Email a copy of 'Prospect Notes: High Schoolers, Perez, Astros' to a friend
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Email a copy of 'Prospect Notes: High Schoolers, Perez, Astros' to a friend
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mike156
A very small step to right an awful injustice. The NCAA has an economic interest in keeping unpaid labor (let’s face it, that’s what amateur college athletes are) as powerless as possible, but in what line of work would we prohibit anyone from getting adequate counsel–and children especially.
Jorge Soler Powered
They aren’t unpaid labor. They are getting free education that non-Athletes pay small fortunes or end up in debt for. And they get to play a game!
mike156
We are going to have to disagree on this. they are entitled to representation when dealing with the MLB. They are able to get scholarships that are merit-based, just as other kids may also get merit-based scholarships for other talents. I agree that college is insanely expensive, but the mere fact that they get a scholarship should not preclude them from getting professional advice. Others with unusual talents are not prohibited from it.
baseballrat
It’s not FREE. You have to have a skill set to be able get a “FREE” education. That takes hard work over years to earn. Obviously you weren’t an athlete, or you wouldn’t have made such a statement. BTW… Most athletic scholarships are year to year.
tedbow00
Sounds similar to what teachers experience to a certain degree. Years of training followed by year long contracts that are only renewed if they perform up to a particular standard, in exchange for a certain benefit. For teachers, that benefit is money, for college baseball players, it is an expensive education that others pay to get.
You’re right though, their education isn’t free, but it is their pay for being some of the best at playing a game and being an asset to the college.
Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA
You might want to check those facts a majority of college baseball players are not getting a free education. With less than 12 scholarships and usually 30-35 kids on a team that doesn’t happen. It not a head count sport.
Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA
A few get full rides and depending on the school most of those rides are Juco kids
tedbow00
Mike, I agree with you that they should be allowed to get representation to protect their their interests while deciding whether or not to forgo college and go straight to professional baseball without penalty from the NCAA.
BUT…saying that college athletes are unpaid is just not true, they are paid entirely through benefits, rather than cash. Just like people with jobs get benefits such as insurance in lieu of pay, these athletes are getting paid in education, housing and often meals. And yes, academic scholarship recipients are also being paid. Athletes are being paid because of the value they bring back to the university and brainiacs are being paid because of the prestige they bring to the university.
imissjoebuzas
As for the Astros piece of the article, the Mets have been near the top 2-3 of the minor league winning percentage teams for the last two years. It took them a bunch of mediocre major league seasons to get enough top third draft picks, but that is only setting them up for more years of winning records at the major league level..by contrast, the Yankees have had winning minor league teams which gave them prospects to trade. But winning at the big league level kept getting them lower third draft picks, and trading prospects left their system much dryer and then have nothing left to trade at deadline time.last two years. It’s cyclical. But look at the Cardinals. They win, get lower draft picks, and draft well. Pay for good scouting and you can certainly keep feeding a winnignmajor league team!
nstale
This is incorrect…Tyler White could not have won a ring in AA since the Corpus Christi Hooks’ (Astros AA) last (and only) championship was back in 2006.
bravesfan88
Too often minor league teams are only seen as pit stops for prospects. Rewarding the team, as a whole, by holding banquets, ceremonies, and parties reminds the players it is a team sport. It helps them bring the focus back to the team and their teammates and heck after a long season why not reward your teams for winning.
As far as what good minor league championships could bring to a franchise, well truly only good can come out of winning, regardless what level of baseball we are talking about. Also, for the Astros, it very well could help the younger prospects experience a winning culture and atmosphere throughout the systen as a whole.
The Astros have a bunch of highly rated prospects that are more than likely already use to winning on their previous teams, but creating a whole pipeline of winning teams can only help, and it gives these youngsters something to hang their collective hats on for their young professional careers.
Overall, I love the fact management is recognizing their individual minor league teams for winning, you don’t hear about it enough, in my opinion.
22222pete
Why would NCAA care if a HS used an agent to explore turning professional before choosing to go to college? Its not like they signed a contract and played professionally.
Perhaps MLB influencing them?