MLB Does the Right Thing, Pledges $30 Million to Ballpark Employees
By Ryan Phillips | Mar 17 2020
Major League Baseball did the right thing on Tuesday, as teams pledged $30 million to help ballpark employees whose lives will be impacted by the delayed start of the 2020 season. Other leagues should follow suit immediately.
The @MLB teams are donating a total of $30 million -- $1 million each -- to assist the ballpark employees affected by the delayed start to the 2020 season. https://t.co/PjlBCfTIxe pic.twitter.com/0AlOXOzH9M
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 17, 2020
Every team is donating $1 million to the effort. Will that be enough? I truly don't know, but it's certainly a start. At least there is some kind of security for those workers as this crisis ramps up and before the season was actually set to begin.
The one issue Major League Baseball currently has is that the league has yet to decide what to do with its minor league players. Currently the Dodgers, Red Sox, Marlins, Padres, Rays and Mets have all continued to pay players their minor league per diem of $400 a week even with baseball shut down. MLB is reportedly still trying to figure out a long-term solution.
The solution on minor league players should be clear: Pay them their salaries. MLB made the right move with the ballpark employees. It's time to extend that courtesy to the thousands of minor leaguers who are affected by the work stoppage, too.