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SPORTS Tuesday 19 March 2019
Union head praises Jays for raising minor league pay by half

By JAKE SEINER minor league players alleg-
AP Sports Writer ing MLB violated minimum
DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Union wage and overtime re-
head Tony Clark lauded quirements was pre-empt-
the Toronto Blue Jays on ed last year when congress
Monday for giving minor passed the “Save Ameri-
league players a 50 per- ca’s Pastime Act,” which
cent raise, and he hopes stripped minor leaguers of
other clubs do the same. the protection of federal
Representatives from the minimum wage laws.
players’ association visited MLB has also pushed Ari-
the Blue Jays spring train- zona lawmakers to exempt
ing camp a day after The minor league players from
Athletic reported the team minimum wage laws there,
planned to boost pay for a move that would affect
all minor leaguers, some hundreds of players who
making as little as $1,100 a are not paid during spring
month in recent seasons. training — despite working
Minor league players are as many as 12 hours per
not paid during spring train- day — and make only a
ing or the offseason. Those few thousand dollars play-
who don’t receive lucra- ing in the rookie-level Ari-
tive signing bonuses often zona League.
struggle to afford meals, Clark noted conditions in
rent and basic equipment the minor leagues have Toronto Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio watches his home run off Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
like cleats and bats. not changed much since Vince Valasquez during the second inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, March
Toronto is the first club to he played there in the ear- 6, 2019, in Dunedin, Fla.
announce such a raise. ly 1990s. Despite that, the Associated Press
“I’m glad there has been union has accomplished lit- are they unionized them- letic that Toronto hoped “awesome” that Toronto is
some dialogue and a deci- tle at the bargaining table selves. players would use the extra boosting pay.
sion made in the last week on behalf of minor leagu- “Although we don’t rep- money to find better hous- “Hopefully that gives an
to suggest that guys are ers. resent legally the minor ing and food. It’s not un- idea to everybody else in
going to be compensated Clark said he considers mi- league group, we will con- common for minor leagu- baseball,” he said. “That’s
differently than they may nor leaguers “a part of the tinue to do the things that ers to cram up to eight awesome I think. I’m proud
have been in the past,” puzzle” for the union, but we can do to support them players into two-bedroom to be a Blue Jay by what
he said. “We’ll have to see added there are challeng- moving forward despite apartments, sleeping on air we just did.”
how other teams either do es to that relationship. Mi- that,” Clark said. mattresses to stretch mea- Top prospects Bo Bichette
or don’t fall in line behind nor league players are not Blue Jays vice president of ger salaries. and Cavan Biggio also
them.” a part of the major league baseball operations Ben “We just feel like it’s consis- praised the move. Both
A lawsuit filed by former players’ association, nor Cherington told The Ath- tent with our values of trying had big league fathers
to be a player-centered or- and received sizable sign-
Fitzpatrick agrees to $11M, ganization and give them ing bonuses, so the salary
every resource possible to bump won’t have much
2-year deal with Miami be at their best,” Chering- effect for them, but they’re
thrilled for less fortunate
ton said.
teammates.
First-year Blue Jays skip-
By STEVEN WINE per Charlie Montoyo was “It’s definitely going to help
AP Sports Writer a minor league manager a lot of people out,” Bi-
MIAMI (AP) — Ryan Fitzpat- for 18 seasons. He said it’s chette said. q
rick will become the Miami
Dolphins’ caretaker quar-
terback.
The well-traveled veteran
agreed to terms Sunday
on an $11 million, two-year
contract as a replacement
to Ryan Tannehill and a
placeholder until the Dol-
phins can draft their fran-
chise quarterback. That
could happen next month, In this Nov. 18, 2018, file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
but is more likely in 2020. quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) rushes for a touchdown
The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick against the New York Giants during an NFL football game in East
has a 50-75-1 record as a Rutherford, N.J.
starter for seven NFL teams. Associated Press
He started seven games nessee Titans in a deal that After Miami went 7-9 last
for Tampa Bay last year also involved draft picks. year, owner Stephen Ross
and had a passer rating of Tannehill became Miami’s fired coach Adam Gase,
100.4, which ranked ninth in starting quarterback as a ordered a youth move-
the league. rookie in 2012 and never ment and acknowledged
The Dolphins traded Tan- took a snap in the postsea- it may take several seasons
nehill on Friday to the Ten- son. to build a winner. q