fuckin ouch
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 11 December 2019 23:08 (four years ago) link
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-12/skelton-bernie-sanders-minor-league-baseball-california
...Sanders, who grew up a Dodgers fan in Brooklyn before the team moved to Los Angeles, was the mayor of Burlington, Vt., in 1984 when the town landed the Vermont Lake Monsters. Now they’re on the MLB strike list. The senator is on a crusade about it and has more than 100 members of Congress with him, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), the House minority leader.That’s a unique political alliance between a self-described democratic socialist and an unwavering supporter of President Trump.In Burlington, Sanders told Shaikin, “What I saw with my own eyes is what minor league baseball does to a community. It is especially gratifying to see kids go out to the ballgames, families able to afford the relatively low price of tickets, and kids get autographs from players. There’s just a huge amount of excitement and community spirit….“Major league owners have got to understand that this is not just a profit-making business. This is something that millions and millions of people, and kids, think about, pay attention to and feel strongly about.”
That’s a unique political alliance between a self-described democratic socialist and an unwavering supporter of President Trump.
In Burlington, Sanders told Shaikin, “What I saw with my own eyes is what minor league baseball does to a community. It is especially gratifying to see kids go out to the ballgames, families able to afford the relatively low price of tickets, and kids get autographs from players. There’s just a huge amount of excitement and community spirit….
“Major league owners have got to understand that this is not just a profit-making business. This is something that millions and millions of people, and kids, think about, pay attention to and feel strongly about.”
― Peaceful Warrior I Poser (Karl Malone), Friday, 13 December 2019 19:55 (four years ago) link
saw someone claiming that the dodgers leaving brooklyn was the foundational event of bernie's politics lol
meanwhile, #beef
MLB deputy commish Halem offers detailed look — photos, internal MiLB email — into MLB’s beef with minors. Says 42-team hit list is inaccurate. The owners: ‘The problem with them, there is what they say publicly, and what they say privately is different.’https://t.co/Yrc1ofcihM— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) December 11, 2019
― mookieproof, Friday, 13 December 2019 20:23 (four years ago) link
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/12/14/major-league-baseball-threatens-to-walk-away-from-minor-league-baseball-entirely/
― mookieproof, Saturday, 14 December 2019 16:46 (four years ago) link
I can’t even understand how baseball would work without a minor league system.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 14 December 2019 22:47 (four years ago) link
i think manfred's saying mlb clubs would... like... sell their current teams and buy up a few unaffiliated feeder teams? or something?
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 14 December 2019 23:19 (four years ago) link
manfred's background is in labor relations, and he seems to be treating MiLB like a union he's trying to break
i imagine the atlantic league and american association would be thrilled to get affiliated players, then there are the current minor league teams that big league clubs outright own, plus they could run more games out of the spring complexes. and once MiLB is broken, they can pick off the more desirable current minor league teams (durham, columbus, etc) and offer them a shittier deal
god knows the us government loves breaking unions, but the fallout from this would affect so many districts that i think congress might actually do something about it
the money involved in all this is minuscule for a $10b/year industry, but the story of modern america is that the extremely wealthy would rather watch society burn than part with any money at all, so
― mookieproof, Saturday, 14 December 2019 23:54 (four years ago) link
look out, Worcester
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2020/01/13/15657/worcester-adds-20m-more-in-tax-money-to-baseball-stadium-because-it-forgot-how-gravity-works/
(pick a glitzy new 2020 thread title, mook)
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Monday, 13 January 2020 17:09 (four years ago) link
Last Friday, Jake Seiner and Ben Walker of the Associated Press reported that Major League Baseball has opted to raise minor league player pay to, at minimum, $4,800 dollars a year. As usual, the change was announced unilaterally: minor league players are not unionized and cannot help but accept this compensation. Specifically, MLB decided to set minimum pay levels (not including spring training, which is unpaid, and not starting until the 2021 season) at:
$400/week ($4,800 for a three-month season) for Rookie or short-season (up from $290/$3,480)$500/week ($10,000 for a five-month season) for Class A (up from $290/$5,800)$600/week ($12,000 for a five-month season) for Double-A (up from $350/$7,000)$700/week ($14,000 for a five-month season) for Triple-A (up from $502/$10,040)
Assuming that players work an eight-hour workday five days a week (which is an assumption you’d make only if you both knew nothing about how long minor leaguers work and also were feeling extremely generous towards the league), the new pay scale works out to an hourly minimum wage of $10, $12.50, $15, and $17.50, respectively. Assuming even 50 hours a week puts everybody below $15 an hour; 60 hours a week puts everyone below $12. And all of the scenarios assume either that players are independently wealthy or that they’ll fit their year-round conditioning and training in around finding some other way to make money seven or nine months out of the year.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/minor-leaguers-to-be-paid-more-not-enough/
