An Inside Look into the Harsh Conditions of Minor League Baseball by Dirk Hayhurst

[TwistedLogic]

One of the best baseball-related pieces I've read all year. Again, I know it's long, but if you have the time, it is really worth a read. This is the kind of thing that that will (hopefully) make us think twice next time we want to laugh at a baseball player failing at the majors, or ridiculing guys for their play, begging for them to be DFA'd or released as soon as virtually possible. Here is Dirk Hayhurst writing about the conditions in minor league baseball:

 

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An Inside Look into the Harsh Conditions of Minor League Baseball

By Dirk Hayhurst , National MLB Columnist May 14, 2014

 

http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/893/791/d267e70776e12e6fd280ee84f5cc7041_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75

 

On the walls of every minor league locker room, where rosters and travel schedules are pinned, you will find sign-up sheets for what are known as "player appearances."

 

They usually include things like speaking engagements at local schools, signings at grocery stores, meet-and-greets with the mascot at a car dealership, etc. The venues vary, but the payment—which can be as little as a gift card at the lowest minor league levels—only changes with a promotion. In High-A ball, you'll earn anywhere from $50 to $100 a pop, depending on whether you have to give a speech.

 

Appearances are first-come, first-served—there are usually only three spaces for signatures—and often are scheduled during a player's sleeping hours or on one of the eight days off a player will get over the course of a seven-month season.

 

Still, you can count on the sheet being covered in names within minutes of its posting. Money is so tight in the minors, getting your name on that list is a godsend.

 

Being a minor league player is a brutal experience—a brutal experience you, dear minor league player, can never speak of. If you ever decide to tell the general public of your disgust with professional baseball, that it's paying you in stale beer and day-old hot dogs for the honor of playing among its chosen immortals, expect your words to echo off into the endless vacuum.

 

Indeed, you'd be lucky to get ignored. The alternative is a tidal wave of angry, bitter vitriol declaring you an ungrateful whiner with no concept of how hard the real world is—where working stiffs daily have their souls slowly snuffed out in torturous professions established by Satan himself.

 

They have mouths to feed, mortgages to pay, bills to weep over. You have baseball, the dream, the game, the joy, the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. You fly over all in a fantasy land where money has no value. How dare you talk of such trivialities in the face of all you have, you acquisitive minor-league swine. Take your player appearance sign-up sheet and shove it!

 

But minor league baseball is not a fantasy. It's a profession. A cruel one that justifies its cruelty by offering a golden carrot so valuable and coveted that young men will put their blinders on and drudge after it until they get their teeth on it or get put down trying.

 

But this carrot does not negate the fact that, at its lowest levels, professional baseball is exploitation. It has been for years—decades. So long, in fact, that it has become a victim of its own belief system: that a player must sacrifice and succumb to unfair treatment as part of "chasing the dream."

 

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Read the rest here.

Edited June 4, 2014 by TwistedLogic

[Convo]

Dirk tends to exaggerate to suit his argument or to garner 'shock' value.

 

I don't really care what he has to say, playing baseball at any level for peanuts is still better than anything else I could imagine doing.

[Captain Adama]

Really good, but it's not like the state of MiLB players has been talked about before, I remember that documentary that was made a couple years back.

 

Even if you are playing baseball and getting money, what difference is that working a part time job that you like, but you're simply not getting enough to get by? Let alone get proper nutrition.

[flafson]

It's interesting read. I've had similar better/worse experience while in the army.

To be honest, the money they get is probably more than enough but what they should do is switch the experience towards camp life. Have a building near the field where they get a bed and a locker and put a cafeteria where they serve 3 meals per day on strict hours. Morning at 6-8am, Noon 11am-1pm, Evening 5pm-7pm.

By doing that you could probably deduct their pay at the same time.

So then when teams go on the road, the hosting team will care for the visiting team and everyone will be happy.

[TwistedLogic]

Really good, but it's not like the state of MiLB players has been talked about before, I remember that documentary that was made a couple years back.

 

Even if you are playing baseball and getting money, what difference is that working a part time job that you like, but you're simply not getting enough to get by? Let alone get proper nutrition.

 

There's not many jobs out there in today's world where guys make as little as these guys do, after the amount of time they've invested in it. If most people spend the hours and effort that these kids did training to be a baseball player, into their education or training to work in a trade, they're easily making ten times as much as these minor leaguers are.

[leaffie]

I read this a while back, and he was also on Sirius radio being interviewed about it. He even said, that he knew people would say it was sour grapes, but they had callers who had played minor league ball call in and say that it was probably even worse than what he was saying. This is not the guys that get the million dollar bonuses, but the bulk of players that make up the minor leagues.

