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Two words: ANTITRUST EXEMPTION.
Musicians are paid their market value.
Minor League ballplayers are not.
It's a monopsony.
That makes all the difference. https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/1249330448469295105
Musicians are paid their market value.
Minor League ballplayers are not.
It's a monopsony.
That makes all the difference. https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/1249330448469295105
It's a frequent but horrible take that falls apart with the slightest scrutiny. A musician can choose to work more or less gigs and can sell services to the highest bidder. MiLBers are forced into a seven-season contract and can't negotiate a salary (often less than $10K/yr).
Under that contract, the player can't play in int'l winter leagues, which often pay more in a month than the player made in the U.S. for the season, without the team's permission.
And yes, I will continue to beat this drum even though it apparently annoys some folks. I've seen what it is like to have 8 teammates cram into a 3 room apartment, sleeping on air mattresses, after playing in front of 8,000 fans an hour before, making less per game than bat boys.
The ironic thing about @Ben_Fred's comment is that there historically hasn't been enough written about MiLBers struggles. Writers dropped the ball for years, and only recently have the injustices been brought to light. You cannot effect change without raising awareness.
When I first started writing about it as a player over a decade ago, nobody else was doing so. Now more people are, and that's a really good thing. When you have a pen, use it to do some good.
