Minor League Baseball Players Make Poverty-Level Wages. Congress Wants to Keep It That Way

[douglas9]

Tucked away on page 1,967 of the $1.3 trillion omnibus bill making its way through Congress in an effort to avoid a government shutdown, between child welfare protections legislation and a bill to combat abuse of youth athletes, is a provision that would exempt minor league baseball players from federal labor law.

The continued underpayment of minor league baseball players is nearly law. On Page 1,967 of the new omnibus bill is an amendment that exempts minor league players from federal labor law. If Congress passes the bill by Friday, it’s official. The language: https://t.co/oNXzB8iud4 pic.twitter.com/102mGFD3Mj

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 22, 2018


Congress slipped the provision into the omnibus bill late Wednesday thanks to a yearslong lobbying effort by Major League Baseball. The bill, known as the Save America’s Pastime Act, doesn’t really save anything. Instead, it means Major League Baseball, which reportedly brought in $10 billion in revenue in 2017, can confine their minor league players’ salaries to below minimum wage without the benefit of overtime pay.

The MLB’s pay structure has been the subject of several federal lawsuits, including one filed in 2014 on behalf of minor league baseball players that alleges that minor league players are illegally underpaid and don’t receive overtime pay. Unlike their major league counterparts, minor league players are not unionized.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/minor-league-baseball-players-make-poverty-level-wages-congress-wants-to-keep-it-that-way/

[Historic NY]

1. A couple of friends sons played

for a number of years getting sent from league to another. Its a hardship for those that are married. One finally quit after a number of seasons. His main support was from landscaping.

[Hoyt]

2. I'm sorry, I just can't get excited about protecting players WHO CHOOSE to chase the big dance dream

There are so many other things that are important.

[Merlot]

3. Maybe, but it's appaling how large profitable corporations ALWAYS pay a little as possible

while making a profit off the back of their employees. It's no different just becasue someone is doing something they love.

[Hoyt]

4. I agree when someone is working a "normal" job. In this case, it's really not a normal job.

Plus, most of them get paid more than minimum wage. Overtime pay for some guy who chooses to pursue a dream to play ball in the majors and a multi-million dollar contract is honestly laughable.

[Wounded Bear]

5. This isn't about major league players, who are doing fairly well...

Minor leaguers play for two reasons.

1. Yes, they want to get to the bigs and that's the only path there.

2. They play for love of the game.

MLB is exploiting those minor league players, taking advantage of them and paying them peanuts.

Fair is fair. There is no reason those people should be paid less than minimum wage no matter what job they choose.

[Hoyt]

6. They are not exploiting the game. Most minor league teams wouldn't make it without subsidies,

and the players aren't made to play the game.

It's stuff like this that allows right wingers to criticize Democrats when we try to back better pay for working people. These ball players -- and I think "players" is a good term -- are not made to play the game, they have other choices, and if they make it to the big dance, will be paid more than enough to compensate for low pay while trying to prove, or improve, themselves.

[Codeine]

8. Theyre not working. Theyre playing.

It’s a game. If they get paid well, then good for them, but if they don’t who cares? They aren’t working.

These are people in long-term denial. They’re never going to make it. It’s a childish dream they should have given up on some time in high school.

What’s next, professional poker players? Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour players? Children’s party clowns?

[Codeine]

7. Because theyre trying to make a living

playing a game with a ball and a stick, but they’re not good enough to play it at a level that pays. Someone needs to shake them and say “Stop playing a children’s game and get a real job; you’re never going to make it!”