 

A couple of guys that called in, were even known by the hosts, but they didn't give their names, as one of them was still in AAA trying to get any kind of call up. One of the callers was a pitcher, who just had one injury after another, and he was only hanging on, because if he could get a call up for even just one day, his pay could help him get out of the hole that he was in.

 

To me it is the dirty side of the game, that not many people know about.

[Caper]

I think if Jim Negrych.... Dude was so god damn close to a call up. Played out if his skin for two months. At least a call up gets him free health care for the rest of his life.... You think you hate the dumb look on Emilio Bonifacio's face... Imagine Negrych.

[pickoff22]

I'm not about to say the essence of the article is wrong, but this snippit I can assure you was as close to fabricated as you can get:

 

 

 

The following is a conversation I had in Out of My League, between myself and a real fellow Padres relief pitcher at the time who, in the book, went by the code name Bentley:

 

"Number 57!" came a voice from behind me. I turned to see Bentley standing there with two drinks in hand. He casually made his way over to me with a big-league smile stretched across his face and handed me one.

 

"Welcome to the Sky Lounge," he said, and clinked my glass with his.

 

"Thanks for having me," I said.

 

"Enjoying your seven and seven?" he asked, referring the seven nights in a hotel and seven nights worth of meal money—just over a grand in cash—the Padres had given me to get settled.

 

"Very much so." I said, turning back to the view.

 

We stood there looking off the roof and onto the field. Bentley had been here longer than me and his seven and seven must have run out by now, which prompted me to ask him, "Are you staying here the whole time?"

 

"Yeah, it's cheaper than moving into an apartment since we're only here for a couple days out of the month. Besides, you can't find a lease for just a month and a half. You're committed to the hotel. Which is fine. I have an elite membership card. You should get one too," he nudged me, "the points add up quick."

 

"How much is it per night?"

 

"I think the rates here are something like $260 for a normal guest."

 

I choked on my drink. "$260?"

 

"Something like that." He looked to my gaping mouth and raised an eyebrow. "You're in 'The Show,' you can afford it."

 

"Maybe, but that's still a lot of money."

 

"Not anymore." He took a sip of his drink.

 

"That blows me away," I said. "I mean, this offseason, I was working at a television store and now I'm sipping a mixed drink from the top of a five-star hotel overlooking the major-league field I play on. I can't believe this is actually happening."

 

Bentley said nothing.

 

"Maybe I'm wrong for thinking this, but it makes me wonder why there is such a huge gap between the guys up here and the guys in the minors. I mean, if you just spread out the smallest portion of all this to the guys below it would make their lives so much easier, don't you think?

 

"That's a terrible idea," said Bentley.

 

"Why do you say that? There is so much here."

 

"Because it's meant to be this way. It's a grind for a reason. The guys who can't take it don't deserve to be up here. Besides, the union fights for us to have all this. There have been guys up here who went through hell to make it like it is. It's not just for anybody."

 

"Maybe. I guess I've just never experienced anything like this. I know I've worked my ass to get up here, but I feel like I don't deserve all this. It's so much so fast."

 

"I feel like I deserve it," Bentley said, and then gulped his drink.

 

"Really?"

 

"Of course. We beat the odds; we deserve all of this. If this is what they want to give us, then take it. Don't ask questions. Besides, this here," he waved his arms as if to claim everything around us, the field, the hotel, the bar, "this is the only level you can make an impact at. It's the only one that matters—the only one people care about. All the rest of that stuff is just practice to get here."

 

"But—"

 

"No buts." He stopped me. "This is the only league that matters. Your career in baseball starts here."

[wilko]

I'm not about to say the essence of the article is wrong, but this snippit I can assure you was as close to fabricated as you can get:

 

 

 

The following is a conversation I had in Out of My League, between myself and a real fellow Padres relief pitcher at the time who, in the book, went by the code name Bentley:

 

"Number 57!" came a voice from behind me. I turned to see Bentley standing there with two drinks in hand. He casually made his way over to me with a big-league smile stretched across his face and handed me one.

 

"Welcome to the Sky Lounge," he said, and clinked my glass with his.

 

"Thanks for having me," I said.

 

"Enjoying your seven and seven?" he asked, referring the seven nights in a hotel and seven nights worth of meal money—just over a grand in cash—the Padres had given me to get settled.

 

"Very much so." I said, turning back to the view.

 

We stood there looking off the roof and onto the field. Bentley had been here longer than me and his seven and seven must have run out by now, which prompted me to ask him, "Are you staying here the whole time?"

 

"Yeah, it's cheaper than moving into an apartment since we're only here for a couple days out of the month. Besides, you can't find a lease for just a month and a half. You're committed to the hotel. Which is fine. I have an elite membership card. You should get one too," he nudged me, "the points add up quick."

 

"How much is it per night?"

 

"I think the rates here are something like $260 for a normal guest."

 

I choked on my drink. "$260?"

