MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred put his credibility in jeopardy once again this week, before the All-Star Game.
On Tuesday afternoon, he said that he refuted the premise that minor league players don’t make a livable wage.
Predictably, his remarks earned him a lot of criticism in the last 24 hours, from all sectors: media, minor leaguers, and even major leaguers.
Lots of players in the minor league system proved once again that not only Manfred is wrong, but he is also stubborn: this is not a new problem, and he refuses to even acknowledge it.
I made less than $12,000 last year which is in fact not a livable wage 🤡 https://t.co/dBb4c1V6Ly
— Aiden McIntyre (@A_McIntyre50) July 20, 2022
“I made less than $12,000 last year which is in fact not a livable wage,” minor league pitcher Aiden McIntyre tweeted.
Who Is Aiden McIntyre?
McIntyre plays in the Oakland Athletics’ farm system.
Last year, he divided his time between Class-A and Double-A, leaving a 2.82 ERA in 51 innings.
He has barely pitched this year, though, with 1.2 innings at the Rookie level, presumably recovering from an injury.
The 26-year-old was drafted in 2018, and still hasn’t touched Triple-A.
There is a decent chance he doesn’t make it to the majors, thus earning a shot at considerable, life-changing money.
Still, he feels the need to fight his fight, and he has every right to do that.
He is representing every high school arm that dropped out of a college commitment to pursue his dream of making the majors.
He represents the young Latin American prospect who doesn’t speak English and tries his luck in a wholly different country than what he has known for all his life.
But above all things, he is representing an underpaid workforce fighting for the right to be treated with respect.
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