Something interesting I didn't know

[BuccoFla]

I was reading something else and came across this interesting little piece of info. It has to do with Major League pensions. It's probably only interesting to me and wasn't worth a post but here goes anyway.



http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_46/b3959608.htm

"A baseball player needs just 43 days of major league service to qualify for a $34,000 annual benefit"

"The NFL's plan covers every player who played at least four seasons in the league, and the NBA covers those who played at least five. The NHL pays a pension to players who played in at least 160 games"

[Dogknot3]

If you work for a Major League team for five years, you also get a pension.  I have no idea how much you get, but you get one.

[BuccoFla]

I found it interesting how long you have to play in the NFL before you get a pension. I'm almost positive that the average career in the NFL is the shortest of the four major sports. Looks like Baseball has the strongest/best union.

[WTM]

Part of the reason may be that the sort of guy who spends just a year in the majors probably ends up spending many years in the minors.

[BuccoFla]

They should make it thirty days instead of forty three. That way everyone who gets called up in September when the rosters expand would get one.

[Tintin]

When I worked for the Indians, one of the guys told me that it was health insurance for life, some sort of life insurance and roughly 50.00 a day for every day of sevice time starting at 44 days.  I think coaches are in herre as well. 

They do this to keep guys who get called up in September from getting thefor a cup in September pensions.  The logic being if we call you up next year, you'll get your days.  From what I can tell, most teams try to get their guys to 44 days.  I've heard that Jim Tracy brought Mike Edwards up as he was sitting on 30 days or so, so he could get his days and then they were going to cut him.  He ended playing the season out due to injuries.

[81omar]

   Chris Carter now of the Mets has 42 days of service time over 2 seasons with the Red Sox,hes a good player but who knows if hes going to get called up at some time,he is 27 already

[BuccoFla]

   Chris Carter now of the Mets has 42 days of service time over 2 seasons with the Red Sox,hes a good player but who knows if hes going to get called up at some time,he is 27 already

Just for fun I checked service time for Virgil Vazquez. He has 105 days.
Daniel McCutchen - 35 days
Neil Walker - 34 days
Anthony Clagget - 17 days

[WTM]

Just for fun I checked service time for Virgil Vazquez. He has 105 days.

Fine, he's all set then.

[MaineBucs]

For some reason, I thought the minimum service time to earn a pension was much greater.  The low threshhold that has been established really could serve as another reason why career minor leaguers hang on hoping for the chance to play in the majors.

Take Chris Coste for a moment.  The Pirates signed him to his first professional contract in 1998 when he was already 25.  He bounced around the minors until he was 33 and his call up to the majors by the Phils.  While he has gone on to a 4 year major league career --- why not, he's a catcher --- I can only imagine how much greater security he provided for himself and his family by qualifying for a major league pension in 2006.

Good to see that major league baseball and the players union has established a program that provides some solid benefits for players who were not stars in the game.   

[Sanchez12]

This article was written in 2005, so some of the numbers have probably changed since then.