And so the Major League Players Association really needs to be a champion that's saying, no, we're out here looking out for the interest of players.

When you get into the minors, we're an organization that's looking out for your interest.

We don't want you eating dog food while you're trying to play a game.

You're making billions of dollars for these owners in the minor leagues, in areas of the

country that have no major league teams and where these minor league franchises are growing

and are becoming business.

Welcome to the Edge of sports podcast. I'm Dave Ziron.

This week, just in time for the start of the Major League Baseball season, we speak to labor organizer, writer, activist, and former president of the Trans-Africa Forum, Bill Fletcher. We speak to him about the importance of organizing minor league baseball players,

especially in the wake of the recent spending bill that comes out of Washington,

which actually suppresses their wages.

We also are going to speak this week about Black Lives Matter,

organizers in Sacramento, and the way that their activism following

the police murder of Stefan Clark has ricocheted into the Sacramento King's organization.

I also have Just Stand Up and Just Sit Your Ass Down Awards and a very special Kaepernick watch.

But first, let's go to Bill Fletcher.

So Bill Fletcher, there's been a lot in the news. Before we speak about the conditions of

minor league baseball players, there's been much in the news about the spending bill that's coming out of Washington

and its effect that it could have on the salaries of minor league baseball players.

Can you first speak to that about what is it about this bill that affects their earning potential?

Well, you know, what's interesting, Dave, and first of all, thanks for having me on the program.

The bill itself has nothing to do with minor league baseball.

What's happened is that the Major League Baseball owners snuck into the bill something that they had been trying to work on

...