Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Lighter Side of Injuries

Yeah, those pulled groins and trick elbows may wreak havoc on a big league roster, but they're something of a boon down on the farm:
When the Angels decided to cut Erick Aybar's minor league rehab assignment a day short and reactivate the infielder Wednesday, the reverberations were felt in the clubhouse of the Angels' Class-A affiliate in Rancho Cucamonga. That's because every time a big league player goes down to the minors to work through an injury, he's expected to buy the postgame spread, replacing takeout burgers, pizza or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with something more substantial . . .

. . . Aybar was the sixth Angel to play there this spring. But none, Sipes said, was more generous than pitcher John Lackey, who sprung for a half-dozen $500 meals from local restaurants during his three-game rehab assignment.
It's easy to forget that, a couple of bonus babies aside, most low minor teams are full of players living in a practical state of poverty during the season.

1 comment:

Paul Thomas said...

I don't understand why things have to be this way. I mean, think about it. The average team has maybe 150 players in its minor league affiliates. You could give each of them a $10,000 raise-- enough to raise their wages from poverty line to something that allows a vaguely decent existence-- for $1.5 million a year.

Or you could sign Emil Brown.