I just attended a minor league game (AA), and some questions occurred to me. In no particular order:
How much do the players generally get paid, at the various levels? Is it all according to some scale, or do contracts get negotiated individually?
How does player pay change when sent up or down? If someone is called up to the majors, do they initially play according to some standard contract, as opposed to negotiating something on the spot? What about if a major leaguer is sent down; does he still get paid his MLB salary, or does he switch to some MiLB schedule?
Do the umpires move up and down the leagues like the players? Do they have day jobs?
I was at an Eastern League game, and the pitchers batted. Do any leagues use a DH? I assume not, since there would seem to be little value in developing a DH.
Is team size the same as in MLB, and do they carry the same number of pitchers vs. position players as an MLB team?
Are all MiLB teams affiliated with MLB teams, or are there “wildcat” teams? Does every MLB team have one affiliate at each level, or can they have multiple affiliates? Are MiLB teams actually owned by their MLB affiliate, or are they just contractual partners?
Most players are paid with a minor league contract, which is less than what the minimum major league contract pays. If they’re called up, they get the major league minimum while on the 25-man roster, and go back to their minor league contract when they’re sent down. If you were a high draft choice, however, you can sometimes get a higher salary in the minors. Also if you had major league experience, you can also get a higher salary.
If a major league player is sent down, his major league contract is still in effect.
Most leagues use the DH, but farm teams of National League clubs sometimes don’t play with them to allow their pitchers to get a feel for batting.
Most minor league teams are affiliated, but there’s been a growth in “independent” leagues where they are not.
They do move up, as openings become available (including covering vacation days), based on performance (they get rated too) and seniority. There have been recent issues with the major league umpires union covering minor leagues too. There’s a game almost every day, so it’s hard to hold a second job, but many pro umps have *winter *jobs.
Usually a few less, but major-leaguers on rehab assignments don’t count against the limit.
Only one affiliate each at Class AAA, AA, and long-season A ball, two at short-season A and rookie leagues (next question: Why not go back to Class A, B, C, D?)
Contractual partners. Some local sports-loving entrepreneur owns it and takes care of the ballpark, promotions, tickets, concessions, etc., but the major-league organization provides all the players and coaches and trainers and controls the roster. It’s worth mentioning that winning games is secondary for a minor league team; its primary purpose is to develop talent for the major league team.
Who starts in which league? In other words, do high draft picks typically go to A, and low picks to the rookie leagues? With the occasional phenom starting higher up? Where do college vs. non-college players start? Or do all ballplayers go to college these days?
Secondary to the toilet-seat ring-toss, human whack-a-mole, human hamster-ball races, and other between-innings games. I guess MiLB teams have to be good marketers.
Also, I ordered a large beer, figuring it would 20 or 22 oz, but it was a commendably full quart. It would have been remarkably easy to knock down a whole gallon of beer if I’d applied myself.
Some players go to college but a lot still go right to the minors after high school. Billy Beane of Moneyball fame likes to draft college players more than other teams. They have to stay in college 3 years before they can be drafted if they choose the college route.
Most players start at A, but there are high A and low A teams. Every MLB team can only have 1 team at AAA and 1 at AA. But below that the number of teams they can have is not limited. Some teams have high A, low A, and rookie league teams. A good player can move up fast and some players go from AA to the majors. Some guys spend most of their career at AAA and never make the majors (or make it for a few games)
Most of the top draft picks out of high school skip college. But there are also high picks who are finishing up their junior year of college. The advantage to drafting a college kid is they are 3 years older and the scouts have 3 more years to watch them play .
With regards to where players start, high school players usually play at least a few games in rookie league. It’s unusual for players to start at A level ball, but not super rare, but VERY unusual for them to start higher than that. There is definitely a push to get college players starting in A ball, though, just because they’re older and can’t be given as much time to develop. Once in a great while - like once every five or ten years - a player will start in the majors.
The draft applies only to Americans and Canadians; players from other countries are signed as amateur free agents, though there is talk (every year) of changing this.
Players can, and do, decline being drafted. Barry Bonds was drafted twice; the Giants drafted him out of high school but would not meet his contract demands, so he went to college, and was later drafted by the Pirates.
Maybe 20 years ago, I remember there was a single-A team in the Midwest League (Waterloo, Iowa’s Diamonds) that was affiliated with two Major League teams at the same time. They had players from both the Orioles’ and Padres’ organizations. I’m not sure how the team was divided up–I don’t know whether half the players were under contract with the Orioles and the other half with the Padres, or whether there was some other sort of agreement.
The salaries are based on years of experience at the level, and pro rated for days played, but they’re generally extremely modest. A player at AAA makes between $2150 and $3500; AA’s minimum is $1500, I believe, and at A and rookie ball it’s like $850 a month. Meal money is additional, but is also very modest. Obviously this is assuming you do not have a major league contract; Adam Lind is currently playing for Toronto’s AAA team but he’s on a major league contract and so is making millions.
Of course, high draft picks are given substantial bonuses upon signing - enough that you could live off it the rest of your life, in some cases.
From what I’ve read, at least in some cities with low-minor teams, the team tries to find local families who are fans of the team, and who are willing to host players in their homes during the season. Between the facts that the players make little money, are often very young, and will only be staying in the town for five or six months (if they stay with the team all season), it’s probably a better solution than trying to find a rental apartment.
It sounds like it’s sort of like having an exchange student in your house.
On the flip side of that, as late as 1991, the Miami Miracle played as an independent team in the MLB-affiliated Florida State League (as opposed to independent, non- MLB affiliated leagues such as the Frontier League and Atlantic League).
This would seem to be inifinitely more difficult to maintain without the deep pockets of an MLB affiliation.
Not to mention that Nuke’s scared 'cause his nostrils are jammed and his old man’s here, they need a live rooster to take the curse off Jose’s glove, and nobody knows what to get Jimmy and Millie for their wedding present. There’s a
whole lotta shit they have to deal with.
This probably a unique case, but the AAA Tucson Padres are actually owned by Jeff Moorad, the owner of their parent club, the San Diego Padres.
The T-Pads formerly played as the Portland Beavers, but were forced to move when their field was converted to a soccer-only stadium. Moorad purchased them and attempted to move them to Escondido, CA, but was unable to get zoning for a new stadium approved there. He moved them to Tucson, AZ, which had a stadium and training facilities available. He has stated he will sell the team if he can’t find a stadium near San Diego for them.
Umpires only move up, and are only given a maximum of 3 years at every level other than AAA.(The very top reviewed AAA umps are usually retained for a few extra years.) If your not promoted in that time frame PBUC (Professional Baseball Umpire Corp) will release you.
Your options then are to either re-enroll in an umpire school and if selected start over in rookie league, or try find work in Independent Leagues or the NCAA. Considering MLB umpire openings happen about once every 2-3 years, it’s fairly difficult to ever crack the roster.
Day jobs are impossible to swing. I used to drive a taxi in the winter. Eventually it just made more sense to drive cab full time and umpire a few games a week of high school or little league.
