Garrett Broshuis, former minor league pitcher turned lawyer sues MLB

Out of all the minor leagues in professional sports, minor league baseball players suffer from arguably the worst living conditions. Their salaries are well below poverty level, which results in poor housing conditions and also leads to large amounts of debt. A former minor leaguer turned lawyer, Garrett Broshuis has experienced these conditions first-hand and has decided to try to improve minor leaguers’ salaries and working conditions by filing a lawsuit against the MLB for violation of Fair Labor Standards Act. Broshuis became a lawyer to defend minor league players after his baseball career ended.

Their wages are relatively minuscule when compared to their MLB counterparts. The average salary of a minor leaguer is $1,100 a month for a three-month season, which is well below the federal poverty level. In comparison, the minimum salary of a major leaguer is $500,000 per season.

“While big league salaries have risen by more than 2,000 percent since 1976, minor league salaries have increased by just 75 percent during that time,” Ted Berg said in a 2014 USA Today article. “When taking into account inflation, minor leaguers actually earn less than they did in 1976.”

With such minimal wages, minor league players can't afford sufficient housing.

“Some players shared tiny apartments with each other,” recalled Dirk Hayhurst in a 2014 Bleacher report article.

The shelter they had was not always the safest either; stories of structural damage and mold were common.

“I slept on an air mattress on the living room floor of a two-bedroom Portland apartment because I had the least service time of the three players who were living there,” Broshuis said in the Bleacher report article. “One of us slept on a sleeping bag on the floor.”

Garrett Broshuis / Korein Tillery 

Broshuis was a standout baseball player at the University of Missouri, earning a nomination for the 2004 Student-Athlete of the Year. He finished his 2004 season with a perfect 11-0 record. The San Francisco Giants selected Broshuis in the fifth round of the 2004 MLB draft playing six years in the minor leagues. He finished second in wins for the AA Eastern League in 2008.

Broshuis represents dozens of former minor league players in a wage and hour lawsuit challenging the salaries of minor leaguers. In March 2013, he filed a lawsuit against MLB claiming that they were in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act for continuously paying minor leaguers less than minimum wage and not paying them for overtime. Broshuis explained his decision to become a lawyer recently in an interview with the HSMSE Sports Journalism class.

“I thought I was going to be a major in physiology.” Broshuis said. “I figured out I didn't want to sit in a lab all day.”

By filing the lawsuit, he hopes to raise awareness for the poor conditions of minor league players.

“A minor league union would be terrific," Broshuis said, "at the least they need to pay for spring training. Salaries for amnesties need to be increased as well.”


Written by: Junior Flores and Muhammad Abid Hasan

Is the new Face of the MLB the Wright choice?

David Wright / Keith Allison

David Wright is the obvious choice to be the new “Face of the MLB.” Whether you support the competition or not, Wright’s long career with the New York Mets is studded with records and achievements, while his charity foundation continues to contribute to numerous causes. He epitomizes the characteristics that are worthy of his new title: loyalty, skill and humanity.

The “Face of the MLB,” needs to be someone who is devoted to the team he is playing for. On that team, they can demonstrate an ability to lead. Wright is exactly that person. As captain of the Mets, he will help his team get back to the World Series, no matter how many obstacles lie in their path.

“If my goal was to win right this second, then obviously, I would’ve been a free agent,” Wright said in a 2014 NorthJersey.com article. “To me, it was more important to show loyalty to the Mets. I grew up rooting for them, they drafted me when I was 18, they’re the only team I’ve ever played for.”

While on the Mets, Wright has put many accomplishments under his belt, including seven all-star games, two Gold Gloves, and the opportunity to play alongside baseball legend Derek Jeter in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Jeter, considered to be the current “Face of the MLB” until he retires at the end of this season, is a person that Wright watched to learn how to be a better player and a better leader.

“Derek, whether he knows it or not, and he probably doesn’t, he’s a guy that being a young athlete in New York, you can not only mold your game after but his leadership skills as well,” Wright said in a 2014 ReviewJournal.com article.

