Minor League Baseball (aka why I'm probably not moving to Milwaukee anytime soon)

Hi friends! Apparently a lot of you have checked out this little space of mine, which is simultaneously very encouraging and very intimidating ;) But truly, thank you for taking time our of your day to read my words here. It means a lot!

The subject of today is the oh so interesting Minor League Baseball (MiLB) life. Unlike in the NFL, when a baseball player gets drafted he doesn't automatically play for the Major League team. Instead, he has to work his way up through the Minor Leagues (also commonly referred to as "Farm System".) There are 5 levels: Rookie, Low A, High A, AA, and AAA. The difficult part is, there is no set timeframe or checklist to complete in order to move up to the next level. It basically all depends on if a spot above you opens up.  Making it to the big leagues can take several years, if you make it at all. 

Currently, Cy is playing rookie ball in Helena Montana. SOOO he is employed by the Milwaukee Brewers Organization, playing professionally on one of their minor league teams. Here is a list of the Brewers MiLB affiliates, via wikipedia: 

*edit- as of the 2015 season, AA is now the Shuckers in Biloxi, Mississippi and AAA is the Sky Sox in Colorado Springs

One common misconception is that MiLB guys are professional ballplayers, therefore they are rolling in money and living the high life. As fun as that would be if it were true, it is quite the opposite. The monthly salary is very low and they only get paid in season. Those big signing bonuses you hear about are just a one time thing, if you get a signing bonus, and it's smart to save that money for the future because there are no guarantees in baseball. The guys also spend the majority of their time on the road and living in hotels because they play almost every single day all season long. It is a pretty crazy life. 

So what is MiLB life going look like for Cy and me after we get married, you ask? Well for now, the plan is that I will travel with him. We will go to spring training together, and then live where he plays for the season. This might mean living in a hotel, maybe with a host family, or maybe in an apartment (maybe with other baseball couples/players). In the off season we will live in Dallas, at least until Cy finishes school by taking classes each fall. I am currently in my senior year, so I will take a few classes this fall, take next spring off, and finish up my last few credits and graduate next fall. 

There are plenty of articles out there that go into much more detail about MiLB lifestyle and whatnot, but I just wanted to give you a brief overview of it. If you have any specific questions, feel free to post in the comments below and I will try to answer as best as I can :)

As crazy as this life is, we are really thankful for the opportunity to live it. Baseball gives us an opportunity to glorify God on a broader stage, and that is the ultimate goal. 

Until next time,

Hannah