― But guess what? Nobody gives a toot!😂 (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 18 February 2020 20:45 (four years ago) link
only the truly desperate or insane need apply
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 18 February 2020 21:16 (four years ago) link
in no way do I mean this in approval of this terrible system... but honestly I'd be a much happier person right now if I was playing minor league baseball for $10/hr
― Suggest Banshee (Hadrian VIII), Tuesday, 18 February 2020 21:31 (four years ago) link
the fact that it won't start until next season makes it look expressly like 'look what we can do if we save money by contracting a quarter of the minors'
good three part fangraphage on that from last week btw:https://blogs.fangraphs.com/untangling-a-minor-league-mess-part-ihttps://blogs.fangraphs.com/untangling-a-minor-league-mess-part-iihttps://blogs.fangraphs.com/untangling-a-minor-league-mess-part-iii
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 18 February 2020 21:56 (four years ago) link
i think this could inspire a new 2020 thread title mook
I suppose this is on-brand given the low player salaries: Minor League Baseball announced a sponsorship deal making Stauffer's the "official frozen prepared meals" of MiLB.— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) February 24, 2020
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 25 February 2020 16:58 (four years ago) link
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-season-without-baseball-could-be-crushing-blow-for-minor-leagues-11586430020?mod=djemMTIPOFF_h
― mookieproof, Friday, 10 April 2020 15:09 (four years ago) link
welp
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/sources-milb-ready-to-agree-to-significant-reduction-in-teams
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 21 April 2020 16:17 (four years ago) link
Started to feel inevitable
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 19:32 (four years ago) link
A's told minor leaguers they've decided to end their $400/week stipend on May 31, with five days' notice. The part that says "your UPC remains in place" means "we won't pay you, but you do not have the right to be a free agent." Interesting this was sent by GM and not ownership. https://t.co/PJ2B4k1d5B— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) May 27, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 11:00 (four years ago) link
Just some rough math. Say there are 200 players in a minor league system. Paying each $400/week for July, July and August is $5,200 per player. To pay every minor leaguer would have cost the Oakland A's a hair over $1 million.Owner John Fisher is worth an estimated $2 billion.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 27, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 11:02 (four years ago) link
the sad part is that the $1M would probably be a good "investment", just in terms of boosting the morale/performance of players through the noble act of paying them
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 15:06 (four years ago) link
if some traveling salesman came by Fisher's office and offered to inject snake oil into the veins of all the players in his organization to boost their morale and performance for 3 months, at the insanely low price of only $1M, he would probably do it
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 15:07 (four years ago) link
the fuckin *marlins* are paying their dudes through august
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 17:04 (four years ago) link
We're not selling jeans here...
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 27 May 2020 17:07 (four years ago) link
hundreds of minor leaguers are being released, although it's difficult to track because MLB's (and therefore baseball america's, etc.) transactions list is not being updated
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/05/28/teams-releasing-bunches-of-minor-leaguers-today
― mookieproof, Thursday, 28 May 2020 20:19 (four years ago) link
the march agreement between MLB and the MLBPA stipulated that 2020 would count for players' service time whether there's a season or not, e.g., mookie's gonna be a free agent even if he never plays a game for the dodgers
no one seems to know if the same holds true for minor leaguers, or who even gets to make that decision. my guess is that the commissioner just dictates it.
there aren't that many 6th-year minor league free agents or rule 5 picks who actually make it -- i can only think of yangervis solarte and odubel herrera recently, and they aren't great -- but it would be pretty fucked up if minor leaguers had to spend an extra year on their entry contracts. especially if they play for the a's, who won't even pay them
― mookieproof, Friday, 29 May 2020 18:49 (four years ago) link
just catching up on this
Charlie Finley days still here
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Monday, 1 June 2020 17:39 (four years ago) link
season officially canceled in the most passive aggressive way possible
pic.twitter.com/XEDFmfHTmI— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 30, 2020
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 30 June 2020 21:04 (four years ago) link
Why MLB's minor leagues as you know them will end Sept. 30
Some expressed suspicion that fellow owners have been sharing information with MLB in hopes of currying favor. "They're doing to us what they do to the major and minor league players: pitting us against each other," the owner said.Several other minor league owners declined to speak for attribution because they still hope their teams will be spared and they fear retribution from MLB. "They have all the power," one said. "And they're vindictive."
Several other minor league owners declined to speak for attribution because they still hope their teams will be spared and they fear retribution from MLB. "They have all the power," one said. "And they're vindictive."
