While not thematically linked to our reading, 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 and because clearly they're not making much money.
What are your thoughts on this piece? Learn anything?
Keep up the good work.
I think this piece was extremely refreshing to read. I believe it is easy to get caught up in all of the famous players that ESPN and SportsCenter show and whom make millions a season. Although they are great players, they don't "continue to develop in ways [one] can't on the field or in the clubhouse". They may be great baseball players, but one might say they will only be good at baseball. These players who have extra jobs on the side during the offseason seem more well-rounded to me because they experience more than just what happens on a baseball diamond. I applaud these men for broadening their perspective and for developing "transferable skills" that may be needed later on and for realizing that there is more to life than just baseball.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Ruby's post. The story of Collin McHugh seems to be such a rarity now a days that we assume any professional sports player only has one job: to play their sport. However, McHugh puts a nice twist on things when he says that it keeps him grounded as a player, and as a person. It's seems easy, even at a young age with a lot of potential, to get caught up in it all and forget where you started. I hear countless stories of young kids who work day jobs just to get a few bucks and then make it big, leaving their old life behind, McHugh not only remembers his old life, but embraces it as a part of his identity. It seems so many players take their opportunity for granted, that they forget that a massive injury could end their career and they would have to leave their sport for good. The nostalgia we feel when reading about Collin McHugh simply shows us how baseball has changed over the years from a simple man's game, into an overly glorified sport.
ReplyDeleteThis article reminded me of our unit on the early years of baseball. During that time, men everywhere were playing the sport, for the pure joy that they got out of the game. It did not seem to matter to them that they often we're not earning enough from baseball alone to make a living; they were happy just to be paid for something they loved doing. Today, with the opportunity for players to earn the big bucks, baseball can become their entire life. When I think about the players from these two time periods, I think about how Memo contrasted Roy and Bump. I see Roy as someone trying to make it in baseball today: huge ambitions, a lot of desperation, passionate about his goals. As Memo describes him, Bump is like the players of the past: carefree, easy-going, playing for his love of the game. According to Memo, baseball is Roy's life, whereas Bump was more multi-dimensional. I believe that today it is very easy for players, just like Roy, to get wrapped up in baseball and their own ambitions that it becomes their lives.
ReplyDeleteGrace Donahoe
I think an interesting part of this piece is that this is the first time I have heard of baseball players having other jobs. It’s not something that is commonly brought up and I think it’s safe to say that much of the general public assumes that baseball players play baseball year round. The problem with this is that when people think about baseball players they think of the stars, the ones who rake in millions every season. Those players are the exception, not the rule, in baseball, but we don’t really hear a lot in the news about the players who don’t make enough money during the season for them to be able to relax in the off-season. In my opinion, the players who need to work in the off-season are the ones who will have a more successful life after baseball. If they get to the point where they can’t play anymore but don’t have experience in anything else, it could be hard for them to find a job. Even the players with millions run out of money eventually, and having work experience is a fallback for the players when baseball is no longer a lucrative career for them.
ReplyDeleteWhile not thematically linked to our reading, 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 and because clearly they're not making much money.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on this piece? Learn anything?
I never really realized how even now baseball players work two or maybe even three jobs. I always assumed that recent greats such as Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds maid so much money that they never would even dream of getting another job. However, I didn't know that old time greats, Cy Young Winners, and World Series players in the olden days had to consistently work two jobs just because they don't get paid anything like they do now a days. It is an incredible change in the baseball community, how only minor league players need to work two jobs now and that everyone else is basically set for life. I think the most important thing that I got out of this article is the one guy who said that he is glad he had the opportunity to have a job outside of baseball so that when his baseball career ends, he will have options in the future. I compare this to joining the army because I feel that when you are in a foreign country fighting for your nation, most of the time you aren't learning fundamental skills needed back home in an ordinary 8-5 job and that when his or her tour is up they come back with no idea what they want to do or even can do.
I really enjoyed this piece because it exposed the less glamorous side of baseball. Usually when we read articles about pro-athletes, we learn about their salaries and how much money they make for the little time that they actually spend on the field. But this article does a great job of showing how people at the bottom still have to work hard all year around to sustain a good income. Although pro-sports can come off as giving the players very lavish lifestyles, for the person just starting out, they are not able to take part in that yet. Although many players don't seem to keep their "winter" jobs, it is nice to see that some are still humble and realize what they need to keep them grounded and remain modest people.
