The independent league American Association has announced plans to launch a 2020 season. It’ll begin play on July 3rd and host contests in three cities.
While this plan won’t involve the kind of travel that Major League Baseball is contemplating, it’s notable that the indy ball outfit is preparing to tee up sixty contests per team. If local conditions allow, the league says it’ll expand to permit home games in all six of its usual home cities.
This is far from a typical American Association schedule. Beyond the obvious shortening and restrictions on travel, there won’t be as many participating clubs as usual. Last year a dozen organizations played in the league, twice as many as 2020. The players from teams sitting out will be made available to the other clubs through a draft process.
Most notable of all? There’ll be fans in attendance. As you might’ve guessed, television rights fees won’t support this particular ballplaying business — even in part. While you may have heard of the St. Paul Saints and even a few other American Association clubs, it’s the gate or nothing when it comes to staging a season.
Full details aren’t yet clear, but the league says it’ll employ measures to modify the in-game experience “to allow for safe social distancing while enjoying a live, professional baseball game.” The three hub cities — Fargo, North Dakota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota — were selected in large part because live attendance was permissible under local regulations.
Now, let’s see how many pros just want to play vs just want big money
So you enjoy working for free?
If my work was play and I was already a multi-millionaire, I could see myself “working” for free for a few months.
The assumption is that most MLB players are multi-millionaires when most are getting paid league min. which I know is still over 500k a year, but most of them only get that money for 4-5 years, then they are out of the league and have to live off of that forever. It is actually rare that ex-athletes go on to have successful careers in other fields. Most professional athletes don’t make crazy money.
If my job meant that the next time I threw a ball could potential be my last (I.e. I could suffer a career ending injury), I’m not sure I’d risk it for free in this scenario. As much as I’d just want to get back to playing baseball, it doesn’t make any financial or career sense.
Sorry, think I may have completely misunderstood what you were getting at.
Many people play softball every week with no salary. Not only do they do it for free, but you have to pay fees to play in most leagues. It’s really not that much of an inconvenience for these guys to play for less money.
These MLB players will make more than the average worker makes in his/her lifetime before they even exit arbitration. They are not working for anything close to free.
However, NOBODY pays money to watch local softballers play. That’s optional recreation for those playing, NOT a profession.
Get in touch with reality they play the game they get compensated to entertain fans. I hate pathetic people that compare athletes to regular working jobs. If this country didn’t prioritize entertainment the way that it does athletes, actors, musicians etc wouldn’t make the money they do.
You don’t see them saying, “All supermodels do is stand around and look pretty. They should do it for the free attention, and then the money they’re paid can be kept by the companies so they can provide people with a bigger/better range of clothes.”
This is a job for them, it’s more than just a game. Would you take a job at McDonald’s for 8 an hour when you were getting paid 30 an hour?
At this point in history most Americans cant afford to put food on their tables and would kill to go out and only make 500K a year to play a SPORT ! do it because you love the game, not for a paycheck! BOYCOTT BASEBALL
You do realize that most of the guys who are getting paid $500K now probably made less than minimum wage for a few years before getting the big paycheck, right? Unless you’re a top draft pick and got a large signing bonus, they probably made less than you or I, and some have familes to take care of. Try taking care of a family on less than minimum wage. It’s not about the guy who wants $20 million instead of $17 million. It’s about the guy who just got a big paycheck after getting paid pennies on the dollar a year or two ago.
It’s not about being paid the $20 million instead of $17 million. It’s about paying the minor leaguer who was making pennies on the dollar so they can get the fair league minimum.
F MLB. This will do.
Polo G is da GOAT
Maybe ESPN can make a deal with them like they did the KBO???
Honestly I’d rather watch this than the KBO
Hey, Jeff. Off-topic, but I’ve tried several other avenues of communication and have received no response.
Does anyone moderate the comments over at your sister site, Pro Football Rumors? There’s rampant racism and, in this example below, someone saying that Colin Kaepernick is ‘owed a bullet’:
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2020/06/nfl-makes-10-year-250mm-pledge-to-combat-systemic-racism-league-open-to-working-with-colin-kaepernick
MLBTR has always been pretty good about moderating comments, but what is going on at PFR? There’s no moderation and it’s become a platform for racist trolls. Again, sorry for bringing this up here, but I’ve tried and failed to get anyone’s attention over there.
^ this needs more notice.
^ Seconded
^(if Thirded is a thing)
I forth it, got to clean that up over there.
“…stop sticking up for them they kill each other but we can’t kill them cops are more scared of them…”
“…but WE CAN’T KILL THEM…”
These feelings are usually hidden by a better written set of regurgitated talking points, but they do like to say the quiet parts out loud over there.
yes, it’s getting to be like the ESPN forums circa 2000 over there. Toxic.
hub cities but fans in attendance. how do you get that scenario?
also if anyone wants to use this as an example for the MLB, dont. cutting the number of teams in half is just crazy. This may hurt the American Association more by potentially alienating 75% of its fanbases.
I live in one of the cities that has a team participating, but playing in a hub because the restrictions here for public gatherings have not been lifted. It sucks, because going to the ballpark all summer long is one of my favourite pass times.
I think that the decision for 6 of the teams to not participate was mostly due to travel reasons, the 6 that are going forward are all in pretty close proximity to one another, and their fans all travel well. I hope that this doesn’t mean that teams will shutter post-pandemic, it’s a good loop and the league has been much stronger since the amalgamation a few years back.
I hope they televise the games.
Milwaukee Milkmen all the way!
Gotta love me some Indy ball
I’m now waiting for ESPN to dial them up like the KBO and make that sweet first offer of “Can we televise your games for free on the Ocho?”