The postponed baseball season is going to have a heavy impact on players who are currently in the minor leagues. Will they be able to survive the delay?
On Sunday, MLB.com released their list of “best baseball movies ever“. It’s pretty hard to disagree with their choice of ‘Bull Durham’ in the number 1 spot. The movie does many things, but perhaps what it does best is make us fall in love with baseball by romanticizing the minor leagues.
‘Bull Durham’ strips away all of the cameras, the 50,000 seat stadiums, and television deals. It introduces us to Crash Davis, an all-time minor league great, who teaches us about the intricacies and pureness of the game of baseball.
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Thanks to the coronavirus, baseball has been put on hold for the foreseeable future. That means different things for everyone in the industry.
Owners and professional players are doing what they can to lessen the burden on some, including a recent movement to ensure that stadium employees don’t totally lose out financially.
On Monday, Detroit Tigers ace Matt Boyd felt for those who play in the minor leagues. After getting sent home from spring training facilities, minor league players “won’t be able to train at facilities where it’s free to work out,” Boyd told The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen.
Even in normal times, life in the minor leagues isn’t all that glamorous. According to Forbes, players in “Single-A can get a salary that is as low as about $1,200 a month”.
The average salary in AAA isn’t exactly livable either, as Emily Waldon of The Athletic states that it’s about $2,150 per month in their first year, $2,400 per month in their second year and $2,700 a month in their third year. (Estimated $11,825-$14,850 per year.)”.
Players only get paid in-season and rely heavily on team per diems and meals to get by. It got to the point where the United States government felt that they needed to fight for better pay and working conditions for minor leaguers.
The delay of the season means that all of the aforementioned “perks” that players relied on to live, disappear.
With the disbandment of Spring Training, without a paycheck, minor league players are now forced to go back home and look for some sort of employment in an economy that is currently not favorable to those looking for work.
Where will these players live? How will they eat? Will they be able to continue their dream of becoming Major Leaguers? Will these new strains prove to be too much?
We’re talking about the livelihoods and careers of thousands of players.
All of a sudden, the minor leagues don’t seem so romantic anymore…
(Note: Emily Waldon is currently doing some amazing work in trying to find these minor leaguers some work. Follow her efforts on her Twitter: @EmilyCWaldon)