a good friend of mine is living in LA, trying to catch on as an actor.  A son of a different friend was until recently a Class A/A+ ball player.  Both at similar points in their profession.  The actor has a much better ability to make a living while still pursuing his dream, even if it is a frantic life.  The ballplayer has the opportunity to bag groceries all winter.\ and hope he can live with his parents to save a little money.

[adjacent]

The argument that really annoys me, for all those that rare against living wages, in MiLB and beyond, is when they say that if they pay a decent wage the business can't survive. If your business model requires that you pay wages that don't allow people to live from their full time job, then there is something wrong with your business model, not with the people asking for a living wage

[GMinTraining]

Players in Cedar Rapids (Kernels) have free housing in which the host club sets up.  Maybe more orgnizations can look into setting that up for their players.  Rent is where most of their money goes, I would imagine?

[jimmer]

 

The argument that really annoys me, for all those that rare against living wages, in MiLB and beyond, is when they say that if they pay a decent wage the business can't survive. If your business model requires that you pay wages that don't allow people to live from their full time job, then there is something wrong with your business model, not with the people asking for a living wage

There you go!  Exactly this.

[Mr. Brooks]

Does anyone know if the minor league players have ever considered forming a union?

Although, I'm not sure it would work out, as mlb could care less if the non prospect organizational filler walked out, and most legit prospects (the ones who might actually have some leverage) got decent signing bonuses, and are also probably less inclined to losing development time during a strike.

[bird]

The level of greed shown by these large professional sports organizations is incredible and sickening. I wish the players who have made it and are making at worst a half mil would care enough about this issue to use their voices, and maybe their union, to improve the situation. But alas, the greed extends well beyond MLB, or NCAA, or NFL, or ESPN, or PBR, or...

[TRex]

 

7500 players? What are they counting as minor leagues? Even if they count short-season leagues, most clubs have 4 full season affiliates and two short season.

 

So forget about the Dominican League for a moment, 6 affiliates x 25 players = 150/team

 

150 players x $10/hr x 40 hrs/wk x 52 wks = 3.12M/ yr per team. Or about 1/4th of what the Twins pay Ricky Nolasco every year.

 

Bravo MLB, bravo.

Um... this looks like you are suggesting that AAA and AA players take a pay cut to $10/hr.

 

I think Seth listed somewhere that people on the 40-man roster make >$80k/year. I would also imagine that all the >26 yr. old free agents on the AA and AAA teams also make 2-3 times minimum wage.

 

I wonder if it is possible to find out what the Rochester and Chattanooga payrolls are...

 

As a side note, teachers are on a 9-month contract, and do not get 'paid' for summer. I don't think the players need to compensated for the time they aren't playing for their respective clubs (i.e. you list 52 weeks), and many supplement their income by playing winter ball, which pays better anyway. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I think Seth listed somewhere that people on the 40-man roster make >$80k/year. I would also imagine that all the >26 yr. old free agents on the AA and AAA teams also make 2-3 times minimum wage.

~$80k is for second-year 40-man roster players.  First time on the 40-man roster is around $40k.  And of course, 40-man roster guys make up a very tiny minority of the population of minor league players (definitionally, only about 15 per club).  Likewise, minor league free agents who can afford to negotiate higher salaries are also probably a minority -- a handful of them per AAA team.

[dxpavelka]

Divide that alleged half a billion dollars by 5 and split it evenly among those 7500 (also an alleged number since it would entail all big league clubs to average 10 affiliates--WHERE ARE THEY HIDING ALL THESE TEAMS) and you'd be able to pay all those players $13k.  Problem solved.  Move on.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Players in Cedar Rapids (Kernels) have free housing in which the host club sets up.  Maybe more orgnizations can look into setting that up for their players.  Rent is where most of their money goes, I would imagine?

Rent is the biggest culprit, I know when players are rehabbing at the Spring Training complex during the regular season, they have to pay the club to stay on site.  Heard plenty about it from Cameron Booser while he was in town as well as Zach Tillery who told them no and commutes from his mom's house in Naples which is about 45 minutes away.  

