With the high salaries that major league baseball players
can earn today it’s difficult to comprehend that they may work second jobs. After all,
with fame, money and access to resources most people can only dream of, why
they want to work themselves to the bone? Regardless of how much they have been
paid, players working alternate jobs during the off season has been a common
practice throughout the history of the game.
It used to be that being a professional baseball star could
pay well, but not necessarily make you rich. These days, the minimum major
league salary is $550,000 and the best players in the game can earn as much as $35
million annually. Given the scale of modern major league pay, the idea of Mike
Trout working at your neighborhood Staples or Bryce Harper selling you a car is
humorous. However, major league players of all abilities and skills have worked
a wide variety of second jobs during their careers over the years, including
into the present. Here is a small sampling of some.
Yankees catcher Yogi Berra worked at times as a hardware
salesman for Sears, a waiter at an Italian restaurant, and as a salesperson at
a men’s clothing store.
Fleet of foot outfielder Lou Brock ran a florist shop at one
point in the off season, despite lacking previous experience in the business.
Pitcher Gary Bell supplemented his income by working as a
photographer, specializing in taking pictures of school children. Imagine having
a major league star hand you a plastic comb.
After the 1966 World Series, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim
Palmer sold
men’s’ suits at Hamburgers Clothing in Baltimore for a weekly paycheck of
$150.
Journeyman Nick Franklin, last of the Milwaukee Brewers in
2018, briefly worked
as an Uber driver prior to the 2017 season.
Following the 1906 season where he won 26 games and led his Chicago
Cubs to the National League pennant, ace pitcher Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown
took an off-season job working in a coal mine to help make ends meet.
Carl Furrillo, the star outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers,
ran a local deli when not chasing down fly balls.
Pitcher Don Rudolph won a total of 18 games during his six
major league seasons. He also did quite well in the off season, managing
his wife Patti, who was a burlesque dancer. Duties included catching the clothing
she flung off the stage during performances and matching her lipstick shades to
her outfits.
Richie Hebner was fortunate in that his family owned a cemetery
in Massachusetts. He was able to make extra money every off season for years
digging graves.
Flame-throwing right-handed pitcher Nolan Ryan worked
at times as a gas station attendant and installing air conditioning in his
native Teas.
St. Louis Cardinals stars Stan Musial, Terry Moore, Red Schoendienst
and Marty Marion sold Christmas trees from a parking lot.
Jackie Robinson won the National League MVP Award with the
Dodgers in 1949. That off season, he made extra money working
at Sunset Appliances in Queens. The store owner loved his new employee,
gushing, “He’s a natural salesman, with a natural modesty
that appeals to buyers.”
Even some current players find alternate employment in the
offseason, either because of personal interest or preparing themselves for a
career after baseball. Pitcher Collin McHugh used to work part
time for the Boosterthon Fun Run office, which is a professional fundraising
office for schools.
Meanwhile, Detroit Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer has
continued working
in plumbing for a friend who owns his own business.
As you can see, baseball players can be quite industrious
off the field. Although the working man image that has often been attached to
them in the past may be fading as salaries continue to rise, it’s an important
part of the game that needs to be remembered.
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You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrewI have also authored a number of books (eBook and paperback) an topics of baseball that are available on Amazon.
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