Sydney Bergman – Baseball Prospectus ($): Baseball players form a special relationship with the city they represent. This isn’t true of every player or every city but it happens enough to be a certifiable thing. Part of that relationship is a give and take based on the idea that by earning the cities trust you acclimate somewhat to the culture of your city. No one is saying that you have to change wholesale. However, for example, if the city you play for is made up of mostly immigrants then you should be sensitive to the plight of immigrants. Not all baseball players see the bond as they should and when they don’t it creates a sad situation of a player falling well short of the stature they should carry in their city.
Michael Arria – Jacobin Magazine: I have never shied away from letting my political beliefs be known on this site. When it comes to Minor League Baseball players I am firmly in the camp of them deserving a liveable wage, better working conditions, and becoming part of a union. Bernie Sanders is one of the American politicians fighting to try and make these things happen. I hope he succeeds, but I hope that any politician taking on the fight for MiLB labor succeeds.
Rick Morrissey – Chicago Sun-Times: Kris Bryant lost his grievance against the Chicago Cubs over service time manipulation. For anyone who is either pro-labor or a Cubs fan, this should be viewed as a very bad judgment. It sends the message loud and clear that the Ricketts family has been validated in manipulating a player’s contract. That is a kick in the teeth to labor and brings us even closer to the inevitable lockout that is coming in 2021.
Lead photo courtesy of Patrick Smith – Getty Images