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 September 2020 14:26 (four years ago) link
this sentence is pretty brutal
Minor League Baseball executives and owners have tried for 11 months to find some sort of leverage with MLB, whether through direct talks or public and congressional pressure, before realizing they really have none, according to more than a dozen major and minor league officials, team owners and others interviewed by ESPN.
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 3 September 2020 15:45 (four years ago) link
Breaking: Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner to retire after 2020 season. O’Conner spent 28 years with MiLB office, 38 years working in pro ball. The 11th MiLB prez, O’Conner’s office might be eliminated during ongoing negotiations between MLB and MiLB.— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) September 8, 2020
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 8 September 2020 15:17 (four years ago) link
Pat O’Conner openly bragged about helping MLB lobby Congress to pass the Save America’s Pastime Act, one of the most contemptible pieces of legislation in recent memory, only to learn there is no honor amongst thieves when MLB still moved to eliminate Minor League teams. https://t.co/gU2OHRb7rt pic.twitter.com/4zpxOAF9gZ— Nick Francona (@NickFrancona) September 8, 2020
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 8 September 2020 15:57 (four years ago) link
it begins
MLB and USA Baseball will announce their plans for the Appalachian League. College wood bat league here we come: pic.twitter.com/lzgtx7PFkq— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) September 25, 2020
― mookieproof, Friday, 25 September 2020 19:54 (four years ago) link
https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge
― mookieproof, Monday, 2 November 2020 16:34 (three years ago) link
Did.....did we just get dumped via Twitter?! https://t.co/tV7iyVOwA3— Columbia Fireflies (@ColaFireflies) November 10, 2020
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 10 November 2020 20:16 (three years ago) link
apparently columbia, trenton and staten island all learned through social media that they were no longer affiliated (the latter two with the yankees)
classy af
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 10 November 2020 20:20 (three years ago) link
the pioneer league (utah/idaho/montana/colorado) is now independent
trenton, williamsport, mahoning valley, state college and morgantown are now the 'mlb draft league'
idk who is going to fill out all these rosters tbh
― mookieproof, Monday, 30 November 2020 18:54 (three years ago) link
The Staten Island Yankees announce they are ceasing operations and are suing the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball. pic.twitter.com/ULY7ORm49L— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) December 3, 2020
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 December 2020 20:42 (three years ago) link
struggling to feel bad for the staten island yankees tbrr
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 3 December 2020 21:27 (three years ago) link
in the yankees v yankees fight, I'm hoping the yankees lose.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 3 December 2020 21:41 (three years ago) link
i don't really care about staten island's ownership, but NYC spent $30m to build that ballpark in the specific expectation that it would host a yankees affiliate. the city of wichita just spent $85m to build a triple-a stadium; they've already been relegated to double-a before even fielding a team.
there's a lot of public money tied up in these ballparks -- which was admittedly stupid! -- and i don't like seeing that go to waste
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 December 2020 22:17 (three years ago) link
for sure
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 3 December 2020 22:58 (three years ago) link
'invitations' going out today to 119 teams. there is a lot of bitterness
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:44 (three years ago) link
11 full-season clubs did not receive invitations from MLB to join the minors in 2021. Full list: https://t.co/MOf6CpSQ2I pic.twitter.com/dZmdUdVY5n— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 9, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:45 (three years ago) link
damn, RIP burlington bees. that's where my grandma and a couple of my relatives lived. there is very little going on in burlington, and now that the bees are leaving, truly nothing.
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:50 (three years ago) link
i guess there's a railroad that goes through town, some freight passes by every once in a while and blows the dust around a bit
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:51 (three years ago) link
Burlington Bees GM Kim Parker tells me they are leaning towards entering a collegiate wood bat league. No official announcement at this point.— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) December 9, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 19:32 (three years ago) link
vancouver and brooklyn and portland, oregon going full-season is cool, at least
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 22:57 (three years ago) link
yeah a full season cyclones team is super dope
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Thursday, 10 December 2020 14:52 (three years ago) link
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/12/monsters-of-2020-the-people-who-gutted-minor-league-baseball/
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 29 December 2020 12:36 (three years ago) link
― mookieproof, Wednesday, December 9, 2020 2:57 PM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink
this had escaped my attention until now. glad about this.
― Dusty Benelux (jim in vancouver), Friday, 5 February 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
i don't have a subscription and the preview doesn't go into the meaty bits, but this *sounds* pretty bad
Minor League teams have learned in recent days they will not receive proceeds from 2020 national merchandise sales.The reason?MiLB's league office used that money to stay afloat over the past year.@jjcoop36 has the latest details: https://t.co/m0UBlywWFA— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 9, 2021
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 February 2021 22:37 (three years ago) link