It may seem petty or disrespectful to hold a competition over who gets to be the “Face of the MLB” before Jeter has his last game or like such a prestigious title should be given out with more care, but Wright’s clear place as one of the game’s elites and his familial leadership should be sought after by all athletes. Those skills are worthy of being plastered as the "Face of the MLB."

The first active NBA player to come out

Joshua S. Kelly - Wikimedia Commons

Jason Collins stated in a Sports illustrated article that he is gay, which is the first time an active professional NBA player has admitted this. His choice to disclose this information can drastically change his future because players may act differently around him than in the past.

He could have revealed his sexuality in the middle of a season, but decided not to because it could cause problems during the season. Collins' decision to wait until the end of the season before announcing this shows his maturity. It shows he thinks about how his decision may affect the game and the players in it.

The public is taking the sports illustrated article very seriously and is showing their support for him. Many people are revering him because of his courage to admit that he is a homosexual. “I couldn’t be prouder,” President Barack Obama said.

Not everyone is showing support for Jason Collins. Some people think his decision is wrong. NFL player Leroy Butler was supposed to make a presentation about anti bullying in a church in Wisconsin. Butler posted a tweet congratulating Collins, and as a result, the church said Butler couldn’t make his presentation. The church was against him supporting Collins and in order to make his speech they asked him to remove the tweet and ask for forgiveness, which he declined.

Collins is similar to Jackie Robinson in the way he is changing the NBA. He is the first active gay NBA player which can draw lots of resentment. This is similar to when Jackie Robinson was one of the first African Americas to play in the Major Leagues. Collins may face resentment, but hopefully many people will accept him like Robinson.

Jackie Robinson, the man that broke through boundaries

Jackie Robinson / Wikimedia Commons

One of the first black American baseball players to be allowed to participate in the major league, Jackie Robinson, is remembered for his determination when playing for the sport, and his impact on the racial boundaries of society.

Robinson is remembered for his hard work and self-control. He was chosen to be the player to break the color barrier because he was an all-around athlete and he had a good feel for the game as shown when he played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. Robinson’s impact in MLB allowed more black baseball players to have the same opportunity due to his ability to endure the abuse of baseball fans, the opposition, and even his own teammates.

He was able to pave the road to allow more black baseball players to play in the majors by performing at the top of the league while never fighting back. Robinson got pitches thrown at him, was intentionally spiked, while still being able to hit home runs and steal bases. He was awarded with the honor of MVP in 1949 and was also able to assist the Brooklyn Dodgers to the World Series six times, winning their only championship 1955.

Robinson’s impact on racial boundaries loosened segregation in his time and allowed black Americans to go for work that were considered only for white Americans, ultimately allowing Barack Obama to run for president.

The struggles of Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson / Bob Sandberg - Commons

Many may wonder why Jackie Robinson is still talked about today and why is he such a significant figure in baseball. Most would answer that he was the first African American to play in the major leagues, but it was much more than that.

Robinson was selected from in the Negro Leagues to become the first African American in modern day to play baseball in the major leagues. He was scouted while the Brooklyn Dodgers were looking for new talent in many foreign countries, searching for players that could potentially win them the pennant. When Robinson first met Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ club president, he was told that the hardest part of playing in the major league would be not fighting back no matter what might come his way.

The hate was far beyond just the fans; Robinson had to deal with teammates that did not want to play with him, opponents that looked to harm him, and the pressure of failure. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Robinson led the Dodgers to a pennant in 1955, as well as being crowned MVP in 1949.

Robinson’s achievements move far outside just winning the World Series. He is a recognized figure throughout baseball because he paved the way for others to follow in the major leagues. This was not just limited to black people, but any man of color that was previously rejected because of their nationality. 
 
Robinson is recognized for his struggles because it was one of the first major steps in ending segregation not just in baseball, but across the United States.

The legendary sandman enters his final season

Will Mariano Rivera’s retirement lead to the downfall of the New York Yankees’ legacy? The Yankees ace closer has been with the team for 19 seasons and contributed to five World Series wins. Throughout the years he has shown consistency and reliability as a closer and he has been essential in the ninth inning.

