Manfred: If MiLB Players Get Raise, Teams will Be Folded

[atomic]

But why shouldn't two competent adults be able to make an agreement that both want to make?

And having no idea what the minimum should be is part of the problem. Personally I think if it's not 6 figures annually, it's not a livable wage. So should that be the minimum?

A minimum wage at 40 hours a week you should be able to support yourself. That means used car, place to live, food, clothing at above the poverty level. I assume that would be different depending on the city/state you lived in. As the federal government provides per diem rates based on where you travel to I am sure they could do similar things with minimum wages.

[El Gordo]

I don't know about now but when they recruited a my college close to 30 years ago yeah you weren't getting paid anything. They provided living quarters but took that out of your pay. Me and my friend went to their recruitment and passed on being slave laborers.

I know some people doing the Lion King in Orlando Disney. Trust they get paid well.

[El Gordo]

A minimum wage at 40 hours a week you should be able to support yourself. That means used car, place to live, food, clothing at above the poverty level. I assume that would be different depending on the city/state you lived in. As the federal government provides per diem rates based on where you travel to I am sure they could do similar things with minimum wages.

Current Fed. minimum wage 7.25 That's $290 a week. Wont go very far in NY.

[atomic]

I know some people doing the Lion King in Orlando Disney. Trust they get paid well.

You mean people with talent? I don't see how that compares to someone walking around in a Goofy costume or working the ticket booth.

[El Gordo]

You mean people with talent? I don't see how that compares to someone walking around in a Goofy costume or working the ticket booth.

Entry level about $ 500 per 40 hr. week. With perks, not Walmart.

[Ohfan67]

Disney interns get paid pretty well. There was a federal lawsuit and then law passed regarding internships. Much harder to use interns as unpaid labor now. I work with students who do interns in the animal park and some horticulture types and they all do pretty well.

[weams]

Disney interns get paid pretty well. There was a federal lawsuit and then law passed regarding internships. Much harder to use interns as unpaid labor now. I work with students who do interns in the animal park and some horticulture types and they all do pretty well.

Ok Good to know. Thanks. Maybe the Federal Government will intervene for the trainee baseball players as well.

[weams]

Disney interns get paid pretty well. There was a federal lawsuit and then law passed regarding internships. Much harder to use interns as unpaid labor now. I work with students who do interns in the animal park and some horticulture types and they all do pretty well.

I was more discussing the entertainers and costumed employees. Semi pro little theater types of enterprises. I have no doubt that interns in actual job categories have an opportunity to live while they advance.

As Tony has alluded to, these kids are adored. They get asked for their autographs every day. They are stars in their own little ponds. Many of them made it there because they come from affluent families that paid for travel ball for them to get their chance at the bright light.

Now the aliens who are on visa? It may be quite tough for them. Their standard of living has improved. Whether to the standards that we as Americans would have them be is to be debated.

[Redskins Rick]

I have no doubt that interns in actual job categories have an opportunity to live while they advance.

Charlie Casserly got his start as an unpaid intern, he slept on the couches at Redskins park and used their showers for his showers, after one year, He then got a paid job as a scout, and unearthed two of the Hogs, Bostic and Jacoby.

Didn't work out too bad for him, but, I am sure, this is not the norm, and it all boils down to, how bad do you want it.

Casserly did believe so much in the intern program, that he made it a regular part of his teams, when he was GM. Its said he put 20 people into executive NFL jobs, between his stints in Washington and Houston.

[weams]

Charlie Casserly got his start as an unpaid intern, he slept on the couches at Redskins park and used their showers for his showers, after one year, He then got a paid job as a scout, and unearthed two of the Hogs, Bostic and Jacoby.

Didn't work out too bad for him, but, I am sure, this is not the norm, and it all boils down to, how bad do you want it.

Casserly did believe so much in the intern program, that he made it a regular part of his teams, when he was GM. Its said he put 20 people into executive NFL jobs, between his stints in Washington and Houston.

