Group says minor leaguers reprimanded for speaking out
The Advocates for Minor Leaguers is investigating allegations by players in the Philadelphia Phillies organization they were reprimanded for wearing solidarity wristbands in their final minorleague game in support of increased pay and improved living conditions.
“We heard there was some backlash, some troubling reports, and we are definitely looking into it,’’ Harry Marino, executive director of the non-profit group told USA TODAY Sports. ‘We’re very concerned. It’s totally inappropriate to have any kind of backlash.’’
Marino declined to identify those players who voiced complaints, citing their request for privacy and potential retaliation, but will continue to investigate.
“There has been a response from the team side trying to suppress that speech,’’ Marino said, “telling them they should be careful, not to talk like that, and think twice. Teams should be very careful trying to dissuade speaking out.
“The Phillies should know they’re being watched.’’
There were 10 to 25 minor-league players from the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Class A team in the New York Mets organization, and the Class A Jersey Shore BlueClaws of the Phillies organization who wore teal wristbands last weekend that said “#FairBall’’ in their season finales.
The advocacy group reported that no Mets minor-leaguer received any rebuke, with Mets manager Luis Rojas even speaking in favor of the group at Citi Field, but that they received complaints from members of the Phillies.
The Phillies acknowledged that they spoke to their players about the wristbands, but vehemently denied that they “scolded or disciplined our players.’’
“To my knowledge, no player got in trouble for this," Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, told USA TODAY Sports. “Our staff met with the players the next day since it was the last day of the season, and an end-of-the-year meeting was planned.
“The wrist band topic came up but it was for knowledge sakes. No player got in trouble or was scolded for wearing them.’’
The dispute is the latest in the ongoing battle between Advocates for Minor Leaguers and Major League Baseball. While the advocacy group is seeking increased wages, hoping to have a minimum salary of $15,000, MLB argues that minor leaguers already received a pay increase this year while they continue to enhance their living conditions.
“Player salaries and working conditions are unequivocally better than they were under the previous structure,’’ MLB said in a statement. “While more work remains, enormous strides have been taken by increasing salaries from 38% to 72% for 2021, improving facilities, providing more amenities and better clubhouse conditions, and reducing in-season travel with better geographical alignment.”
MLB, which spent about $450 million in signing bonuses for domestic and international signees this past year, raised minor-league salaries to a minimum of $700 per week at Class AAA, $600 per week at Class AA, and $500 at Class A.
The previous minimums were $502 at Class AAA, $350 at Class AA and $290 at Class A.
The increase still leaves wages woeful, Marino says, considering the federal poverty level is $12,880 (or about $250 per week) for individuals.
“We have not had any kind of conversation with MLB,’’ Marino said, “but we have certainly talked to people with various teams and team officials who understand the need for change. They want to be part of this conversation moving on.