AAA players want to go home?

[stitchface]

this article implies AAA teams may lose to avoid the playoffs . . . interesting.

 

But some minor-leaguers prefer to not make the playoffs.

 

 

 

 

They might not try to lose. They just don't want to win enough to reach the postseason.

"It's pretty common," said River Cats outfielder Hiram Bocachica, who has spent 13 seasons in professional ball and at least parts of six in Triple A. "I don't want to say everyone feels the same way. But a lot of guys do."

 

It would be the minors' dirty little secret if not for one thing.

 

It's not so little.

 

"It's quite prevalent," veteran River Cats outfielder Charles Thomas said.

 

Triple A, in particular, is a breeding ground. Its players are older than those at the lower levels, and the excitement of playing baseball for a living can wane over time, and, well, enough already. They go 144 games as it is, usually away from home and often away from family.

 

Besides, some need to start making money. A lot of players in the PCL and International League receive the minimum of $2,150 a month during the season, without the cushion of gaudy big-league money from previous years or without a signing bonus from their first pro contract. The offseason is a time to get a job in the real world.

 

Most prominent, they would rather be somewhere else. That's the nature of Triple A. Players are on the lip of making the bigs, anyway, but then major-league rosters expand from 25 to 40 players on Sept. 1, just as the PCL regular season is in its final days, and hopefuls everywhere wait for promotions.

 

 

 

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14311202p-15211071c.html