While not thematically linked to our reading (although I sense that Matthew or Jessie or someone will find a connection I have yet to), I love this article for the behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a baseball player. We're not talking the big guns and the high paid stars, we're talking about the utility players, the minor and major leaguers who are in the game for the game because clearly they're not making much money.
What are your thoughts on this piece? Learn anything? Connect this to our discussions?
Keep up the good work.
While I knew that minor league players today will work "normal" jobs as well, I never realized that the most famous stars of previous eras had jobs off the field. To be the best in baseball, I assumed one would need to spend most of the day practicing with a team, even if that meant living without a lot of extra money. In a way this makes the premise of The Natural just a bit more believable. Roy was working regular jobs but maintaining his love for the game for years before his Knights contract, and still managed to rise to the top in a just a few months.
ReplyDeleteI think this article really connects to the class we had today. The theory of a fallen hero is incredibly relevant to players and the offseason. We see these men and women as idols and these god-like figures when truly they are just as human as we are. We have these incredibly high expectations for them and when we are disappointed, we take it out on them and we discredit all that they have done before. I think the offseason plays a crucial role in the hero's cycle because it is a time when the athletes we put these incredible sporting expectations on are forced to put a pause on their career and return to "normal" life. I also thought it was interesting that the article mentioned that these offseason odd jobs "help[s] more than anything for your sanity.” These pressures and expectations that we put on these players create this separation between them and regular citizens. This expected isolation is enough to drive a person crazy, so I think it's interesting that the players see these offseason activities as necessary for normal-ness and their admirers see them as wastes of time.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me most from reading this article is that in the 1960s and in the decades before, major leaguers were part of everyday society and lots of normal civilians could relate to them. For every decade after the 1960s, major leaguers gradually became separated from society and formed their own exclusive club. With the money increasing and with the further development of technology, most major leaguers are now viewed as close to Gods. When these ballplayers are not playing on the diamonds, we notice their glamorous lifestyle: fancy cars, extravagant mansions, and overall cockiness. From reading the article, it seemed fairly common to see a major leaguer on the streets in the 1960s and before, working their second job. Now, ballplayers are never seen on the streets, and if they are, these players want to escape to a private location as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI think this reading clearly demonstrates the transitions that have occurred in the culture of baseball over the years. I believe many of us would agree that the game of baseball has become much more commercialized since its creation back in the 19th century. It is hard to imagine a player working “on the side” or struggling to get by because of the rich and fame that is now often connected with the game. Until reading this article, I was under the impression that a player can only be successful if he/she commits him/herself entirely to the game, putting aside any alternative job or hobby. The Natural supported this idea as we’ve seen Roy and his teammates continue to play hard with a focus solely on the game in order to regain some level of dominance on the field. However this article shows that it is still possible today—even in a greater commercialized business—to be an esteemed player with a life not fully centered on baseball.
ReplyDeleteThis article does a good job giving perspective. Although players are earning more money, living lavish lifestyles, and generally becoming bigger public figure with bigger egos, it is interesting to see the other half. While ballplayers still enjoy the spotlight, that lifestyle cannot last forever and cannot teach you everything. As McHugh said, "I want to continue to develop in ways I can’t on the field or in the clubhouse." We briefly discussed the life of a baseball player in relation to the hero cycle, and it was interesting to note that it has to end at some point. A baseball player's career can only last until around age 35 (Roy Hobbs), and after that they have to integrate back into everyday life. Having "transferable skills" makes this switch a whole lot easier, as we see athletes with little experience in the "real world" having a hard time adjusting after retirement. It will be interesting to see the opposite in "The Natural" and how Roy adjusts from normal life into the spotlight of major league baseball.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to learn that holding a job in the off-season used to be normal for baseball players. I've always wondered what professional athletes do after their sports career is over. Most haven't gone to college, and if their salary isn't big enough I would think athletes would suddenly be pushed into "the real world" and forced to find another job. But McHugh is ready for that time, which seems like the smart thing to do, even if holding a job in the off-season isn't the most popular thing to do. I imagine that Roy will also be ready for re-entering the real world when he leaves baseball, which is one bright side for starting his baseball career so late.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is extremely important in numerous ways. Hopefully, all young athletes can read this article and if not, they should read a similar one. It would be a huge benefit for kids because most of them are completely unaware of the lives of the majority of players in professional baseball (counting MLB, AAA, farm leagues). "Superstars" who make a comfortable living are what all the youngsters look up to and follow. They all try to emulate their lives and they think that if they make it, then their lives would be just as comfortable as theirs. This article is important for kids to be aware of a possible life as a professional in a whole new dimension. It demonstrates to kids that if they make it as a professional, then they could have a similar life to that of Collin McHugh or Marlon Byrd. It broadens youngersters perspective of what the their future lives as pros could be, which will be very significant for their development as athletes. In another sense, this article teaches young athletes that their still is another level to get past before they can reach the success their superstars receive. It gives more reason for kids to keep their minds in sports and as well as in the classroom. With education, if their professional lives do arrive at this level for some period, they will be able to live it more comfortably.