Athletics Minor League Pitchers Cerny, Birlingmair Mostly Just Want to Pitch
Much has been made of the Oakland A’s decision – unique in baseball – to forego paying their minor leaguers for the duration of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has shut down both major and minor league baseball.
The minor leaguers themselves talk about and aren’t happy about being taken off the payroll but not taken off the roster. They aren’t free to find other jobs in baseball, although in a practical sense finding another job now is out of the question with baseball locked down.
Still, most players just want to play. They don’t want to spend their time complaining about money, or the lack of it. They just want to be able to put on spikes, jerseys and gloves and be able to pitch and hit.
Take, for example, Reid Birlingmair and Charlie Cerny. Birlingmair, a right-handed starter, and Cerny, a left-handed reliever, both live in the area around Bloomington, IL, just southeast of Peoria. Both were with Class-A Beloit this year, and every day that they aren’t playing, they aren’t progressing toward their goal of being Major Leaguers.
Talking with The Pantagraph, Bloomington’s local newspaper, both men touched on the frustrations of having their stipends eliminated as of June 1, but spent more time focused on playing the sport that has been such a major part of their lives.
Cerny, a Bloomington High grad who was 2-5 with a 3.57 ERA and eight saves as a left-handed reliever last season, was a seventh-round draft pick of Oakland ins 2018 after pitching three years with Illinois-Chicago.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing not being paid. Guys in the organization are really frustrated with it,” Cerny told the newspaper. “But what can you do, really? You have to keep training and moving forward.”
Birlingmair, who did his high school pitching just a few miles north at Normal West, also went to Illinois-Chicago from 2016-18 and was picked in the 28 round by the A’s. He was 6-6 with a 4.02 ERA at Beloit last year, his first full season as a pro.
Both men were back at home with their families while they were getting the $400 per week, and they are there now, working out the best they can.
“That was nice to have to get by, for sure,” Birlingmair said of the stipend. “It hurts knowing a lot of players are living in their own apartments and have families. Even that small amount helped a lot. It is what it is. We have no control over that.”
Both men are working at Coach Ks Academy in Normal, a facility run by former Illinois State pitcher Josh Kauten, who spent three years in the Tigers’ minor league system and two more in independent baseball before turning to coaching.
Birlingmair is spending his time now working on his changeup. When he added the changeup to his mix last year, he has a 1.89 ERA in his final eight starts for Beloit. The 6-foot-5 Cerny is trying to work on the mental part of his game after getting eight saves in 10 tries last year. But for both, their careers are on hold.
“We’re losing our second full year,” Cerny said. “We’ll see how it plays out. What can you do really other than stay ready? When that opportunity comes, you’ve got to take full advantage.”
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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