 

Outside of rent, it's food; the per diem usually doesn't cover how much these boys eat.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

The argument that really annoys me, for all those that rare against living wages, in MiLB and beyond, is when they say that if they pay a decent wage the business can't survive. If your business model requires that you pay wages that don't allow people to live from their full time job, then there is something wrong with your business model, not with the people asking for a living wage

 

This...  I get the guys in the first few rounds who get massive bonuses, and by proxy are able to continue playing... that works for them. Not so much for others. I don't think asking for minimum wage is unreasonable for MILB players... I just don't, especially when fixing this problem can be had for the cost of one or two utility players.  An organization like MLB should be able to take care of it's own. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Does anyone know if the minor league players have ever considered forming a union?
Although, I'm not sure it would work out, as mlb could care less if the non prospect organizational filler walked out, and most legit prospects (the ones who might actually have some leverage) got decent signing bonuses, and are also probably less inclined to losing development time during a strike.

 

So here's the big catch.  Minor league players are represented by the MLBPA. They get no voting rights there though.  For that reason alone, I'm a bit surprised that this has been allowed to continue. I'm no lawyer, but I don't think you need to stay at a holiday in express to recognize the legal issues at play. 

 

MLB hasn't really denied it, they just used their deep pockets to force players to sue individually, making this much harder. 

[Thrylos]

 

So here's the big catch.  Minor league players are represented by the MLBPA. 

 

No they are not.  Unless they become major leagues.  As a matter of fact, a lot of the things the MLBPA has done helps keep the minor leaguers in this horrible situation.  If they cared, they could have easily lowered the minimum salary by $100K to $407.5K (not spare change,) with the provision that $75 million (25 * 30 * 100K) goes in the pockets of minor leaguers, which, even with the 7500 number would amount to a $10K raise per player, a 100-150% raise.

 

It is not only on the clubs.  The MLBPA could do that single handedly in a cost-neutral way for the clubs, but it would cost major league players (and their agents, who are for sure driving part of this...) 

[nicksaviking]

 

Um... this looks like you are suggesting that AAA and AA players take a pay cut to $10/hr.

 

I think Seth listed somewhere that people on the 40-man roster make >$80k/year. I would also imagine that all the >26 yr. old free agents on the AA and AAA teams also make 2-3 times minimum wage.

 

I wonder if it is possible to find out what the Rochester and Chattanooga payrolls are...

 

As a side note, teachers are on a 9-month contract, and do not get 'paid' for summer. I don't think the players need to compensated for the time they aren't playing for their respective clubs (i.e. you list 52 weeks), and many supplement their income by playing winter ball, which pays better anyway. 

 

The 15 guys who are on the 40-man but not earning MLB paydays certainly can be exempt from the protest.

 

I would not agree with, but I can understand an argument regarding players getting paid when they are not in season, but even during the season they are paid much too little. Also, comparing them to teachers doesn't seem too helpful considering public school educators are also a group who are shamefully under compensated.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

No they are not.  Unless they become major leagues.  As a matter of fact, a lot of the things the MLBPA has done helps keep the minor leaguers in this horrible situation.  If they cared, they could have easily lowered the minimum salary by $100K to $407.5K (not spare change,) with the provision that $75 million (25 * 30 * 100K) goes in the pockets of minor leaguers, which, even with the 7500 number would amount to a $10K raise per player, a 100-150% raise.

 

It is not only on the clubs.  The MLBPA could do that single handedly in a cost-neutral way for the clubs, but it would cost major league players (and their agents, who are for sure driving part of this...) 

perhaps I misread something somewhere, but one of the points behind the lawsuit was that the CBA covers minor league wages, which if that's the case, the MLBPA is very much representing them, whether they have a voting rights, are members. or not.

[Vanimal46]

Brendan Kennedy, Toronto Star Blue Jays beat writer, caught up with Rob Manfred about the "Save America's Pastime Act" and why MLB is opposed to paying minor leaguers minimum wage.. Quoted below:

 

“Can you explain why you’re opposed to paying minor league players minimum wage?”

 

Manfred responded, “We’re not opposed to paying minor league players any particular wage. What we are opposed to is the imposition of administrative requirements in terms of keeping track of hours and overtime. They’re simply impractical in minor league baseball. A young man decides that he wants to take extra batting practice. Is that overtime or is that his voluntary undertaking? Another young player decides he wants to go to the gym. Are those working hours or are they not? … What do you do with a team that’s on the road for 10 days in terms of keeping track of hours? For us it’s really not about the money so much as the burden that would be imposed. I don’t think that when the wage and hours laws were passed that people were thinking about minor league baseball players.”

 

Kennedy then asked, “Would you then consider raising the uniform player salaries to make them more commensurate to minimum wage?”

 

Manfred said, “I’m not going to talk about what we would consider doing. We still have active litigation out there. There’s conversations ongoing. In terms of getting into revenues, it’s just not productive for me to do at this time.”

*Source*

[Mike Sixel]

BS, and everyone knows it....

