Go back to school, pack boxes at UPS, give lessons, substitute teach, maybe even go back to school …
All of the above are potential avenues minor league players will be taking in the next month. Sure, the big leaguers keep playing through September and into October; however, for us (minor leaguers), our regular season is over in less than a week. With said end of season, players start thinking about what they are going to be doing to make a living for the six months when we are not playing.
In our sport, we only get paid for the games we play; so the paychecks stop coming in when the season ends. For most of us, too, we are not able to save enough to live off of when the money stops coming in. Nonetheless, the competitor in us all drives us to find ways to keep our heads above water. During my career, I have heard of offseason jobs that I did not even know existed, but guys find the jobs so they can keep playing.
At the end of the day, that is what it comes down to: our drive to play. Without a doubt, we complain from time to time about not having much to live on, but our desire, drive and determination to play always wins out. Thus, with only six games to go, it is time to fill up what is left in the memory jar for the year and ride off into the sunset on the 2011 season.
What are some of your wildest jobs? I’m always looking for new ideas.
