Brandon Davis
Reporter
Back in 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) attempted to pass a bill preventing it from needing to pay the federal minimum wage or overtime to its minor league players. League officials asked minor league owners to join them in this effort many of which felt their hand was being forced in this issue.
“We were told very clearly if we didn’t get that thing passed, we would be staring down the barrel of contraction,” said Dave Heller, who owns four minor league teams. With the owners feeling like they had nowhere to go they took it to a and not long thereafter Congress passed the Save America’s Pastime Act.
With that, the minor leagues were less sure of their footing, but at least they were there. Or so it seemed until last October when the MLB stated that things were changing for the minor leagues anyway. It cited poor faculty standards and travel costs among other reasons for cutting the leagues. Over 40 teams would be cut along with hundreds of players.
The minor league system as we know it has been around for decades and is coming to a close come September 30th, the MLB has played its hand and won. At this point there doesn’t seem to be much the MiLB can do. Owners have spent the better part of 11 months trying to gain some sort of leverage against the MLB to no avail. Talks continued Wednesday on a new Professional Baseball Agreement, but under MLB’s proposal, there will be only 120 minor league teams, four per major league team. At least 42 teams will lose their affiliations, while some independent teams could become affiliates. Minor league owners don’t know which teams are on the cut list. The MLB has recommended that the teams that are cut either join amateur summer leagues or create an independent league of their own. The MLB will also take over merchandising broadcast and sponsorship rights, splitting net revenues 50-50 with the minor league clubs.
Many owners look at the deal as a power grab by the MLB. A chance to show that what they have isn’t a partnership. The MLB is in charge and the MiLB is to follow
“I don’t think there’s anything that could be said on behalf of Minor League Baseball that could make this change not occur,” said Mahlon Luttrell, president and general manager of the Bristol Pirates in Virginia. “And we’ve come to realize that.”
The MiLB didn’t even get to have a fitting send-off as the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year before a game was played, and teams, having already lost millions in expenses without any revenue stream, have been left to wonder whether they’ll survive the shake-up.
With a farewell to the minor leagues coming soon, we can take a look at what the league was a division full of players playing for pennies and a dream. It was a place for players of all shapes and sizes to come out and reach for their dreams. Whether it be high-rated prospects or older players riding out their last days. Fans would come from all around to see former and future all-stars play at their home stadium. The games were good and the tickets were easy to get. A place to gather around and spend time with friends and family. It was baseball in its purest form. It was America’s pastime.