ReplyDeleteThis piece put a lot of things into perspective for me regarding professional sports. Growing up as a young sports fan you would always here about amazing players like A-Rod receiving these massive multi million dollar salaries on shows like Sports Center. Due to this I always assumed that most of these ball players were making tons of money. But as this piece points out that is anything but the case. McHugh like many young players trying to make it have to work in the offseason to keep their dream alive. However, now as Jeremy Hefner stated “most guys don’t like to talk about their off-season jobs”. I believe that my assumptions of professional athletes salaries are not unique, this is because we only here about the star players and their massive salaries. Most sports fans don’t see the other side of baseball, the one that this article is showing. Because we don’t here about the players who are scrapping to get by, it causes us to think that all of these guys are millionaires. I feel that this assumption is incredibly harmful. It causes people to think that if you make it your done your set for life. But in reality the players that are set for life are the exception. Most guys like McHugh will never be able to retire off baseball they will have to work after the sport to stay economically stable. This is why education is so important. Due to the assumptions we have about professional athletes many collegiate players don’t use the opportunity to receive a degree but as this article points out there is a high probability that you will need that degree down the road. That’s why it’s so important that players like McHugh tell there story. So that kids can realize that having a back up plan like a degree is a necessity even if you’re a professional athlete.
ReplyDelete-Luc
This is one of my favorite articles that we have read so far because it brings the reality part into our knowledge of the life of a professional athlete. Personally, my opinions on most professional athletes have been that they are and will most of the time always be financially secure as long as they keep with the sport. Though I feel bad that professional baseball players have to work multiple jobs to be secure, it's humbling to learn that they are gaining other skills rather than knowing how to swing a bat. This article also speaks to the problem of relying on sports to get you somewhere in life and make you successful. Because a lot of the time, athletes get themselves into bad positions where they think they are going to make it to the big leagues but end up hurting themselves and have no direction to head in because they never focused on academics.
ReplyDeleteI found this article interesting because it seems rare that a pro athlete is not able to live off the money that they make through that sport that they play, no matter what sport that may be. In reading this article, I'm reminded to the times of the Negro Leagues when the people played because they loved the game despite the fact that they were paid very little. This situation is a little different obviously because of the time in which both take place but it is a pretty accurate comparison because the love for baseball required McHugh to sacrifice hours of his life to work so that he could continue the thing he loves to do. Although a rare occurrence now, McHugh has to split time between work and baseball until he becomes good enough to do something he loves as a full time job and because that thought is in the back of his mind, he will do whatever it takes to achieve that.
ReplyDeleteI think that the taboo status of an off-season job prevents people from understanding the full picture of the life of a baseball player. I consider myself an avid baseball fan, and yet, I had never even though about what players do to make money when they aren’t participating in games. It’s a shame that an off-season job can be seen as a “necessary evil” because having a second occupation can produce tremendous benefits for utility players who do not earn a significant paycheck each season. These men have ambitions that span beyond baseball; they want to learn skills that can supplement their athletic careers. When they retire, it will be very helpful for them to have useful skills that can be implemented as they become established in the next phases of their lives.
ReplyDeleteLast class I made a comment about how at the end of the day an athlete is simply doing a job. They are paid to play their sport, so I never really considered the fact that professional athletes would need to take on other jobs. We always hear about the incredible salaries of top players but it is easy to forget that a benchwarmer, who works just as hard for the team, is making a fraction of what his teammates make. The other interesting thing is how at some point the job is not even about the money. McHugh, who no longer needs the money, talks about doing it for his sanity. This idea of developing skills beyond the realm of baseball is so smart because athletes cannot play at a professional level forever and if they were making small salaries then they have to have a source of income after baseball. McHugh is looking beyond baseball and recognizing that life goes on after this chapter in his life. Having a job during the off season not only helps pay the bills but makes a player more well-rounded as an individual and likely to see success off the field.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, what struck me the most was, just like the author said, that to pro ballplayers that make nowhere near what someone like arod makes (salaries, outside sponsorships, public appearances) need a way to make sure that once they drop off the radar and their career and name are long forgotten, they still must have a way to support themselves financially. It happens to pro sports players all the time - whether they get injured or simply lose their skill, sooner or later everyone has the time when they stop playing and need another job - especially given how frivolous some of the younger players are these days with the money they earn. Not to mention, as our population is increasing exponentially and more and more players are coming dedicating their entire lives to sport, some even coming from close to rural areas around the globe, it is becoming harder and harder to keep ones position as a major role in the mlb, let alone make the draft. And with so much time being dedicated to the sport, sometimes education falls by the wayside, further decreasing the chances that a pro player will have a relatively satisfying income after once his career is over (which will already be a somewhat dramatic shift of lifestyle given what athletes are being paid these days). I also like how this sort of having a side job type deal really reflects on the way baseball was back in the day, as the article mentions. Back in the day of going out to the bar across the street after the game and having baseball be somewhat equivalent to everything else in a players life is what some people which baseball stayed. But now once your name makes its way up in the major leagues people know who you are more and more and working on the side or being viewed having such a "normal job" or "normal life" isn't really something that the public is accustomed to anymore, yet I still believe that since that it is where the roots of baseball began, and since it is become ever important to have means of making money after ones career is over that have baseball be the equivalent to all other aspects of a ballplayer's life is essential.
