House That Hank Built
Fansided

Atlanta Braves and the rise of a future MLB problem

By Alan Carpenter

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Luke Voit #45 of the New York Yankees tags out Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox at first base during the first inning in Game Four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Luke Voit #45 of the New York Yankees tags out Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox at first base during the first inning in Game Four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO – NOVEMBER 14: A view of weeds growing in left field of the Yldefonso Sola Morrales Stadium in Caguas, Puerto Rico on November 14, 2018. It was of the home of the Puerto Rican baseball League team the Criollos de Caguas. The stadium is scheduled to be demolished due to the heavy damage caused by Hurricane Maria.  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Lumix)
CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO – NOVEMBER 14: A view of weeds growing in left field of the Yldefonso Sola Morrales Stadium in Caguas, Puerto Rico on November 14, 2018. It was of the home of the Puerto Rican baseball League team the Criollos de Caguas. The stadium is scheduled to be demolished due to the heavy damage caused by Hurricane Maria.  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Lumix) /

Breaking the Cycle

Ultimately, the way out of this is “better players”… having enough talent around so that even the bottom feeders can’t go wrong.  But there’s a problem here as well.

Baseball development (at roughly the high school level in the US) is expensive – which represents a direct cost to the families.  It’s endless travel, equipment, entry fees – everything. Yet today, this is how the top players get noticed the most – and how they see better competition to showcase their talents.

MLB is starting multiple programs to combat this cost barrier – which should certainly serve to help the game among minority and disadvantaged students.

MLB needs to do these – and much more – to support its sport:

  • Expand all of these programs nationwide
  • Reset the structure of draft pool compensation to insure that ALL drafted players receive at least $20,000 when they sign a minor league contract, then triple the wages they receive in the minor leagues.
  • Build/upgrade fields in partnership with local governments

Rob Manfred wants 32 teams in major league baseball.  Right now, there are simply not enough MLB-caliber players to support this.  The athletic talent is there,but many choose football, basketball, soccer… or nothing.

In addition, so many teams are already not competitive at this time and the further dilution of talent won’t help the matter in future years… unless the talent base is increased substantially.

MLB must therefore increase the players of the game at the youth level – and that means infusing the programs they already have established with additional cash to make them work for more than mere lip service.  Added money will draw new players

The new TV contract with FOX will add roughly $6.3 million per team.  Roughly half of that could fully fund everything suggested above… and it will pay dividends down the road.  New teams… new fans… returning fans.

Next. Meanwhile... the Braves gotta work hard to catch up. dark

It’s an investment in the sport.  And Major League Baseball needs to do this for their own long-term survival.

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