WBC isn't Boxing Anymore

[kusai Jijii]

AFL‎]"football"[/URL].

Ah, no. Thats not what I was refering to. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[Greji]

I agree, that a lot of us don't know how grueling or tough it can be in professional sports, but after all, it's STILL A SPORT. How many of us here would like to play a sport for a living? Even if you're riding the pine, you should still be pulling in much more than the working class folk, so I really don't see any excuse for this...

First of all, you're right that it is great in the sense that you're playing a sport for a living. But for the vast majority it is not for the salaries you're talking about.

The starting salary for most minor league ball players is about 1,000 a month and they only make this during the season. No other money during the off season, so they have to hope for good signing bonuses to tide them over. This is usually for low and high rookie increasing about a 100 a month for each year. Last year the highest level was AAA which was about 2,400 a month the season.

These salaries are set on agreement between the player's association and MLB, which is to prevent the really rich teams from buying up the best new talent each year.

Players do not have a chance for the bigger bucks until they are selected for a major league contract (placed on the 40 man roster) and even the amount of them who sign million dollar contracts are limited. Then the guarantees are something people talk about, but few see. Most contracts have clauses allowing the club to release the player. Very few are no-trade, or release. You are right about the incentives, but of course the player has to achieve that level, or no bucks.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that each team has 2-300 players in their system from low rookie up. Some teams have two low rookie teams, several only have one which is why the number of players fluctuate, but if you multiply 250 as a mean, by 32 teams, that is a lot of players, but only the top 40 on each team have MLB contracts. The remainder have minor league contracts that are frozen in amount by MLB.

We tend to see the headliners that draw the huge amounts, and forget the ones that have to work part time in between the seasons to play the next year. There are a lot more of them and when people start bitching about the big bucks and pampering of sports stars, they are completely forgotten.

That's why spring training is so important. If you're in the minors, your showing will determine where you will be assigned for the season. If you had made it up to the first team's dugout, you have to defend your position or lose it to the hungry ones coming up. There are a lot of players who make it to the top, but are unable to keep up the level of play to stay there. For those, an injury outside of regular play can end their career or set them back behind the power curve so far they can't catch up.

I think the problem is that if the WBC can't even draw a major fan following (outside of Japan, Korea and Cuba), what does it have to offer a ball player, who's got other worries?

Maybe if baseball is not put back into the Olympics, the WBC might become a more of a prestigious event. It isn't now unless you live in Japan.

[Mulboyne]

[GuyJean]

This is about the MLB, not WBC. But I didn't think it required a new thread..

Stupid question: Why would a league (MLB) so concerned about squeezing every profit from it's players/fans by extending the season, adding the wild-card, etc., start their long-ass season on a Monday!?

GJ

[Gilligan]

This is about the MLB, not WBC. But I didn't think it required a new thread..

Stupid question: Why would a league (MLB) so concerned about squeezing every profit from it's players/fans by extending the season, adding the wild-card, etc., start their long-ass season on a Monday!?

GJ

Because it's NOT Japan, where no one is allowed to play baseball on Mondays

Actually, in typical new age American sports fashion, the season offcially started on Sunday with the Braves beating the World Series-winning-Phillies.

Opening Day is an institution in and of itself, in fact teams opening on the road get to claim 2 Opening Days. There's no need, at the moment, for MLB to worry about trying to sell out on Opening Day, regardless of which day of the week it falls on.

[canman]

I thought that Cincinnati always got to play the first opening day game. What happened to that tradition. As for the Monday start GJ, what a sports day, you get the opening day baseball game in the afternoon, and then you can watch the final four championship game in the evening. Not a bad sports double header.

[Gilligan]

I thought that Cincinnati always got to play the first opening day game. What happened to that tradition. As for the Monday start GJ, what a sports day, you get the opening day baseball game in the afternoon, and then you can watch the final four championship game in the evening. Not a bad sports double header.

Typical of Selig's reign, which has also brought us steroids and interleague play, recently Opening Day has been exclusively played by the WS winner on Sunday night--occassionally in countries other than the US. To prove that Selig kind of understands about tradition, the Reds are scheduled to be the first game tomorrow, though.

Comments from the wikipedia:

[quote]The ensuing Monday brings Opening Day to numerous major league ballparks and the game that day in Cincinnati (the only team that always opens the season at home) is still observed throughout baseball as the "traditional opener." Opening Day is a state of mind as well, with countless baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at work or "play hooky" from school and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games.

[GuyJean]

.. baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at work or "play hooky" from school and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games.

Well, most adult fans are probably out of work anyway, so no harm done.. ]and[/I] skip school to be like/see their heroes.

I still think postponing till next weekend would be smarter.. And aren't a lot of MLB games at night, competing with the Final Four Championship?.. Which do you think most are going to watch?

Thanks for the answers though!

GJ

[Gilligan]

I still think postponing till next weekend would be smarter.. And aren't a lot of MLB games at night, competing with the Final Four Championship?.. Which do you think most are going to watch?

Thanks for the answers though!

GJ

Well 5 of the 12 Monday games are meant to at 7 pm EDT or later, but personally, I find that to be sad. Opneing Day is meant to be an afternoon affair. Again, typical Selig BS. It's too bad he doesn't understand the severe advantages that the great tradition of the game provide him with. He will undoubtedly go down as one of the worst guardians of the game and the league that we will ever know.

[canman]

I agree wholeheartedly with you Gilligan, but as long as the owners support him, and they are still making fist loads of money, he will remain as the commissioner of baseball. The sports talk show host I told you about always refers to his as "Bud Light", and I think the name is very appropriate.
But as you mentioned under his watch steroids became rampant, there was the allstar game fiasco, now this scandal in the Dominican where they are skimming money from young players signing bonuses. So many misdeeds its unbelievable, but there he sits, the commish.

[AssKissinger]

He needs to get Canseco's dick out of his mouth!

[Mike Oxlong]

He needs to get Canseco's dick out of his mouth!

Who's gonna tell Jose?!

[AssKissinger]

Who's gonna tell Jose?!

omg that is so everything that is wrong with baseball gag me with a spoon GROSS!!!