MLB to house minor league players

Fox 17's Max Goldwasser talked to the West Michigan Whitecaps about the MLB requiring housing for minor leaguers.

##################################capper sotA SPORT -- ROOTED IN TRADITION-- IS BREAKING FREE FROM THEMOLD.’MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’ANNOUNCED IT WILL REQUIRETEAMS... TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR*MINOLER AGUE PLAYERS AS EARLYAS NEXT YEAR.IT’S A HUGE MOVE, BUT AS OUR MAXGOLDWASSER FOUND OUT, IT WON’THAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON THEWEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS.UNTIL NOW, LIVING THE MAJORLEAGUE DREAM HAS BEEN SOMEWHATOF A NIGHTMARE FOR MINORLEAGUERS AT ALL LEVELS OF THEGA.ME"they’re doing 4 or 5 guys to anapartment.

Blow up mattresses,sometimes not even any beds.They expect these guyso tperform at their highest level."AN EXPECTATION NOT EXACTLY METWITH COMPENSATION.ON AVERAGE, MINOR LEAGUERS MAKEJUST $15,000 A SEASON.THE WORD STRGLUGE HAS ALMOSTBECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH THATLEVEL OF THE GE.AMBUT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLOFFICIALS WANT TO CHANGE THATNARRATIVE, ANNOUNCING SUNDAY ITWILL NOW REQUIRE TEAMS TOPROVIDE HOUSING FOR MINORLEAGUERS STARTING NEXT YEAR."I think overall it is one heckof a great announcement thatmajor agleue baseball is doing."THE PLAN IS STILL IN ITS EARLYSTAGES.RIGHT NOW, IT’S UNCLEAR IF TEAMSWILL OFFER STIPENDS OR PROVIDETHE HOUSING THEMSELVES.BUT JIM JARECKI GENERAL MANAGEROF THE WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS,SAYS HOUSING HELP IS NOTHING NEWTO HIS PLAYERS, THANKS TO THEKEEP-A-CAP PROGRAM."the guys have had houssethroughout this area.

Familiesthat have been involved with usalmost since day one, th tatheyprovide the housing for and theplayers love it."THE PROGRAM BEGAN WHEN THE TEAMWAS CREATED IN 1994.SINCE THEN, UP TO 40 WESTMICHIGAN FAMILIES HAVE OPENED UPTHEIR HOMES TO ABOUT 95% OF ALLWHITECAPS PLAYERS.INCLUDING BIG NAMES YOU MIGHTRECOGNIZE, LIKE FORMER DETROITTIGERS’ STAR NICK CASTELLANOS.FORMING A RELATIONSHIP THAT ESGOBEYOND BASEBALL."families get invited toweddings of the player, they getchristmas cards.

That’s what weare all about here in stwemichigan.

Fortunately, we’ve nothad to deal with the fact ofthese guys going into apartmentsand trying to find housing andscrambling to find housing."EVEN THOUGH MORE HELP IS ON THEWAY, JARECKI SAYS THE KEEP-A-CAPPROGRAM IS HERE TO STAY.MAX GOLDWASSER, FOX 17 NEWS.WE REACHED OUT TO THE GRIFFINSTO SEE IF THE N-H-L WILL OER AFFSIMILAR PARTNERSHIP.WE WERE TOLD THAT LIKELY WON’THAPPEN, BUT MAINLY BECAUSE T