MLB Provides Major Solution to ‘Minor’ Flaw That Plagued ValleyCats for Decades

It may be one year too late to benefit the Tri-City ValleyCats, but for Minor League Baseball teams that still hold Major League affiliation, a major problem will be solved.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported over the weekend that Major League Baseball owners have voted unanimously to provide housing accommodations for its minor league players. While it's still being decided whether the provisions will come in the form of physical housing or a stipend, this is a huge step forward for a league that had been dragged through the mud for how its young players were being forced to live.

And believe me, when you see the evidence collected by former players, you'll realize just how monumental this announcement is for the future of the game.

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This issue gained a great deal of traction when Minor League Baseball player Todd Van Steensel shared details of his time in the minors:

From former ESPN Radio host Danny Kanell, this:

Take a look at this news report from KCAL, giving even more of an inside look:

After original reports like these surfaced, it didn't help the problem, but rather, it made it worse for some:

Finally, after years of these stories building up steam, something has been done. It's not a direct causation, but I would assume there is a correlation between Major League Baseball cutting ties with over 40 lower level Minor League Baseball teams last offseason (largely viewed as a cost-saving measure) and this decision to provide assistance for their players.

As someone who worked directly next to Minor League Baseball players during my summers at Quinnipiac, this brings a sigh of relief about for me. These players aren't playing for the dollar bills yet, they're simply playing as hard as they can so they can *someday* make a lot of money...maybe.

The least that these Major League teams can do, with their hundreds of millions of dollars, is give them the tools to succeed in their careers.