"The First Hispanic
Ball Player"
by Amaury
Appeared 7/18/02
Online for
Love Of The Game Productions.Com

Peace in Baseball through 2011
-Amaury Pi-González

October 25, 2006

A new unprecedented era of labor peace was completed during the 2006 World Series. Lawyers both sides, the Major League Players Association and owners of all 30 teams completed a five-year collective bargaining agreement. The new deal runs through the 2011 season.

"This is the golden era in every way" Commissioner Bud Selig said "The economics of our sport have improved dramatically, and that's good" Selig continued "That, after all, made for a more wholesome atmosphere. We didn't have to quarrel about a lot of things".

Under the current contract, the luxury tax has mainly affected the New York Yankees, who paid $11.8 million in 2003, $30 million in 204 and $34.1 million in 2005. Boston paid $3.1 million in 2004 and $4.2 million in 2005 while the Los Angeles Angels paid $900,000 in 2004.

The minimum salary for baseball players under the new agreement increases from $327,000 per season for a rookie to $ 380,000 and amateur draft-pick compensation for same free agents who sign with new teams will be eliminated.

Baseball drug testing policy rule also were extended until 2011 and both sides said they would consider adding testing for human growth hormone.

All of this is good news, we will now be in an era of "peace" between labor and management and nobody can be against peace. The average salary for a player in the Major Leagues is approximately $3 million per season. Some franchises are still in limbo; here in the Bay Area the Oakland Athletics still do not know how much longer they will be able to stay in Oakland without a new stadium. The Florida Marlins average 13,000 fans per game and are serious candidates for moving out of Miami unless their plans for a new stadium in Hialeah
(Miami area) becomes a reality.

Hispanic baseball players keep coming into the Major Leagues. At the current pace by 2011 close to 45 percent of all players will be Hispanic. But it is not only quantity, but quality what Hispanic players have brought to the game during the past two decades as they are becoming ever present among all 30 teams. During the past few seasons, in any given game teams have fielded 7 or 8 Hispanics on their starting line ups. I was lucky enough to have been in this business since the mid 1970s and I have seen Hispanic players develop and have witnessed this growth and will predict that it will continue (2006 MLB season set a new attendance record) this non profit organization is extremely proud as we enter the 2007 season and the All Star Game here in the City of San Francisco.

We will continue to work with the enthusiasm and idealism that is bound to make all Hispanics proud of their heritage.