 

"hey, just don't punch in until 8, even though you are already here"

 

"I know you just punched out, but can you finish cleaning before you leave"

 

and so on and so on. Deplorable for billionaires....

[Rosterman]

In my quest to be an actor I have PAID to be an intern in a summer theatre (in other words, had to have money to live somewhere else for a summer). I have labored for 15 weeks and got a minimal salary, but room and board. I have been paid weekly short-term wages, with room and board, but still had to pay rent and such while away. I have worked 30-week jobs in parts of the country with no guarantee of further employment or even being able to get my hours back at a part-time job that I hold "at home" that allows me to pursue a career. All in pursuit of THAT career, which was also grounded with education and college tuition/loans. Once you reach the pinnacle, you may be set (except you aren't in the world of acting unless you pull down a real highly paid gig). It becomes a life of constant travel, or hoping to get your 28 weeks that qualifies you for benefits not out of your own pocket, or a part-time job teaching others for such a career at the high school or collegiate level. Or maybe putting on a character costume and shooting T-shirts into the stands at baseball games or being a P.A. guy, which still only covers your basic nut and such.

 

And when you do perform as a real actor with a real theater company, it isn't always easy to hold down another job. You rehearse during the day, you perform at night or have matinees. Those are the set hours your life revolves around (even at the expense of commercial work which doesn't revolve around live theatre schedules). 

 

But, yes, the longer one is involved in professional minor league baseball, the easier it should be to spend time to increase your skillset and advance towards the goal, which out of 7,500 players is less than 2,000 a year that get into a major league game, and every year you get older and the competition stays younger. What I picture the hardest is uprooting from one minor league club to another, or even the bounce back between majors and minors. You don't want to stay in Chattanooga all summer, but what happens when you go back to Ft. Myers, only to get a call to Rochester. Of course, if your life is 24-hours a day baseball, you have a good bed, the clubs make sure you have at least one decent meal...it can be living the dream.

[Mr. Brooks]

BS, and everyone knows it....

 

"hey, just don't punch in until 8, even though you are already here"

 

"I know you just punched out, but can you finish cleaning before you leave"

 

and so on and so on. Deplorable for billionaires....

They should pay them more, but he makes a good point about tracking hours.

This isn't your typical "punch a time clock" job Mike.

If you are a janitor or a waiter or something it's pretty black and white what is work and what is not. It's a bit more grey when you are an athlete.

Even something that can legitimately be billed as work related, say going to the gym, are you just going to take a players word for how many hours they worked out for? Do you post a team rep in the gym to track them? What if they work out at some random gym near their home?

What if they are at the gym, but standing in a corner on twitter for 20 minutes between sets? Is there someone watching to make sure he punched out for that time?

Take batting practice. Not everyone can hit at the same time.

Three players are standing around laughing watching a teammate take BP, are they getting paid for that time?

How many hours are they "working" on a road trip? Are they getting paid the whole time? Even when they are sleeping?

 

That's a tough profession to work hourly, IMO. It should be salaried, and yes they should probably be paid more.

[nicksaviking]

So in other words, eh we would pay them more, but we're too busy right now to figure out an OT schedule. Otherwise we totally would!

 

Of course they wouldn't need to worry about OT with salaried employees. Who would ever think to pay professionals a salary?! Unheard of!

 

25K annually at Low A, 35K at High A, 45K at AA, 55K at AAAA. Just a thought, and one that took ten seconds. Might be able to come up with something better with a half hour of thought.

[TheLeviathan]

I don't think the lack of ideas for this is the problem.  I think it's collective bargaining.

 

And the people we're talking about are getting actively, deliberately screwed by both sides.  Including the side that claims to represent them.

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't think the lack of ideas for this is the problem. I think it's collective bargaining.

 

And the people we're talking about are getting actively, deliberately screwed by both sides. Including the side that claims to represent them.

Yeah I don't get why it's only MLB that gets ripped for this. MLB has the strongest union of any sport. They could collectively bargain this in a heartbeat. They are greedy too, yet it's only the greedy owners that get ripped.

[nicksaviking]

Yeah I don't get why it's only MLB that gets ripped for this. MLB has the strongest union of any sport. They could collectively bargain this in a heartbeat. They are greedy too, yet it's only the greedy owners that get ripped.

I agree the MLBPA should be helping, and they have plenty of fault, but they don't pay the salaries, the owners shouldn't need their arms twisted by the union to do this.

 

Other business models can figure out how to pay 100 entry level employees livable wages, but not the MLB?