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Should the minimum age for signing Latin American players to MLB contracts be raised to 18?
Results so far:
| Yes | 57% | 36 votes | Total: 63 votes | |
| No | 43% | 27 votes |
Yes
by Jorge Blackwood
Created on: March 15, 2010
Being born a Latin American gives me a different prospective to this age old question. As we know most players that sign major league contracts are 18 or older after graduating from high school. However, there have been a few exceptions to that rule of being high school graduates. Some American players have tried to bypass the requirement by enrolling in community college early and then playing a year at the college level thereby making themselves eligible for the baseball draft the next year. The American requirement also indicates that a prospect must have a high school degree or a GED (high school equivalency) to be eligible for the draft.
The high school degree requirement or GED is not applicable to Latin players because some countries don’t require that a prospect have one. It would help if some Latin countries made an emphasis to educate the prospects that were available to the Major Leagues. Of course, that is another argument for a different day. We know that poverty plays a big part in the lack of education of some Latin American prospects. Therefore, it would be difficult to require a substantial education of Latin prospects to be at par with American prospects.
Be that as it may, the minimum age for signing Latin American prospects should be raised to 18 because as it has been determined by the admission of several Major League players the Latin American prospects have lied about their age so they could sign contracts at sixteen years old. There have been several MLB players that have admitted that they were under age when they signed their contracts. Miguel Tejada, Adrian Beltre are a few of the many MLB players who lied about their age in order to sign those lucrative contracts.
If the minimum age is raised to 18 then Major league teams would be less susceptible to accidentally signing a 14 or 15 year old prospect as it has been in the past. Even if some Latin American prospects lied about their age it would be more difficult to pass as an eighteen year old then as a sixteen year old. Furthermore, signing eighteen year olds would mean that Latin American prospects would be more physically and mentally developed for the rigors of Minor League baseball. Maturity would assist in the players being able to focus on baseball development and a greater chance for success.
I have coached Baseball and Softball players for over 15 years and I have learned that many talented kids get burned out during their teen years. Furthermore, a sixteen year old from any country is more likely to miss his family than an eighteen year old. Also, statistics will show that an eighteen year old tends to be more focused at success than a sixteen year old.
It is a difficult dilemma when you have Latin American prospects fighting to get out of poverty and knowing that there is a possibility that professional baseball may be their only opportunity. However, raising the minimum signing age to eighteen could lessen the exploitation of these Latin American prospects. Thus, giving these prospects a greater opportunity to succeed and in making it to the Show.
Learn more about this author, Jorge Blackwood.
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No
by William Harrell
Created on: June 18, 2010
I have had the opportunity to be around some young latin players at the rookie level. These young men played in the Appalachian League. After having observed these young players I think that they should be able to sign at 15 or 16 and play in the Latino Leagues like they are currently doing. Note: most of these young players are 18 by the time they reach the United States to play professionally.
But, that's not the question. Why should 15 and 16 year old Latin American kids be allowed to sign professional baseball contracts when kids the same age in the United States can't? First, most of these kids from the islands and South America aren't attending public school. They aren't receiving any formal education by this age. In fact most of them don't go to school past what we would call the 3rd or 4th grade. These kids are out on the street and playing pick-up games of baseball most days. Most of these young men need a job. Baseball gives them a job, income, and food on the table. Second, these kids are poor. They come from a socio-economic background that most American kids can't imagine. An example is these young players get to the United States and a dozen of them will rent a garage to live in. Until their first paycheck they all sleep on the floor of this garage together without a mat, a pad, or even a pillow. Once they get a paycheck they buy a mat and a pillow and they send the rest of their money home to help their families. As you can see these kids have nothing without baseball at this point in their young lives. Baseball gives them a chance to have more than the clothes on their back and their daily meals. Signing a baseball contract gives them an opportunity. A real chance.
So baseball gives these young men an opportunity, food on the table, and a real chance for a prosperous life. Are there any drawbacks that I have observed? Of course. First, the majority of these kids don't speak English when they reach the states. So communication is a huge obstacle for them. But, as long as they continue to play baseball they get a free pass on not being able to speak functional English. Second, baseball is an ultra competitive world. Most of these young players that get to the US end up being cut. So it can be a very short term chance for these kids. Good bye baseball means good bye income and opportunity for these kids. Then what? Some return home but others migrate up into New England. There they become illegal immigrants unable to speak the national language and no work place skills to earn a living. So they just become cheap day labor. Which is better living conditions than they had in their native countries.
Finally, it wouldn't make any difference if there rules in place that stated latino players had to be 18 to sign professional contracts. They would just lie and say they were 18 so they could get this great opportunity. Fake birth certificates are already a problem in third world countries.
So sign them, pay them, and let them play.
Learn more about this author, William Harrell.
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