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is extremely important in numerous ways. Hopefully, all young athletes can read this article and if not, they should read a similar one. It would be a huge benefit for kids because most of them are completely unaware of the lives of the majority of players in professional baseball (counting MLB, AAA, farm leagues). "Superstars" who make a comfortable living are what all the youngsters look up to and follow. They all try to emulate their lives and they think that if they make it, then their lives would be just as comfortable as theirs. This article is important for kids to be aware of a possible life as a professional in a whole new dimension. It demonstrates to kids that if they make it as a professional, then they could have a similar life to that of Collin McHugh or Marlon Byrd. It broadens youngsters perspective of what the their future lives as pros could be, which will be very significant for their development as athletes. In another sense, this article teaches young athletes that their still is another level to get past before they can reach the success their superstars receive. It gives more reason for kids to keep their minds in sports and as well as in the classroom. With education, if their professional lives do arrive at this level for some period, they will be able to live it more comfortably.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting reading this article and thinking about how the lives of sports stars have changed over the years. Like the article describes, professional sports players used to be everyday guys who often held a second job through the season or at least during the offseason. Yet nowadays, some of the most well known and idolized figures in American society are sports players. In the course of a short 40 or so years, professional baseball players have gone from everyday members of society to heroes placed on an untouchable pedestal. However, it's important to think about the impact this change has had and will have on American culture. Are professional sports players really the people we want to have our children look up to and aspire to be? The chances are playing professionally are next to nothing and even then, many players spend the entirety of their career in the minor leagues making next to nothing. After they have aged past their prime, players are thrust back into the real world where they most likely will have to find a stable job with little to no education past high school. This hardly seems like the ideal life to live, yet it fills the imaginations of many young children today. Maybe it would be helpful if modern day superstars spent their offseasons like players of the past, doing humble, everyday jobs. Perhaps then, children would have a better sense of life as a ballplayer.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad I'm not the only one yet to comment....
ReplyDeleteTo be entirely honest, I had no idea that players had other jobs in the off season. I realize now that proposition is a bit ridiculous as not all players are paid as well as A-Rod. It's also fun and interesting to see what jobs these players are doing. While they are stars on the field, their off season jobs seem to involve more manual labor. Often I am surprised when I remember that these players don't always have a great education, so while they are athletically gifted, their other job options are limited. It makes them more than baseball legends, but hometown heroes. They support their families and live normal lives, until spring training when their lives change completely.
Despite knowing about how low minor league salaries are, I never really took time to think about how these guys get by, especially when they need to support a family. I thought it was very interesting that some major leaguers back in the 50's and 60's would work in factories or warehouses which could be potential dangerous and fatal to their baseball careers. This articles also makes me think of baseball more like a class system now. These minor league players are like a lower and middle class--the big shot first rounders are the middle and the 20th round picks are the lower. Unless the first rounders get called up within a few years, they all have to struggle to make ends meat. It's nearly, if not entirely, impossible to live comfortably on 7,000 dollars a year. In an attempt to make this article relevant to our discussions, I believe and will argue that these 'lower/middle-class' ball players are the real heroes of baseball, because their noble qualities. They are obviously playing the game for the love of the game and the life long dream to make it to the major leagues, which is definitely a heroic and modest ambition. They work hard to improve their skills and rise through the farm system and will only get out of it on merit. Although they aren't going to be featured on posters or own shoe companies and probably not win world series games, they are the backbone of baseball, just as the working class is for America. These are the every-day heroes of baseball, guys who are going out to win every pitch, every out, every inning, and every game they can. These players are not playing for a salary and are therefore more inclined to play for the team, despite needing to stand out amongst their peers. Then they return to normal jobs to help themselves in life. McHugh states: "I want to continue to develop myself in ways I can't on the field or the clubhouse," and that is truly heroic.
ReplyDeleteGiven the current day circumstances, I find it interesting to imagine seeing someone playing in the world series one day and the other day seeing that same person selling clothes. Current ball players have become such high profile individuals, its like they are more than human, they have become superhuman. So its weird to imagine this superhuman partaking in a common human job. While this tradition may be rare in the current times, I really respect those that can balance life with sports. For many it reveals their understanding of a limited career in which other skills might be unnecessary before retirement is an option. I respect that they don't let this side of life interfere with their passion though. Never giving up on baseball, the job is often just a method to have the ability to play ball. Its clear that the job is often for the money, and baseball is often for the heart.
ReplyDeleteIt's an odd thing to think of professional baseball players as real people, something that this article urges us to do. Outside of their more 'heroic' lives, full of unfathomable feats to us 'normal' people, baseball players are people. They have families, they have kids, and apparently they sometimes have jobs. I think this relates to the essay about how older baseball players are living contradictions. Much like aging players are "old but not tired," professional baseball players are people, they just aren't normal. This is what makes it hard to imagine these seemingly superhuman players as human.
ReplyDeleteI think this article brings to light the idea that professional athletes, not only baseball players, are expected to be spending all their time working at their sport. I believe that this shouldn't be true for all athletes because as one of the baseball players said in the article, it keeps him sane. Working another job allows many of these players to have other lives and maybe even make them feel normal. Furthermore, it gives them something to come back to after they end their careers as baseball players. They won't be like some professional athletes who end up going bankrupt because they don't know how to live their lives in a less extravagant way as they were back when they were getting paid millions of dollars per year. I personally really like the idea of having them work in the off-season because it makes them more connected to the community and allows the community to feel like the athlete really cares about them and the team instead of only caring about where the most money they can be paid is.
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