Far from glamorous majors, minor leaguers pinch pennies
Two days after the New York Mets took him in the 19th round of the baseball draft this June, Gary Cornish boarded a 6:40 a.m. flight from Phoenix to John F. Kennedy Airport, took his physical and checked into his new home, the Red Lion Inn & Suites in downtown Brooklyn.
Cornish agreed to a $10,000 signing bonus and was assigned to the Cyclones of the Class A New York-Penn League. Like most new minor leaguers, his initial salary is $1,100 a month. After a $100 deduction for hotel housing, $40 in clubhouse dues to pay the equipment kids and taxes, the 21-year-old pitcher’s biweekly take-home pay is about $380, less than the cost of some Mets premium tickets at Citi Field.
Some minor leaguers are suing Major League Baseball in an effort to get more. Cornish texts his parents in Scottsdale, Arizona, when he needs money to pay the bills, and they transfer funds to his account.