A MilB Players Union? Probably Not

[Steven Buhr]

Presenting this article I came across at BallparkDigest.com for information and consideration without additional comment (because it's a horse I've already beaten to death in the past)

 

MiLB Players Union Being Considered

[diehardtwinsfan]

well, it needs to happen. This is blatant anti-trust activity. If minor leaguers were represented by a CBA, it woudln't be considered.

 

I really think the MLBPA needs to do them right and negotiate for them... or the teams need to get some common sense and house/feed them... either one of these happens, you aren't having this problem.

 

Heck, we just hired a guy in charge of player motion.  There's some pretty low hanging fruit on the development side of things when it comes to ensuring good nutritional habits and reducing stress that makes it harder to perform. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

 

 

 There's some pretty low hanging fruit on the development side of things when it comes to ensuring good nutritional habits and reducing stress that makes it harder to perform. 

The Twins have addressed the nutrition and exercise issue recently. I can't speak for all the Twins' minor league affiliates, but the Twins hired a nutritionist and exercise guy with a masters degree in nutrition and an undergrad degree in "exercise and nutrition" who worked with the Elizabethton team this year. The pregame meal I saw was skinless baked chicken breasts, roasted diced sweet potatoes and fresh raw  melon slices.  That is an incredibly healthy meal.They had a post game meal also, consisting of lasagna.  Carbs, I guess. Nutrition is important to these young guys, many of whom may not know what is healthy to eat before a game and after a game and on days off. 19 and 20 year old boys/men, living on their own, many for the first time,  probably lack nutrition knowledge,  cooking skills, and may not even have cooking utensils. I applaud the Twins for taking this step.

[gunnarthor]

I certainly don't know enough about how the Twins/MiLB treats their players but I'm good if they unionize. I'd hate to be a fourth round pick at 18 who tolls away in the minors for 8 years and then has no real job prospects at 26 and no money in the bank.

[Vanimal46]

Be careful what you wish for... MLB owners aren't just going to eat the additional expenses out of the goodness in their heart. Someone's going to have to pay for it.

 

Are people going to pony up $40 for a Cedar Rapids ticket instead of $10? Are people okay with low A ball and rookie leagues no longer existing?

[jkcarew]

Great topic!  The minor league players are exploited...no question.  But I don't see how there will every be enough incentive for the minor leaguers to organize/strike.  Too many are absolutely replaceable and/or redundant...and they know it.  IMO, the help will need to come from the MLBPA.  And I'm not holding my breathe on that.  They've had opportunities and always neglected to take stands that would result in anything very significant.

[ashbury]

Are people going to pony up $40 for a Cedar Rapids ticket instead of $10?

I hope so, because maybe they can send me the $25 per ticket differential between current pay and a $50K salary for 20 or so players on the roster.

 

I mean, it's probably about $800K higher payroll, divided by the 160K attendance I see for CR. That's $5, not $30.

 

Not to mention that essential businesses can sometimes pass along cost increases, but optional entertainment businesses must deal with the fact that revenue and expense are very nearly disconnected. Minor league teams might increase their ticket prices by $1, if they think they can get away with portraying it as "for the players". The rest will come from higher subsidies from the major league teams, who in turn have limited scope to simply pass along cost increases.

 

Not to mention, MLB pays minor league salaries.

 

Teams at each level charge what the market will bear, pure and simple. If they could charge more, they already would.

 

Somehow they'll cope.

[Vanimal46]

I hope so, because maybe they can send me the $25 per ticket differential between current pay and a $50K salary for 20 or so players on the roster.

 

I mean, it's probably about $800K higher payroll, divided by the 160K attendance I see for CR. That's $5, not $30.

 

Not to mention that essential businesses can sometimes pass along cost increases, but optional entertainment businesses must deal with the fact that revenue and expense are very nearly disconnected. Minor league teams might increase their ticket prices by $1, if they think they can get away with portraying it as "for the players". The rest will come from higher subsidies from the major league teams, who in turn have limited scope to simply pass along cost increases.

 

Not to mention, MLB pays minor league salaries.