 

"Something like that." He looked to my gaping mouth and raised an eyebrow. "You're in 'The Show,' you can afford it."

 

"Maybe, but that's still a lot of money."

 

"Not anymore." He took a sip of his drink.

 

"That blows me away," I said. "I mean, this offseason, I was working at a television store and now I'm sipping a mixed drink from the top of a five-star hotel overlooking the major-league field I play on. I can't believe this is actually happening."

 

Bentley said nothing.

 

"Maybe I'm wrong for thinking this, but it makes me wonder why there is such a huge gap between the guys up here and the guys in the minors. I mean, if you just spread out the smallest portion of all this to the guys below it would make their lives so much easier, don't you think?

 

"That's a terrible idea," said Bentley.

 

"Why do you say that? There is so much here."

 

"Because it's meant to be this way. It's a grind for a reason. The guys who can't take it don't deserve to be up here. Besides, the union fights for us to have all this. There have been guys up here who went through hell to make it like it is. It's not just for anybody."

 

"Maybe. I guess I've just never experienced anything like this. I know I've worked my ass to get up here, but I feel like I don't deserve all this. It's so much so fast."

 

"I feel like I deserve it," Bentley said, and then gulped his drink.

 

"Really?"

 

"Of course. We beat the odds; we deserve all of this. If this is what they want to give us, then take it. Don't ask questions. Besides, this here," he waved his arms as if to claim everything around us, the field, the hotel, the bar, "this is the only level you can make an impact at. It's the only one that matters—the only one people care about. All the rest of that stuff is just practice to get here."

 

"But—"

 

"No buts." He stopped me. "This is the only league that matters. Your career in baseball starts here."

 

 

Fake conversation is fake.

[shortstop]

who are the minor leaguers paid by? the local minor league owner or by the major league team?

 

if the former, don't see why a) there's a fixed amount the minor league owner must pay ie. the $1100 per month to give the owner a chance to be profitable and the major league baseball "pool" of money can't supplement that income with an additional $1400-$2500 per month or whatever...and at every level higher, MLB "pool" money is higher...

 

so 30 teams, about 6 Minor league teams = 180 X 25 players = 4500 X $1400-$2500 per month or $16,800-$30,000 per year = $75,600,000-$135,000,000 per year...

 

or about $2.52M-$4.5M for each team...

 

in any case, there may be a lot more minor league players out there - but per team, we're not talking about a crazy amount - and the amount into the MLB "Pool" could be pro-rated ie. Yankees pay more into the pool vs. small market teams...

 

anyone know the attrition rate of minor leagues that call it quits every year? And what % are cut by a team & never to be picked up by another minor league team? And how does this correlate with the # of new players coming in every year? Does the low $$'s force enough out of the game to make room for the newcomers?

 

My sense is the argument that minor league players should be getting paid more isn't a cut & dry argument like Hayhurst sets out...or maybe it is...

[Pulk_Pull]

I grabbed this last night for Hayhurst. Hope he likes it.

 

[Jimcanuck]

can't let them get comfortable

[ElNik2013]

I don't doubt that it's tough in the minors, but after a while, it's up to each individual to move on once you see the odds are against you. Time to move on and go into a different line of work.

 

I think the MLBPA could help out a lot by spreading the wealth. Let's face it, they have it well enough that they could afford it.

[Chappy]

These guys have a choice to play in the minors. Most people would die at the chance to do that. It's like any other job, if you don't like it then move on.

[burlingtonbandit]

If I was a major league team, the one thing I would do is make sure these minor leaguers at least have healthy meals each day. Sounds like some of these guys skip out on meals because they don't have enough money. The team could spend an extra $500,000 on giving these guys a gourmet meal before the game instead of these peanut butter sandwiches.

 

For a team that invests a lot of $ on draft picks, you would think they would want those players to eat healthy as it can have an effect on their performance.

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Dirk tends to exaggerate to suit his argument or to garner 'shock' value.

 

I don't really care what he has to say, playing baseball at any level for peanuts is still better than anything else I could imagine doing.

 

Yeah riding on a small cramped bus for half the week making a few hundred bucks sounds so awesome.

 

Horrible post.

[Angrioter]

I know this subject very thoroughly

[KingKat]

If I was a major league team, the one thing I would do is make sure these minor leaguers at least have healthy meals each day. Sounds like some of these guys skip out on meals because they don't have enough money. The team could spend an extra $500,000 on giving these guys a gourmet meal before the game instead of these peanut butter sandwiches.

 

For a team that invests a lot of $ on draft picks, you would think they would want those players to eat healthy as it can have an effect on their performance.

 

When AA became GM, he increased the food allowance for players but a food allowance is a terrible idea in the first place. Every team should have a nutritionist/chef on staff who caters meals. Trusting player's to not eat crap and pocket the money is pointless no matter how high the food allowance is.

