MLB: Who’s To Blame For This (Insert Expletive) Lockout?
The Players
Multi-millionaire babies, right? Not all of them, but they all make more money than you, playing a game, right? There are three different positions to take with the players. The greedy being greedier. There’s also “the players are due their portion of the pie that they’ve helped to create.” Finally, there’s “the I don’t care, my players are amazing, and I love them no matter what” crowd.
MILB are covered by this or any bargaining agreement? But you wanna talk MILB salaries like how a 10th round pick with a 1% chance of ever being an MLB player gets a $125k guaranteed signing bonus. Wish my job would pay me $125 before I even pass training. Tough life
— Source (@LVRaider321) February 17, 2022
Show me the money!
The greedy being greedier crowd is the loudest, most vocal portion of the social media warrior population. Some of my favorite, completely absurd quotes are, “I work at (insert occupation), and you don’t see me demanding more money.” Or wait, have you heard this one, “They already make so much money, why do they want more?” That last one kills me; like why isn’t that person saying the same thing about the owners? It’s everywhere, like a disease.
For one, you don’t work in a union (most likely), and if you do, the share amongst your fellow co-workers has been bargained and/or negotiated. Sometimes sacrifices (a strike) are made to get your fair share. Different than most unions, Major League Baseball Players are also independent contractors.
A long way to the top
Secondly, no one becomes a Major League Baseball player out of luck, on a whim, or because your Aunt is hiring and you need a job. Players have to be really good to be in total demand for the positions that might be available and potentially push out someone who isn’t as good.
There’s also a small window of time that someone can do this line of work. Work that requires some of the most advanced physical and mental skills that humanity has to offer. But hey, maybe that is exactly who you are, so I’ve done some calculations for you.
According to my research, the best plumbers in the world make $100 per hour; that’s nearly $200k a year. The best teachers in the world are making $250k plus at fine Universities all around the world, and those that want to make more simply need to write a book, go on tour, do some motivational speaking, and then they make more. Taylor Mali, a teacher, turned comedian and motivational speaker, has a net-worth north of $1.5 million, for example.
The exceptional at their craft probably don’t come home, grab a beer, sit on the couch, and have an entertainment routine that involves Jeopardy, Wheel-Of-Fortune, then the local baseball game. The exceptional are constantly thinking about ways to get better. Like 24/7 constantly. Take your eye off the prize, and you become Shed Long, hoping to stick with the Orioles.
What is enough?
Finally, the players make enough. It’s not about making enough. If you were working at Subway, as a Sandwich Artist, at $12/hour ($7.25/hour in Alabama) and you found out that the owner of your Subway was profiting $500k just from your store alone. Wouldn’t you want more? Or are you the type that’s like, it’s basic labor? There is nothing skilled about making a three-meat, cheese, lettuce footlong on Honey Oat with salt-n-pepper. Pay me my $100 a day, and I’ll be on my way.
#MLB salaries going into the start of the year, salary size can be seen in size of bars. pic.twitter.com/raNEGXGmeC
— Scott Lindholm 📊 (@ScottLindholm) March 6, 2019