Atlanta Braves Afternoon Chop – Special Edition

Oct. 14, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the pitch clock in a dugout being tested during an Arizona Fall League game between the Surprise Saguaros against the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Minor Leaguers Can Expand Lawsuit Against MLB

JOSH LEVENTHAL / BASEBALLAMERICA.COM (excerpted)

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The case for a group of former minor league players suing Major League Baseball over unfair wages took a significant step forward on Tuesday when the United States District Court in San Francisco ruled that the lawsuit can be certified as a class action. As a result, roughly 10,000 current and former minor leaguers can join the group of 32 players that filed a lawsuit in February 2014 contending that major league teams have suppressed minor league player salaries in violation of federal and state labor laws.

“It’s a good win,” said Garrett Broshuis, the former minor league pitcher turned attorney who is leading the lawsuit for St. Louis-based law firm Korein Tillery. “We always believed that we would achieve this result. We believe that no matter the organization, minor leaguers are similarly situated and that this step was an appropriate step up for the case to take.”

The former players are seeking to change the current minor league wage structure—in which players typically make between $1,100 and $2,150 a month and are paid only during the five-month minor league season, not including spring training—so that players earn at least minimum wage. That group of players can now include any current or former minor leaguer dating back to early 2011 (when the federal statute of limitations expires).

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