 

Teams at each level charge what the market will bear, pure and simple. If they could charge more, they already would.

 

Somehow they'll cope.

You went way more in depth than me. Without doing any math I can only think of 2 routes higher MiLB wages will go. Either the fans are paying the difference, or there will be fewer minor league teams and hundreds of players will lose out on their dream.

[ashbury]

You went way more in depth than me. Without doing any math I can only think of 2 routes higher MiLB wages will go. Either the fans are paying the difference, or there will be fewer minor league teams and hundreds of players will lose out on their dream.

A third alternative, one which may be as much of a pipe dream as "lower wages will mean lower ticket prices for me the fan": the MLBPA wakes up and decides that living wages for a hundred aspiring MLBPA members per team is worth one fewer $6M major league contract per team. Because that's approximately the tradeoff.

 

The fourth alternative would seem to me to be $1M trimmed here and $1M trimmed there (scouting costs, prospect bonuses, etc), and a new equilibrium is reached - with all teams affected, there's no competitive penalty. That's the way I would bet.

[Vanimal46]

If only the MLBPA cared to look out for them.... Alas, they have their own interests to think about.

[TheLeviathan]

You can bet the pockets it will come out of ain't gonna be ownership or the MLBPA.

 

It needs to happen though.  Personally, I've stopped giving the league any of my money, so I'd like to see it happen regardless.

[Mr. Brooks]

You went way more in depth than me. Without doing any math I can only think of 2 routes higher MiLB wages will go. Either the fans are paying the difference, or there will be fewer minor league teams and hundreds of players will lose out on their dream.

If any prices go up though, it'd be MLB prices.

It's the MLB teams that pay the milb salaries, not the milb teams.

[Guest]

 

You can bet the pockets it will come out of ain't gonna be ownership or the MLBPA.

 

It needs to happen though.  Personally, I've stopped giving the league any of my money, so I'd like to see it happen regardless.

I generally think that, yes, ideally the MLBPA would find a way to include MiLB players in their union and look out for them.

 

Then I look at what a crappy job the MLBPA has done at representing MLB players for the past couple rounds of CBA negotiations and I'm not so sure that would be much of an improvement over having no representation at all for the minor leaguers.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I generally think that, yes, ideally the MLBPA would find a way to include MiLB players in their union and look out for them.

 

Then I look at what a crappy job the MLBPA has done at representing MLB players for the past couple rounds of CBA negotiations and I'm not so sure that would be much of an improvement over having no representation at all for the minor leaguers.

 

Maybe, but it's hard to see things being worse either.

[Rosterman]

 

I certainly don't know enough about how the Twins/MiLB treats their players but I'm good if they unionize. I'd hate to be a fourth round pick at 18 who tolls away in the minors for 8 years and then has no real job prospects at 26 and no money in the bank.

It's a gamble you take. Many players don't last past three years. And look at Denny Hocking. 52nd Round. 7 years in the minors before a comfortable amount of major league at bats. Would you trade places with him? https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hockide01.shtml#all_transactions_other

[Doomtints]

I don't know why minor league seats would cost $40 when you can get into Target Field for less than that.

 

The problem is how do you define a "minor league team" in this instance? There are many minor leagues, and many more minor league teams that are not affiliated with a major league club. Are non-affiliated teams really under the jurisdiction of the MLB?

 

The MLB has plenty of cash to make this work if they want to, but what would they get out of it? Why spend time, money, and effort on teams that don't feed the MLB?

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't know why minor league seats would cost $40 when you can get into Target Field for less than that.

 

The problem is how do you define a "minor league team" in this instance? There are many minor leagues, and many more minor league teams that are not affiliated with a major league club. Are non-affiliated teams really under the jurisdiction of the MLB?

 

The MLB has plenty of cash to make this work if they want to, but what would they get out of it? Why spend time, money, and effort on teams that don't feed the MLB?

Those other leagues don't have to exist.

In most business ventures, if your product can't make a profit while paying at least the minimum wage, it folds.

 

If the St. Paul Saints are really that important to people, it should have no problem being profitable while paying minimum wage.