IT TURNS OUT THERE IS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT
IN CONGRESS TO LOWER THE WAGES OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
PLAYERS.
BEFORE ANYONE ASKS WHY I CARE, THERE'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT
MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, WHEN
ACTUALLY THEY ARE USUALLY NEAR THE POVERTY LINE.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT TWO MEMS OF CONGRESS ARE SAYING THEY WANT
TO EXEMPT THESE MEMBERS FROM THE POVERTY LINE.
THEY INTRODUCED THE SAVE AMERICA'S PASTIME ACT
PLACED LAST WEEK.
THE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION PROPOSES TO AMEND THE FAIR
LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND CREATE A SPECIFIC EXEMPTION FOR
MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS WERE NOT UNIONIZED, SO THEY
ARE EXPLICITLY NOT GUARANTEED THE MINIMUM WAGE, AND THUS
NOT ALLOWED OVERTIME PAY.
SO DON'T LOOK AT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THINK EVERYONE
WHO PLAYS PROFESSIONAL SPORTS IS MAKING A KILLING, THAT'S
NOT THE CASE.
PLAYERS IN LOW-A BALL START AT $1100
A MONTH WHILE AAA PLAYERS EARN $2150 PER MONTH.
AAA IS VERY CLOSE TO MAKING IT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
FULL DISCLOSURE, MY FIANC…
USED TO BE A MINOR-LEAGUE PLAYER.
OH I SEE, THE BIAS IN THIS STORY ñ
HOLD ON, SO I ACTUALLY KNOW FROM HIS STORIES WHAT IT'S
LIKE TO BE A MINOR-LEAGUE PLAYER, BECAUSE THEY GET PAID
SO LITTLE THAT THEY NEED WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS HOST FAMILIES.
WHENEVER THEY ARE PLAYING, THEY NEED TO FIND A FAMILY WHO
IS WILLING TO LET THEM STAY THERE FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY
LITERALLY DO NOT MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR RENT.
THE OFFICIAL EXCUSE THAT THESE CONGRESS PEOPLE USE IS, WE
NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE GUYS TRAVEL AND NOT GET
OVERTIME, NOT FOLLOW THE REGULAR RULES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AT A
JOB IF YOU WERE AT BURGER KING, AND SO WE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS.
NOW THAT'S ONE ALTERNATIVE.
THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MAKES
BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THEY CAN AFFORD TO
PAY THEIR PROSPECTS, WHO ARE THEN ñ SOME OF WHOM ARE GOING TO
RISE UP AND MAKE THEM A TON OF MONEY, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THINK ABOUT IT, THEY ARE PAYING THEM SO LITTLE, THEY NEED AN
EXEMPTION TO GO BELOW THE MINIMUM WAGE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
MEANWHILE, THE LEAGUE OVERALL IS MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST.
THAT'S RIGHT, SO THE WAY MINOR-LEAGUE PLAYERS GET
PAID ISN'T BY GAME ATTENDANCE.
WHAT HAPPENS IS ñ THESE ARE CALLED FARM TEAMS, SELECT SADIE
TAMPA BAY RAYS HAS A MINOR-LEAGUE DIVISION, AND WHAT
HAPPENS IS, THE MONEY MADE FROM THE MAJOR LEAGUE GAMES IS
USED TOWARDS THE MINOR-LEAGUE GAMES.
THAT'S HOW YOU RECRUIT TALENT AND YOU KEEP YOUR TEAMS FRESH.
DECIDUOUS SENSE OF HOW LITTLE IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE SURE THESE
INDIVIDUALS GET PAID A LIVING WAGE, BUMPING EVERY MINOR
LEAGUERS PAY BY $5000 WOULD SHAKE OUT TO 5% OF JUSTIN
VERLANDERS SALARY.
JUST ONE GUYS IN SALARY!
IT'S ACTUALLY SHOT UP A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN, BUT AGAIN, WHY
CAN'T WE AT LEAST GUARANTEE THAT THEY ARE MAKING A LIVING WAGE?
IT'S CRAZY.
BY THE WAY, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION I POSED EARLIER IN
THE STORY, WHY IS IT THAT RANDOMLY OUT OF NOWHERE THERE IS
A BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO SUMMING UP THE PAY FOR MINOR LEAGUERS?
TO DO SOMETHING BAD FOR THEM?
WELL, THE DEMOCRAT WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTING TO INCREASE THE
MINIMUM WAGE IS ACTUALLY PART OF ALL OF THIS BECAUSE JEAN
CALLAHAN IS HER FATHER.
JEAN CALLAHAN IS ALSO AN MLB LOVELIEST DOTS GUYS A LOT
OF COINCIDENCES.
I HAVE VERY GOOD FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES THAT ARE IN
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, SO I'M ROOTING FOR THEM, AND I GET
THAT THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A REGULAR JOB, AS I
EXPLAINED BEFORE.
AND ALSO THE GUYS WHO ARE PLAYING LOVE THE GAME, SO
THEY ARE HAPPY TO TAKE A SALARY.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN BETWEEN THEM AND SAY DON'T TAKE THE
SALARY.
AT THE SAME TIME, LET'S ADMIT THAT THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY
IN BASEBALL TO BE ABLE TO PAY YOUR PROSPECTS.
BECAUSE THOSE PROSPECTS WIND UP ENRICHING THE GAME, THAT'S
HOW YOU MAKE YOUR MONEY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET THE POLITICIANS TO PASS LAWS SO
THAT YOU CAN GO BELOW ñ YOU CAN DO MINIMUM WAGE, EVEN THOUGH
IT'S DIFFERENT RULES, AND THE OVERNIGHT AND THE OVERTIME, ETC.
EVEN IF YOU FACTOR THAT IN, IT ISN'T GOING TO COST YOU
THAT MUCH MORE.
YOU CAN GO TO 6%
OF JUSTIN VERLANDER'S SALARY AND STILL BE FINE.
AND YOU KNOW THIS, IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.
ONE FINAL ARGUMENT IS THAT IF YOU START PAYING THOSE
MINOR LEAGUERS A LOT OF MONEY THEN THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO MAKE IT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
?
COME ON DUDE THEY ALL WANT TO MAKE THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
THAT'S MOST PREPOSTEROUS THING I'VE EVER HEARD.
I'M FINE IN AA, I'M NOW MAKING $32,000
A YEAR, I DON'T NEED MAJORS ANYMORE.
COME ON!
CAN ANYBODY SAY THAT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE?
PEOPLE DO.