[Mr KLC]

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Kazmar Jr. grounded into a double play — and sounded overjoyed.

“Definitely everything and then some,” he said. “What an amazing feeling.”

While Kazmar and the Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs 13-4, his pinch-hit appearance in the fifth inning marked the 36-year-old infielder's first major league game since Sept. 23, 2008, with the San Diego Padres — a span of 12 years, 6 months, 25 days.

Kazmar was at home living on unemployment insurance last year during the COVID-19-shortened season, when the minor leagues were called.

“There could have been obvious times where I doubted that this opportunity would ever come,” he said. “Honestly, it never really left my mind, especially the last few years that I've been playing in Gwinnett I still felt like I had the ability to play at this level. Just super fortunate to get this opportunity — one to do it with an Atlanta Braves uniform on and secondly to do it at Wrigley Field is amazing.”

Kazmar appeared in 19 games in 2008 with San Diego for his only previous major league action, and had since played in Triple-A for the Padres, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Braves, plus Double-A for the Mets — a total of 1,106 minor league games.

The gap between big league appearances was the greatest since that of right-hander Ralph Winegarner, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Winegarner played on June 23, 1936, for the Cleveland Indians and did not return to the majors until July 7, 1949, with the St. Louis Browns, a span of 13 years, 14 days.

[Mr KLC]

[Chi_archie]

such an amazing story

also very amazing he didn't retired during the lost season from the fake pandemic

I wonder what his side hustle is for $

[Chi_archie]

1558 career hits in the minors

I was surprised to read that there are a handful of guys with over 3000 career hits in the minors

the most is over 3600

I wonder what the free agency area list looks like

[TheLock]

Incredible story. What an absolute grinder.

[pologq]

such an amazing story

also very amazing he didn't retired during the lost season from the fake pandemic

I wonder what his side hustle is for $

i agree. he must be able to support himself that he can keep the dream alive.

[jjgold]

Basically just shows how weak baseball is I wonder why the batting average is 230 every player average

[TheLock]

Basically just shows how weak baseball is I wonder why the batting average is 230 every player average

Only simps still think that Batting Average matters anymore.

All about OPS+, wOBA etc.

Common Coach

[Chi_archie]

This guy has given me inspiration to not quit my goal of making it to the show

watching Dennis Quad's The Rookie on continuous loop over here

[Roger T. Bannon]

This guy is a pretty amazing story because he was terrible in Class A and AA but somehow managed to stay in minor league baseball. He somehow got to AAA and became a decent utility guy. You can make decent money at AAA. Better than working for a living. But they usually have guys they want to use.

I am going to say this was just a courtesy for a guy that had been a lifer.

[pavyracer]

He would probably have to work hard the rest of his life to make it through. Not sure how much money he saved for retirement playing 15 years in minor leagues.

[Roger T. Bannon]

He has played a lot of years at AAA. Probably made about $60,000. These kind of guys usually want to be coaches. He will have a pretty easy time getting a minor league coaching job.

[Chi_archie]

60k seems way too high

The minimum is about 15k for about 6 months

[Chi_archie]

He took a 200,000 signing bonus when drafted. So hopefully he saved/invested and didn't touch it and maybe bought some bitcoin for retirement

[Roger T. Bannon]

I'm not sure how minor league baseball works. That is the amount the players get paid by major league baseball. The minor league team also pays some guys. I know some minor league baseball players can make $100,000 at AAA.

The prospects are just paid by the team. That is most of the roster. Minor league baseball is pretty profitable so they can afford to pay players. This guy might have been getting some from both.

[Chi_archie]

Ignoring the signing bonuses that a few players get and special pay scales that a selected few have the muscle to negotiate, minor league players are paid in accordance with the the Standard 7 Year Minor League Contract.
The standard contract includes a pay scale for each level of the minor leagues plus a universal incentives package.
All wages are based on first year participation and each additional year of service at each level adds more money. Players are only paid during the season.

Level 1st Year 2ndYear 3rd Year
Rookie $1150/mo $1200/mo $1250/mo
Short Season A $1150/mo $1200/mo $1250/mo
Low A $1300/mo $1350/mo $1400/mo
High A $1500/mo $1550/mo $1600/mo
Double A $1700/mo $1800/mo $1900/mo
Triple A $2150/mo $2400/mo $2700/mo

Standard incentives include:

$500 bonus after 60 days in Double A time.
$1000 bonus after 60 days Triple A time.
$5000 bonus after 60 days Big League time.
All minor league players receive $20 meal money per day ($140 a week) when the team is on the road.
Player's do not get paid during Spring Training. They receive only $20 for every meal the team doesn't provide. Provide meals vary from team to team, some provide all meals those players get paid nothing.

Part of the last CBA was a clause ending the idiotic concept that a newly drafted player could demand and get a major league contract. However if a player is playing on a major league contract and gets sent down he still receives his major league pay.
Split contracts allow a player to be paid minor league pay while in the minor and prorated major league pay as specified in the contract - usually the major league minimum - while in the majors.

[Roger T. Bannon]

That is what major league baseball pays the player. The question how much do minor league teams at the AAA level pay.

There are some minor league teams that have drawn 1,000,000 in attendance. Are they getting free baseball players? My guess is not.

[Roger T. Bannon]

If you look at Las Vegas, they had 650,000 in attendance last year. If we say they charge $8 per ticket they made $5,000,000 before they ever even sold an overpriced beer. That is $200,000 per player on the team.

With a decent union, players would make $100,000 per year. They don't have a decent union but the profitability of a minor league baseball player is pretty obvious.

[Chi_archie]

the minor league team itself does not pay the players

much has been written about how poorly they are paid. but they did just get a minumum pay raise

https://www.motherjones.com/politics...e-wage-income/

https://globalsportmatters.com/busin...-poverty-line/

https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2019...or-change.html

[Roger T. Bannon]

Yes, most of this is focused on lower level minor leagues which is extremely predatory. But most minor league players are out of baseball within three years. You flunk out at each level. That is what makes this guy's career so amazing because he really sucked.

I know that a semi-pro team in Texas was paying roughly $20,000 per year on an annual basis to a player I read about in the newspaper. This is a completely unaffiated team with players with no chance of playing in the majors.

Once you get up to AAA, you are talking about pretty lucrative businesses. AA teams are fairly lucrative and even some single A teams are million dollar operations.

I do not believe this guy has been making $15,000 per year and minor league teams have been making $100,000s of dollars off of him. I am sure he has not been paid what he deserves but pretty sure it is not $15,000.