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued to learn about how the lives of baseball players have changed over the years. Similar to what Ruby said it was very refreshing to read about how players used to have off season jobs and had a lot more responsibility than that of the professional players of today. They seemed more like average people rather than someone who you could only dream of having the chance to meet face to face. While a lot of today's players are big superstars and may not necessarily have to worry about finances and life after their careers.
ReplyDeleteThe financial situations of athletes and particularly baseball players has always fascinated me. It seems that every year I here about different former players declaring bankruptcy. Although I had never thought about the concept of an offseason job for players it definitely makes sense to me. It also calls into question how a farm system might manage their players and ways that they can more successfully build big league talent. The thought of a pitcher sitting at a desk all day should be a horrifying thought for any athletic trainer or pitching coach that wants to keep the player's arm healthy. Although in an ideal world a player should be able to spend the offseason training for the upcoming season, it is undoubtebly necessary. Not only is a baseball players career constantly under threat of being over, even the longest careers end in the players early 40's and this is only the select few. It may be important for players to persue different jobs during the offseason, whether or not it takes away from baseball.
ReplyDeleteI think the article does an excellent job of showing the grind behind the flash of baseball. Everyone as a child dreams of being the big league star, the American hero who gets paid a fortune, though in all honesty probably not paid what he's really worth. As a society we so often forget about this entire category of player in sports, and yes it exists in all sports, this issue is not unique to baseball, but we forget about the fringe players. The players that wonder about their job security and their debt and sometimes even food on the table as much as if not more than the average american. But I think that there is some novelty that the article ignores, for instance in our readings from Cool Papa Bell, he spoke of how his brother and he didn't care whether he ever made money, he only cared about the honor of just being able to say he played pro ball. I imagine many of these fringe players feel the same way, as it probably was there life dream to play pro ball, even if that means being a utility player or minor leaguer.
ReplyDeleteSandy Schenker:
ReplyDeleteI really liked this piece because pieces like this get such little spotlight compared to the major news of an A-Rod type player being payed almost 30 million dollars a year. The people who make up the vast majority of baseball including the farm systems are similar to this type of thing. I also really like it because of house so many people talk about how getting into sports is their dream job because they will become rich and successful but in truth, most success stories turn out to be like this, having to work second and third jobs to get along and be able to play the game that they love. I also really like this because it is a refreshing reality in comparison to somebody such as Andrew Bynum, who plays the sport purely for the money, and make me at times dislike sports. I prefer the stories of the people who work as hard as they possibly can just to be able to play baseball competitively.
Reading this article really brought me back to the earlier parts of the unit discussing the role of the American Dream in baseball. As much as the game today is immensely different from the game back in the 19th & 20th centuries there is this fundamental ideology behind baseball as a sport of meritocracy, honor, and love of the game. Though this is heavily shrouded in the present due to steriods, huge salaries, and media etc this article brings the ever-present unsung heroes of present day baseball into their deserved foreground.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article. This piece showed me how normal baseball players lives could be. Nowadays, when you think of big time famous athletes or ball players, you could never imagine any of them working at a clothing store during the week or owning a liquor store or working as a grave digger. After reading this, I gained so much more respect for players who had those other jobs and still played baseball. It showed how much they really loved the sport. It showed that even though they were top class athletes, they still needed to live ordinary lives. In a way, it sort of humanizes the players and takes away that overwhelming amazement when you see one of them walk down the street. I really like it when the players get brought back down to earth, and would love to see more of it in our current society.
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