Mariano Rivera - Wikimedia Commons

Rivera said that he would have retired at the conclusion of last season if he did not tear his ACL on May 3, 2012. He was on the shelf most of that season; however, he did not want to retire due to an injury. "I didn't want to leave like that," Rivera said in a press conference before the 2013 season. "I felt like I wanted to give everything."

The New York Yankees need Rivera to elevate his abilities with some of their best players including Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez out due to injury. Rivera returned to baseball on April 4, 2013, leaving him a significant amount of time to recover and come back even stronger than last season. Rivera is the most tenured player on the team and his experience will play a major role for winning another World Series.

Although many did not expect the sandman to return after his ACL injury, Rivera has been very consistent this season. He started the season by saving Andy Pettitte’s eight inning performance against the Boston Red Sox in their third game of the season.

The Yankees are looking forward to a better opening to their season as far as they are concerned with their pitching. With some of their best and more reliable batters out pitching is where the Yankees really have to be aggressive. Rivera’s composure and consistency are exactly the attributes that the Yankees need during the pressure situations.

Contributed by Kian Zadeh and Din Islam

The Astros move to the American League

At the start of the 2013 season the Houston Astros made their move from the National League Central division to the American League West. The move was a part of an agreement made two years ago when Jim Crane became the new owner of the club.  

Houston Astros logo version for team's caps / Commons

The move was a part of Commissioner Bud Selig’s desire to even out the teams in both leagues. The club was sold to Crane, who many have speculated, that it was set up by Selig. In the event that Crane wanted to buy the team, he would have to agree to move the club to the AL.

There was talk about changing a team from the National League to the American League in 2011, and the Astros were a strong candidate two years before the switch. Their move to the American League was to create a rivalry between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. The shift is a significant change in baseball, "It's a historical day, from opening day on," said Selig to USA Today.

The club moved from one of the arguably weaker divisions to one of the best, which left a question on many fans minds. How will they fare in the AL west? “Easy answer,” said Ken Rosenthal of Fox sports “They won’t.” Rosenthal criticized the club for its lack of direction, stating that the club “[is] caught between trying to rebuild and trying to remain competitive.”

There is doubt of their capabilities in the new position; the Astros will have to prove themselves in their new league and division. But their future in the same position doesn’t look promising as they stand as of April 17, 2013 with a record of four wins and ten loses.

Contributed by: Shawn Watts

New York Mets Overcoming the 9/11 Attacks

The 9/11 attacks definitely changed the face of everything in New York. Baseball wasn’t exempt from these changes. Major League Baseball had to deal with a ten game break. During this break, many groups of first responders helped at the site of the attack. What happened when the first responders needed assistance? Bobby Valentine, the former Mets manager said,“Were we just going to be a Band-Aid over this gaping wound or would we make a difference?” So they decided to make a big difference.

The Mets were at the Ground Zero site passing out care boxes for the first responders. They also stayed in the parking lot of Shea Stadium where they handed out boxes of food and water to people helping at Ground Zero and victims the attacks.

Not only did they help the victims of the horrible attacks, they helped the city recover emotionally. Ten days after the terrorist attacks, the Mets played the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. They were down 2-1 at the end of the eighth inning. Mike Piazza, the star catcher on the Mets gave a lift that America needed badly He hit a glorious two-run homerun to give the Mets the lead and eventual win. "I feel blessed to be remembered for a home run that helped heal the city,” Mike Piazza stated to SNY.

Piazza made healing the wounds that were dealt on the dreaded day much easier. His miracle woke America up and told it to get up and move along. America needed this wake up call; they needed something to cheer about. People everywhere still remember this game and how he gave the people what they needed. He gave the people the spirits to move on and continue with their lives, to focus on the present and get over the past.

Every year there is a 9/11 anniversary to commemorate the people that died on that day. This day is where everyone feels great sorrow, where everyone is connected in a special way no matter what race what gender or what nationality, and a day everyone will never forget. Ten long years have pasted and still this feeling of sorrow has not been completely healed. The death of 2,819 cannot be undone, the devastation that came with the 9/11 attacks cannot be forgotten, and the memory of that day will scar the world. The day we lost our sense of security, the people we loved, and the tower that symbolized our pride. We have lost so much but we will always keep one thing with us: our hope.

-Contributed by Alex Long and Jason Wang