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MLB: The Life of a Minor Leaguer

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wartknight

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2006
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Sitting at the ICubs game tonight, I noticed the players' wives/gf's section and was wondering what their life is like during the summer, and the group I was with started discussing the life of a Minor Leaguer.
Do they rent an apt. in DSM?
Are their days full of baseball?
Do their families live in town with them?
What does a minor leaguer make?
Do they work other jobs in the offseason?

I have no idea what they do. Anyone else have any idea?
 
I worked for the QC team. They have "host families" that the players live with for a real cheap fee. Not all of them do this, but some do. Most of the guy's wives and kids would come in to town like every other week or so... However, this was low A ball.... Triple A might be a little different. Most of these guys have a place they live and go to "work" for the summer at wherever they live.

Most the guys for the Swing at the time, now the Riverbandits, have summer jobs... unless they were given a pro contract in which case they're getting paid serious cash. Most minor leaguers get a big signing bonus and then the pay per level is not much. Less then I make by far...

Some of the guys go play winter ball right away and essentially live off the team all winter also... it's a different lifestyle...
 
Minor Leagues

"Q: What are minor league salaries like?
A: First year players get paid $1100 per month, reguardless of where they are draftedf or what level they are playing at. Many teams have a graduating minor league salary scale based on service and playing level that pre-determines their salary after the first year.In addition, players get an extra $25.00 per day meal money when they are on the road, depending on what level they are playing at.
First Year: $1100 per month
Class A: $1200-$1400 per month
Class AA: $1450-$1600 per month
Class AAA: $16500-$2000 per month "


http://www.angelfire.com/vt/prospectwatch/index10.html
 
I work along side Billy Petrick, former Cubs pitcher, who also had a short stint with the I-cubs and he said he lived in a hotel in downtown DM. I'm not sure how long he was with the I-cubs, but since he was in a hotel I wouldn't imagine very long.
He is now playing with the Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League team, and he works as a youth pitching coach on the side. He probably doesn't need a very big job outside of baseball, since I'm sure he made a decent amount in his short time with the Cubs.
 
My parents have been a host family for the CR Kernels for 7 years. Both are big baseball fans and enjoy the experience. They have hosted 2 players for the last 5 years. They guys' girlfriends fly in a couple times a season. They won't stay at the house then, they will get a hotel. My stepmom will cook breakfast if the players are in town, and Sunday supper after the games. From talking to the players, the road trips can get long. They bus everywhere, and many trips they will buss home after, and back the next day. Example, tomorrow the Kernels start a series in Burlington. Roughly an hour 1/2 from CR. They leave in the morning, batting practice, etc. then play the game, then back home. Then get up and do it all again. They do this for Burlington, Clinton, and Quad Cities. Not exactly sure what they make, but a few guys here have had large signing bonuses.
 
I'm working for the Kernels this summer and CRcyclone6 pretty much nailed everything, road trips get very long and boring, have to bus everywhere and league mandates no hotel for anything under 100 miles.

The pay varies the Kernels currently have Mike Trout who is making over $1 million this year and will spend the entire season with the Kernels, then there are others who don't make nearly that much. Depending on the club and if they are on the road a lot of the time it may be up to the players to buy their own food at the stadium.
 
If you are really interested in the life of minor leaguers I would recommend the book Odd Man Out by Matt McCarthy. He was a left-handed pitcher who was drafted out of Yale as a senior in the 26th round by the Angles in 2002. The book is basically a journal of his first and only year in minor league baseball & does a fantastic job of painting the picture of daily life for a player in the low minors.
 
I wonder if in A ball they just whipe thier forehead with their forearm for an off speed pitch, you know what I am talking about Wartnight!:yes:
 
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BCforISU said:
I wonder if in A ball they just whipe thier forehead with their forearm for an off speed pitch, you know what I am talking about Wartnight!:yes:
Click to expand...
LOL. Yes, or say your full name if you are supposed to bunt or steal.
 
wartknight said:
Sitting at the ICubs game tonight, I noticed the players' wives/gf's section and was wondering what their life is like during the summer, and the group I was with started discussing the life of a Minor Leaguer.
Do they rent an apt. in DSM?
Are their days full of baseball?
Do their families live in town with them?
What does a minor leaguer make?
Do they work other jobs in the offseason?

I have no idea what they do. Anyone else have any idea?
Click to expand...

One of my good friends is in the Pirates organization. I know he and a couple of other players have an apartment together during the season. He lives in Omaha with his GF in the off season and his only job is working out.
 
There is ALOT of variance between every organization and even individual teams. I know there is one team, I think Birmingham, that the owner owns an apartment building just for the guys on the team. When my brother was in Vegas, he stayed at the Nugget and checked out every road trip and put all his stuff in the clubhouse.

In my BRIEF career, I made about $750/mo plus meal money ($45 a day on the road). We also had pre game and post game meals at home, but had to pay clubhouse dues, between $35-$200/mo depending on the level. I shared a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other guys. Luckily I brought a TV out, but we were never there except to sleep. The apartment cost us each about $50/mo as the team subsidized some of it. Other guys (the ones without cars) had host families.

I would say the majority of our salary went to bar tabs, although alot of the local places were pretty generous as we got to know alot of the staff pretty well...
 
Thanks for the info. Was just curious. I saw some kids with the wives/gf's as well and I didn't figure being a minor leaguer was too conducive to starting a family
 
my cousin was at a Sky Sox game the other night (AAA for the Rockies) and said they had a barrel of home made whiskey brewing behind the bullpen. (Her friend is dating one of the guys)
 
wartknight said:
Thanks for the info. Was just curious. I saw some kids with the wives/gf's as well and I didn't figure being a minor leaguer was too conducive to starting a family
Click to expand...


Some guys got signing bonuses large enough to live off for a while, some guys are 5 year guys or 40 man roster guys that get decent pay, some have been in the bigs for a stretch and made some money that way and alot of them have wives that support them... 100 guys, 100 different stories, all pretty interesting.
 
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