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#FairBall is all the rage after several minor league players from the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets, wore bracelets to protest against the level of poverty. Here is what we know.
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My family and I love baseball and have enjoyed minor league games in several states including our hometown team – the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. We always had a good time, but we never really thought about the salaries of the players. Before hearing about this protest, I would have assumed that working for a major league team, even as a minor league, would mean a big signing bonus and a salary. I now know that is not true. And the numbers might surprise you.
Saturday night’s minor leagues game in Brooklyn, New York, stood out not with a Cyclones victory over the BlueClaws or because fans were given a souvenir of Pete Alonso, but instead of what some of the players wore that got people talking. The bracelets above cost $ 10, were created by Minor league defenders and were worn by some players from both teams to raise awareness for a cause important to them and to thousands of other professional athletes.
Why are they wearing them in protest? Simply put, poverty pays. According to Athleticism, professional minor league baseball players are paid only $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 per year. $ 13,000 is the poverty line in the United States. While the players who wore the bracelets yesterday earned an average of $ 12,000; the teams they play for (Mets and Phillies) are worth over $ 2 billion.
How bad is it? More perfect union paints a disastrous picture. “MLB owners are worth billions of dollars, but minor league baseball players make just $ 7 an hour, many sleep on the floor in overcrowded apartments and are denied adequate meals. The horrible treatment has led to it. drug addiction and severe depression for some minor leaguers. ” CBS Philly adds “The financial burden has prompted players to sleep on couches, air mattresses or floors in overcrowded apartments, play with ragged equipment and seek charity from fans and luckier teammates.”
How does this salary compare to other minor leagues? That’s about 1/2 to 1/3 that of the G League of the NBA or the AHL of the NHL. I know local affiliates, like the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, do not determine the salaries of minor league players. Hopefully, major league teams like the Phillies and Mets can pay their players better. They certainly give us fun as a family and their skills are very valuable.
After your next game, try one of these amazing New Jersey restaurants featured on The Food Network
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