Baseball Players Sue For A Fair Wage
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Not including endorsement deals, LA Dodger Clayton Kershaw is set to make $30 million this year. For playing baseball. To be clear, I'd play for half that. And plenty of baseball players will play for waaaaaay less than half of that, as a lawsuit brought by 34 minor league baseball players demonstrates.
Turns out that while a baseball star's life can be quite glamorous, getting to the major leagues isn't.
According to the complaint, most minor leaguers earn between $3000 and $7500 for the whole season, which works out to less than the minimum wage. For its part, the MLB doesn't dispute the lousy wages but claims that minor leaguers should be considered seasonal amusement and recreational employees - an argument that has worked in some suits - and therefore not covered by minimum wage laws.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle that the minor leaguers will have to overcome is from the players who endure it because, in the words of one player, "it's the life we choose". But just because the job seems more fun than being a desk jockey and people, from cheerleaders to players, willingly endure the hardships doesn't mean they aren't entitled to a livable wage while swinging for the stars.