Baseball contract

Most athletes have home gyms, so rehab at home is possible. But the equipment they have at a good rehab center is way beyond the home gym, including experts on hand and things like pools. He's not going to be able to afford a lot of the high end stuff, so he's going to do some of his rehab at a rehab facility, although he probably won't live there. As well as his rehab, he's also going to have to do maintenance on the rest of his body. For example, if you tear out your left shoulder, you've got to work your legs and right arm/shoulder. Rehab for a professional athlete is a lot more involved than rehab for the rest of us.

He's unlikely to be able to collect worker's comp, as what is a disabling injury for sports is frequently not one for the rest of us.

Farm league to the majors doesn't change your crappy farm league contract. Until you transfer permanently to the majors, you're going to have people wondering why you don't work for McDonalds. Support for players at this level in baseball is minimal. Most are going to be back in mom and dad's basement. Here's an article on the present status of the lawsuit some minor league players have filed against the MLB. http://www.law360.com/articles/780591/mlb-attacks-subclasses-in-minor-league-wage-dispute

Athletes with some brains buy insurance to cover them in this type of situation. There are very few athletes with brains. They're driven by hope and the crazy feeling that they can do it. Sort of like writers.

Jim Clark-Dawe

popmuze said:

If a baseball prospect got severely injured his first game in the majors (during September call ups) and was out for the next six to ten months (or more) would he be entitled to any money? Worker's comp? Could he rehab at home?

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Who is he under contract to? Why wouldn't he be rehabbing with the team?

What round did he get picked in, and how good of a player was he coming up?

Yes, he would be entitled to workers comp, at least. The players union has made sure to that. But depending on how valuable they were, and the type of injury, is going to depend on how much money they get and what kind of specialist they call in. High profile players have injury clauses in their contracts.

If he is a 17th round draft choice batting below the Mendoza line--that plays good defense-- that is another story.

What type of injury did he sustain.

popmuze said:

I might add, this story takes place in 1962-63. I would guess he's "a 17th round draft choice batting below the Mendoza line, etc." For the purposes of the story, this will be his last at bat in the majors (or the minors for that matter), as he decides to quit baseball to become a folk singer (thereby doubling his income). I'm just wondering if he'd have any sort of financial cushion during his recovery time at home (from a busted leg) or (undoubtedly meager) signing bonus. Or would he immediately have to seek employment (when did McDonald's come into existence?).

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McDonald's opened in 1955, or 56.


He wouldn't rehab with the team as they travel, especially in September.

Again, if your story is taking place in that era, his chances of rehab are far less. The medical technology, etc, of course you probably know this. But I'll have to look into when the MLBPA was formed. Because that puts a whole new twist on your question. I'm pretty sure the Players Union was not formed until the early 70's.

If the injury is significant enough, and he's not that talented the teams medical staff, trainer, is probably going to pull into the office and get, "The Talk." All baseball players dread it. "Hey, kid, it's been fun........"

I love Baseball and Boxing stories. I hope to read some of it. Good luck

jclarkdawe said:

Athletes with some brains buy insurance to cover them in this type of situation. There are very few athletes with brains. They're driven by hope and the crazy feeling that they can do it. Sort of like writers.

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Your right, but if they take the settlement they can't play again -sometimes.

R.A. Dickey's story is a good example of this. After a physical they determined that he did not have a Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his pitching arm. He could have cashed out a million dollar policy--bare in mind he was a poor kid in college at the time--but he could have never played again.

Him and his wife lived in near poverty for years, as he fought his way to the Major Leagues -eventually as a knuckle-ball pitcher.

There was a players' association, but they didn't really do much until later in the 60s. The major league minimum was $7000 a year in 1962. While there were those who made big salaries, Mickey Mantle for example, most of those who played in the MLB, not even minors, had jobs in the off season.

In 1966, Jim Palmer pitched a shutout in the World Series (which the Orioles went on to win) and was selling suits in a department store in the off season.

So I would say it's highly unlikely your MC as a call up from the minor leagues would have any cushion at all.


ETA: Also, the minor league system and affiliation with the MLB was restructured around 1962-1963. If it heavily impacts your story, you might need to dig further. I'm not sure when the tradition of September call ups began. Many of the minor leagues pre-1962 were in areas that didn't have major league teams (ie. Pacific Coast League, Texas League).

In the Major and Minor leagues for the MLB and their assonate teams, once under contract that contract must be honored despite injury, even if it is a career ending injury. The only time teams can withhold checks is if the player violated team or league rules and mostly those are game checks and are surved with a suspension.

Injured players are allowed to rehab at home. But they still must follow and check in with team doctors and medical staff or appointed doctors so that they can ensure the healing process happens correctly and with the greatest chance of preventing a reinjury.

He will not have to worry about workmen comp. All players in the MLB and their minor team affiliates are salary players. Now durning the season, a Game check is worth more than a regular check durning the off season. And an MLB check is worth a whole lot more than a minor league check for those in the farm system. While injured he may also miss out on bonus pay that revolve around game preformance.

But he's still making more money than he has ever made in his live in these situation. Even with one game.
Your status in pay is honored from the moment you are injured. He would be placed on an IR (Injured Reserved) list so the ball club can fill his spot and so that the earning made do not affect the teams salary cap. (Which is a joke in the mlb because all it does is go to the team tax)

Now, once he recovers, he's probably going straight to the minors again and will have to work himself up, but while injured, in september, he can't be traded until the off season free agency starts.

But he can be released. An Injure releash though still entitles him to the FULL sum of his contract.

popmuze said:

I might add, this story takes place in 1962-63. I would guess he's "a 17th round draft choice batting below the Mendoza line, etc." For the purposes of the story, this will be his last at bat in the majors (or the minors for that matter), as he decides to quit baseball to become a folk singer (thereby doubling his income). I'm just wondering if he'd have any sort of financial cushion during his recovery time at home (from a busted leg) or (undoubtedly meager) signing bonus. Or would he immediately have to seek employment (when did McDonald's come into existence?).

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I just read the year.

If he was still on the team, yeah, he may get paid. If they cut him, he is screwed and out of a job and a paycheck. My original post os for todays atheletes.