[ElNik2013]

A bit off topic, but it bothers me the way these guys spit all over the dugout. It ends up looking like a pig sty at the end of games. I don't know how it is in MiLB, but if it's like in MLB, it may tell you a little bit about these guys.

[Convo]

Yeah riding on a small cramped bus for half the week making a few hundred bucks sounds so awesome.

 

Horrible post.

 

Negative. You're getting paid to play baseball. I'd sleep on the streets.

 

Btw, I remember on the old board, there was a time you actually contributed to positive baseball discussion.... what happened?

Edited June 5, 2014 by Convo

[KingKat]

Negative. You're getting paid to play baseball. I'd sleep on the streets.

 

And you wake up one day and you're over 30 and you're career is over and you have nothing. Minor leaguers are well aware that they are lucky to be living out their dream and they certainly don't have a monopoly on bad work conditions. They certainly are luckier to be doing what they do to be a part of the working poor. It's better than Wall-Mart but that's not a reason to be a selfish jerk and show no sympathy.

 

Baseball is ruthlessly capitalistic. The elite make tons of money and what what trickles down to unwashed masses is basically peanuts. It's symptomatic of the issues with our society at large where there's no real solidarity. It's all about getting ahead and screw everyone else.

[Orgfiller]

Negative. You're getting paid to play baseball. I'd sleep on the streets.

 

One of the stupidest things I've read in a while. It's like you think these players sleep all day and show up at 7pm and get it over with. This is the kind of thing someone who actually has never played baseball says.

[NorthOf49]

One of the stupidest things I've read in a while. It's like you think these players sleep all day and show up at 7pm and get it over with. This is the kind of thing someone who actually has never played baseball says.

They have chosen that lifestyle though, nobody's forcing them. I'd love to be an orgfiller for a few years after graduating. Then when I wash out I'd get a real job.

[Orgfiller]

They have chosen that lifestyle though, nobody's forcing them. I'd love to be an orgfiller for a few years after graduating. Then when I wash out I'd get a real job.

 

Yeah but no one really expects how hard it's going to be. If you get drafted in like the 30th round out of highschool, what do you do then? You'd like to think your skills will hold up against tougher competition, but maybe two-three years later you realize you just aren't good enough. Also, I'd like to think players have enough pride to not give up right away, so that's why players will hang around until they are cut and basically left out of professional baseball. Spending a few years with no education in a specific field I'm sure won't exactly land you job offers left and right.

 

Just because you're chasing your dream doesn't mean you have to live in s*** conditions to get there.

[admin]

I've always found it amazing the difference from minor ball to the Majors. It's like you're a piece of s*** in the minors until you're in the majors, and then get treated like a king.

I've said this many years ago. I don't understand how organizations don't invest more into nutrition. You have guys coming up 17,18,19 years old, you're barely paying them, they can barely afford to eat. These guys are still growing and should be getting proper meals. You have a payroll of $50M+ but you're unwilling to invest a few hundred thousand per year in proper nutrition for growing players. It boggles my mind.

[KingKat]

I've always found it amazing the difference from minor ball to the Majors. It's like you're a piece of s*** in the minors until you're in the majors, and then get treated like a king.

I've said this many years ago. I don't understand how organizations don't invest more into nutrition. You have guys coming up 17,18,19 years old, you're barely paying them, they can barely afford to eat. These guys are still growing and should be getting proper meals. You have a payroll of $50M+ but you're unwilling to invest a few hundred thousand per year in proper nutrition for growing players. It boggles my mind.

 

--- Insert old school rah rah ******** about how you want your players to be hungry ---

[Captain Adama]

--- Insert old school rah rah ******** about how you want your players to be hungry ---

 

Jesus Christ, people who would say that with seriousness should not reproduce.

[Convo]

One of the stupidest things I've read in a while. It's like you think these players sleep all day and show up at 7pm and get it over with. This is the kind of thing someone who actually has never played baseball says.

 

I've played baseball most of my life. If I could scrape by just doing that I would. Nothing stupid about it.

[burlingtonbandit]

I've always found it amazing the difference from minor ball to the Majors. It's like you're a piece of s*** in the minors until you're in the majors, and then get treated like a king.

I've said this many years ago. I don't understand how organizations don't invest more into nutrition. You have guys coming up 17,18,19 years old, you're barely paying them, they can barely afford to eat. These guys are still growing and should be getting proper meals. You have a payroll of $50M+ but you're unwilling to invest a few hundred thousand per year in proper nutrition for growing players. It boggles my mind.

 

Agree 100%. You feed some of these guys healthy meals and substitute peanut butter sandwiches with chicken breasts and you will get better results. Also these young players which you have invested a lot of money in will add muscle making them better ball players.