Job Responsibilities
I am a pitcher so my main responsibility is to get the hitter I
face out. Other than that stay in as good a shape as I can. For
my other job I am responsible for the collection and
distribution of the mail; the filing of customer files; taking
pictures of customers property to be insured; selling of life
insurance; assisting with accounting; and handling the trash.
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Job Requirements
The nature of the progam was a business degree with a focus in
sports. The classes were usually around 15-20 students, and were
taught by professors that got you to think out of the norm. They
were always there for help or if you just had a question. Any
classes within your major were extremely easy to obtain, and
getting electives was not all that difficult either. The
workload was adequate considering I was spending a number of
hours a day with baseball whether it was in or out of season.
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Uppers
One of the uppers definitely has to be that I get to play a game for a living,
not many people can say that. Also another plus is the contacts you make and the
people you meet. Signing autographs for little kids is also a great benefit of
the job. The last upper would have to be the traveling, you to travel the country.
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Downers
The first downer has to be the fact that you amke almost nothing
playing. I mean its like poverty level money, at least at the
level I'm at. You have to live out of a suitcase for the entire
season. It's hard to have a relationship with someone, because
of a number of different reasons. The season is only 5 months,
and at the end of the season I have to come back and work in an
office. And most of all there only a few that make it to the
majors and earn millions.
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Lifestyle
The lifestyle is a mix of many things. The work hours are great. You spend about
8 hours on a field playing the game you love. You don't have to get out of bed
until 1:00PM if you want. Traveling however, is not that great. You travel on an
uncomfortable bus for 5, 6 or sometimes 10 hours and have to play the same day,
while your stiff and tired. There really aren't that many social events, unless
you count the nights you go out with a few of your teammates, or when you have a
community appearance. There really isn't a dress code. You have your uniform and
hat, but other than that you can wear sunglasses, jewerly, baggy pants, tight
pants it's up to you. Going to and from the field there isn't really a dress code
either. I like to look presentable so I usually wear a nice pair of jeans or
slacks and a collared shirt. Diversity is everywhere, I've played with or against
guys from Korea, China, Australia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican
Republic, Venezuela, El Salvador and a few others I can't think of at the moment.
I've played with or against guys of several different races as well. There has
been guys from rich families and poor families, single parent families, guys
raised by grandparents, it's a big melting pot. I've played with guys that have
done steriods, players that never really worked out a day in their life. The
lifestyle is what you make it.
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Compensation
Well the compensation isn't all that great. You can make a
thousand or two a month. It usually depends on your experience.
The more you have the better the pay. Veterans (guys that have
been playing professional for 6 years or more) can make as much
as 3000 a month. Bonuses are usually in the form of some cash
when you help with a baseball camp or make a community
appearance that is setup by the team. That is usually only $25
or so. Stock options...how bout a higher base salary first.
Benefits at the level Im at usually are not offered, however if
you want them you have to pay. At other levels they can actually
be pretty good medical plans (not dental).
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Advice to Jobseekers
Work hard and don't forget there is always someone out there
that they can replace you with. Keep your body in shape both
during and after the season. Your body is your tool. Have a
short memory when you fail, and always prepare yourself for the
next game. Don't take a day off, and never give up. You may not
get to where you want to be, but you'll never look back and say
what if.
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