Theo Epstein was an intern for the Orioles.

[Redskins Rick]

Theo Epstein was an intern for the Orioles.

Wow, there isn't one mention of that in his wiki.

Was that when Lucchino was here and Lucchino took him to San Diego?

[weams]

Wow, there isn't one mention of that in his wiki.

Was that when Lucchino was here and Lucchino took him to San Diego?

Yes.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2546

Baseball Prospectus: Your Major League Baseball career started as an intern (at age 18) in Baltimore's PR department. What were you studying at Yale, and how did you get your foot in the door with the Orioles?

Theo Epstein: I ended up as an American Studies major at Yale, and that allowed me to write most of my papers on baseball, rock and roll--things that I wanted to write about. But I started out first as a psychology major, then as a poli-sci major, then as a philosophy major, then, I think by my sophomore year I was an American Studies major. I got my foot in the door with the cliche approach, I wrote letters to several teams, and then the letter to the Orioles got redirected to the desk of Calvin Hill, who was the VP of administrative personnel at the time--Grant Hill's father, a former Yalie and NFL football player. So, I think the school connection, the sort of horses*** Ivy League connection that you're supposed to feel guilty about--and I sometimes do--paid off there. So instead of the letter ending up in the trash can somewhere, Calvin ended up reading it and calling me. He brought me in for an interview and I went down there during spring break of my freshman year; instead of going to Cancun with my buddies, I went to Baltimore. I interviewed, Calvin and I had a good talk and I ended up getting the job. I was in Baltimore for the summers of '92, '93 and '94.

BP: (Current Red Sox President and Chief Executive Officer) Larry Lucchino took you along with him to San Diego, where you got your law degree at USD, while working a reported 70 hours per week with the Padres.

Epstein: Everyone in baseball works long hours. I was working full-time, and going to law school full-time. That meant two things: The Padres were really cooperative with me, and I'm very thankful for that. And it also meant that I was very rarely in class. (Laughing.) I selected the classes based on my best guess on the teachers' attendance policies. The ones who never took attendance and didn't care became my favorite teachers.

[Ohfan67]

I was more discussing the entertainers and costumed employees. Semi pro little theater types of enterprises. I have no doubt that interns in actual job categories have an opportunity to live while they advance.

As Tony has alluded to, these kids are adored. They get asked for their autographs every day. They are stars in their own little ponds. Many of them made it there because they come from affluent families that paid for travel ball for them to get their chance at the bright light.

Now the aliens who are on visa? It may be quite tough for them. Their standard of living has improved. Whether to the standards that we as Americans would have them be is to be debated.

I'm pretty sure most of those are employees not interns. Internships are required now to have an educational component. The Disney internships I'm talking about provide a formal program. They use the program to find and recruit best. Most places like Disney avoid mixing those programs and part time jobs now. Easier for them to make categories very separate.

[Redskins Rick]

Yes.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2546

Thanks!

[CheeryO]

I'm pretty sure most of those are employees not interns. Internships are required now to have an educational component. The Disney internships I'm talking about provide a formal program. They use the program to find and recruit best. Most places like Disney avoid mixing those programs and part time jobs now. Easier for them to make categories very separate.

Back to the main point, I don't see how being a minor league ballplayer is like having an internship or walking around dressed like Mickey Mouse. Ballplayers have skills. They may not be as skilled as Mike Trout or Jose Fernandez, but they have skills nonetheless. Minor League teams make money off of their skills, so it's not like they are on the water polo team at UCLA or the rowing team at Harvard. I think the main problem is that they are young and most of the lesser talented ones are expected to understand baseball is not in their long term future. These players are all really young. Young people are less likely to fight for better wages, or unionize and are more likely to change jobs. The league takes advantage of this. Just like the internship lawsuits of a year or two ago it looks like the next phase for this is to be decided in the courts.