Minor Leaguers as the Working Poor

[osfan83]

For the most part I agree but with baseball we are not talking about a free market where buyers and sellers are free to negotiate services and payments based upon value/worth. For the baseball player, who does have an unique set of skills there is no open market in which to sell your services. There is really only one buyer (MLB and it's affiliates (agreements might be made for independent teams but the avenue to the end goal is the same) which is being protected by a govt granted monopoly. These players, as a group, are not being paid their worth because the market provides no incentive for the organizations to do so.

We are part of a global economy...if these guys are not happy with the minor league system they are free to go and play in any number of countries that also have professional baseball leagues.

[osfan83]

Is this first statement really true? I'm fine with a having a tradiional minimum wage, but if someone is willing to work a "job" like playing a game for a living, who are we to tell them what they should make?

I guess it all depends on what you feel is appropriate wages. People should decide what they feel they are worth. If a young man is fine with being paid what they are being paid to play a game, then I guess I don't see what the problem is?

Not to move too far into the political realm...but I actually have a problem with a minimum wage of any kind. It's an arbitrary amount that really does not allow for a family of 4 to live off of. Maybe the minimum wage should be $30 per hour? Smart business soon learn that they can gain a competitive edge if they pay more than the next guy (within reason).

I still see help wanted signs outside of fast food restaurants, even when they offer more than the minimum wage. They have learned that they need to pay more to attract even the most basic talent.

[Redskins Rick]

Not to move too far into the political realm...but I actually have a problem with a minimum wage of any kind. It's an arbitrary amount that really does not allow for a family of 4 to live off of. Maybe the minimum wage should be $30 per hour? Smart business soon learn that they can gain a competitive edge if they pay more than the next guy (within reason).

I still see help wanted signed out side of fast food restaurants, even when they offer more than the minimum wage. They have learned that they need to pay more to attract even the most basic talent.

Fast food places don't hire full time workers, they hire lots of part time workers, so they don't pay benefits.

[osfan83]

Fast food places don't hire full time workers, they hire lots of part time workers, so they don't pay benefits.

regardless...they can legally pay less per hour, but many don't or can't because they are unable to attract workers paying the legal minimum.

[Tony-OH]

Let's not move from baseball please before we go full-bore into politics.

[hoosiers]

Is this first statement really true? I'm fine with a having a tradiional minimum wage, but if someone is willing to work a "job" like playing a game for a living, who are we to tell them what they should make?

I guess it all depends on what you feel is appropriate wages. People should decide what they feel they are worth. If a young man is fine with being paid what they are being paid to play a game, then I guess I don't see what the problem is?

I think the ballplayers should be making minimum wage at the very least and probably should get $1-$3 per hour above minimum wage - depending on location. These players should be making 1.5X for overtime. My guess is this would get the players about double what they are making now - making the cost to carry a minor league team about an additional $20k per team per month. I would guess this would cost about $150k per team over the full season and about $750k per franchise. Not chump change as an incremental cost, but probably less than 5% of most franchises' profits.

[Three Run Homer]

I don't think that minor leaguers should be paid exorbitantly. But I also don't think that minor league baseball should be exempt from minimum wage and overtime laws. Minor league franchises are businesses and they try to make a profit; the players are their employees. In this country, it is not legal for a business to pay its workers less than the minimum wage, even if the worker voluntarily agreed to such a contract. If minor league players are being paid less than the minimum wage adjusted for overtime, then their salaries should be increased to bring them in compliance with labor law. I have a hard time believing that this would constitute much of a hardship for the industry.

[Plutarch]

Well, in this instance I would have a hard time accepting that these guys are desperately accepting this job. I agree with the earlier poster who said you might be able to make a case that these guys should be paying for the opportunity to be trained by the best baseball coaches in the world.

For almost everyone (probably everyone) your first job(s) involve a period where they cost the employer more money that you are adding to their bottom line, because the new employee needs to be trained (this is true for white and blue collar professions, the military, etc.). The employer is investing in the employee with the hope of reaping profits at some point in the future (when the employee fails to live up to that expectation s/he is let go). If you were to expect MiL baseball players to pay for the privileged of being trained what's to keep any profession from doing the same thing. Once we all leave school (at what ever level) we are far from trained in whatever job we take and would all have to pay for the privilege of learning.

[DrungoHazewood]

There is no way to quantify that statement. The quality of play most likely would have increased at the same level. Unless of course you believe that players from other countries are better athletes then in the US. The investment by MLB teams in other countries started as a way to develop cheaper talent. Mil salaries are fine for a poor kid from the DR. Your average US kid that is marginal will go to school.

Long term, I believe that a league filled with players that do not speak English and cannot be interviewed properly will lead to ( which has already begun) a lack of connection to the average US fan.

I think the average fan has/is/will learn that's not a big deal. The vast majority of fans don't care at all as long as they win.

[osfan83]

I don't think that minor leaguers should be paid exorbitantly. But I also don't think that minor league baseball should be exempt from minimum wage and overtime laws. Minor league franchises are businesses and they try to make a profit; the players are their employees. In this country, it is not legal for a business to pay its workers less than the minimum wage, even if the worker voluntarily agreed to such a contract. If minor league players are being paid less than the minimum wage adjusted for overtime, then their salaries should be increased to bring them in compliance with labor law. I have a hard time believing that this would constitute much of a hardship for the industry.

Minor league players are not exempt from minimum wage and overtime laws....but they are not hourly employees, they are salaried. That's because the are in a skilled position. If they were hourly, they would have to get a 15 minute break and a half hour lunch at some point during each game, and yes they would get overtime if they worked more than 8 hours in a day.

[Plutarch]

We are part of a global economy...if these guys are not happy with the minor league system they are free to go and play in any number of countries that also have professional baseball leagues.

This isn't like basketball where there are good financial alternatives elsewhere in the world. I'm not sure that the asian countries provide an alternative - do they have quotas on how many non-natives can be on each team?

[Satyr3206]

If you don't like what you're getting paid go do something else. It's really pretty simple.

[osfan83]

This isn't like basketball where there are good financial alternatives elsewhere in the world.

Drungo would know better....but I think a player in the KBO or the Japanese league can make a decent living. I'm pretty sure some South American leagues pay ok compared to the cost of living in those countries.

BTW...why stop at baseball? There is an Arena Football league team here in Harrisburg and I think the players make like $100 per game....There are lots of dirt race tracks in the area, some of those drivers earn next to nothing if anything. Harrisburg has a professional soccer team...when taking training and practice into consideration, I don't know if those guys make "minimum wage".

[CA-ORIOLE]

I think the average fan has/is/will learn that's not a big deal. The vast majority of fans don't care at all as long as they win.

All things being equal, I would guess the average kid in Southern California will relate better to the spanish speaking South American player than the english speaking white player.

[DrungoHazewood]

I completely agree with everything except the bolded. I think minor league baseball provides a very real product for the fans and the communities in and of itself. As well as providing job experience for coaches, managers and umps.

I guess on some level that is true, but it is more tied up in the concept of a baseball team than the reality and details of it. Nobody gives a crap about whether the BaySox or Keys or Tides win their little fake pennants. Not when the organization itself doesn't. Not when all the successful players move on within months. I've been to minor league playoff games where the crowd was tiny.

Sure, the guys on the field get trained and experienced. But don't pretend there is a great swell of pride in the community because the BaySox win their division.