Comments on: Detroit Tigers, 2010 Minor League Review

By: GopherDay

GopherDay — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:06:52 +0000

@Stephen: @Steve: Yeah, sports like tennis and golf can get real expensive real quick. Because you're playing for yourself. But I know in tennis (and probably golf too) the major companies offer sponsorship to the players (if they're good enough) and they pay for some travel expenses. Basketball is pretty much if you're not good enough to play in the NBA, then you go to play in Europe. I have a friend that plays on a team in Spain. They pay a good salary, provide room, and pay for all the travel expenses. If you aren't good enough to play in europe then you go to China, but I don't know anything about that.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:25:32 +0000

@Steve: I didn't even think of the extra business expenses for a tennis player or a golfer.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:22:08 +0000

@Stephen: Yeah, you’re right. I guess you can have a rewarding baseball career without making it to the majors.

And you’re part of an organisation that, depending on the level you’re playing at, looks after most of your overheads/needs.

For golfers and tennis players, most of them (it’s different, obviously, for the Mickelsons and Tigers of this world) are pretty much on their own. Playing the tour is an expensive business (food, accomodation etc) and if you’re not making the main draw or getting into a tournament and making the cut, the money runs out pretty quick.
I guess that’s what I was getting at – by any reasonable standards, these guys are fantaistic at what they do, yet they can’t make a living out of it.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:02:23 +0000

@Steve: Concur. One of the main difference though about baseball is that they have an entire minor league system to house their prospect and aging veteran prospects. Furthermore, some prospects who never make it can play at Triple-A until they fulfill their dream to make the majors, or choose to retire. You have some minor league stars that play into their mid 30s who never sniff the majors. With the NFL you have college and practice squads. Typically, once they play at college and serve their time on the practice squads, if they haven't played a down in a regular season game they probably will have to play in the Canadian League, if there at all. The NBA basically has college or the European Leagues, but with the smaller roster sizes and the ability for one superstar to carry a team, you're either gonna be drafted and be a stud or you'll get offer a 10-day contract at best. The NHL has a minor league system but I don't know much about the AHL or the many European leagues (other than the fact that Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Czech) have some good leagues. I feel baseball has more lifers than the other sports due to their expansive minor leagues (think of all the Dominican leagues and academies). There are baseball players that haven't done anything since they were 16 but play baseball. If that is all you've ever done, toiling in the minors makes sense. Even if they were the best where they came from, to be the best of the best of the rest is difficult. I went to high school with one of these players (link is Here). He was awesome at basketball and a stud at baseball. But to be the best of the rest will become his challenge.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:47:26 +0000

@Stephen: It's kind of sobering to think that some of these guys absolutely dominated their peers in little league, in high school and in college. They were the best of the best wherever they played, yet they still won't be quite good enough to make it. That said, it's the same in a lot of sports. Any qualifying event for any golf or tennis tournament is stacked with people who can play better than 99.9% of the rest of will ever be able to, but yet they still aren't quite good enough to bring it at the top level.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:39:25 +0000

@Steve: There were several innuendos that I could have used through the entire article too. Such a shame we're a family site, or something like that. Also, there are at least 200 pitchers and hitters when you combine foreign leagues and short seasons for each. One of the most difficult things about these articles are ignoring those guys that will never make it. Sucks when the hype almost makes those guys unavoidable.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:29:51 +0000

Furbrush? Dude should be called up on the strength of that alone.

Seriously, reading thse posts makes you realise that for every guy that makes it to the majors and is feted or abused for his fantasy prowess (or lack thereof) there are thousads and thousands of guys slogging their guts out at the lower levels, who will probably never make it.