How Long Would You Stick Around In The Minors?

[M1IRONMIKE]

I would stick around until I was cut.
Fortunately for me my high school coach saw to it that my wait was not a long one!

[ToughGuy_BlueShirt]

I'd pull an AP, if I wasn't up in a year, I'd quit. That's how I roll.

[maddash]

I'd angle for a few years in Japan in my late 20s. Then I'd come back and play as long as I could.

Yeah, if I was single I'd mess around here in the US for a while, do a spell in Japan, maybe a tour of the Italian League, and then come back here and coach.

I would've preferred that to what I've done otherwise. At my age, I'd be involved in coaching, scouting or front office stuff these days.

Beats the heck out of the corporate treadmill.

Yeah, you'd get to see a bit of the world without having to join the military and get shot at.

I'm curious as to how many US players try to play on a team in Japan if they're stuck in the minors here. If I were a player and had no qualms about moving myself (or a family) over there, I'd jump at the chance to live in Japan for a few years.

[jagtrader]

It's not easy to get a contract to play in Japan. I believe teams are only allowed two position players and two pitchers from outside the country.

[greenback44]

I'd angle for a few years in Japan in my late 20s. Then I'd come back and play as long as I could.

Yeah, if I was single I'd mess around here in the US for a while, do a spell in Japan, maybe a tour of the Italian League, and then come back here and coach.

I would've preferred that to what I've done otherwise. At my age, I'd be involved in coaching, scouting or front office stuff these days.

Beats the heck out of the corporate treadmill.

I'm not the guy to defend the corporate treadmill, but at least the pay is decent and consistent. How did Will Carroll phrase it, in baseball you're hired to be fired? You probably need a lot of help to make it in the non-player roles.

[stlmark]

When they told me I had to stop playing.

Same! When they buried me.

[JCShutout]

Until I got my phd and a professor job.

I would totally go play in Japan or Korea just for the travel/cultural immersion.

[Redbirdruss]

Depends on how much money I was making. If I were a 4A guy pulling down $150K a year, I'd stick around for a while. The real challenge would be developing skills for "retirement". I think it would be important to work on those skills at least part time during the off-season.

I would also be interested in finding a rich woman to take care of me .

[Radbird]

I'd angle for a few years in Japan in my late 20s. Then I'd come back and play as long as I could.

Yeah, if I was single I'd mess around here in the US for a while, do a spell in Japan, maybe a tour of the Italian League, and then come back here and coach.

I would've preferred that to what I've done otherwise. At my age, I'd be involved in coaching, scouting or front office stuff these days.

Beats the heck out of the corporate treadmill.

I'm not the guy to defend the corporate treadmill, but at least the pay is decent and consistent. How did Will Carroll phrase it, in baseball you're hired to be fired? You probably need a lot of help to make it in the non-player roles.

And I wasn't trying to unnecessarily bash it. Just fantasizing over a perceived nirvana of combining passion (baseball) and career. In reality, it's probably a good thing they are separate entities.

[skmsw]

When they told me I had to stop playing.

I used to think that too. But I realized that it was not without a cost, and that there would come a point in time where the cost outweighed the value and it was time to move on. In my case I never had to make that decision, it was made for me . . . but only a little sooner, I suspect, than I would have made it anyhow. As Clint says, a man's got to know his limitations.