Professional athletes get start from small town teams

When thinking of professional athletes, we think of mega super stars who get paid big bucks and who are always on TV. When it comes to baseball, the road to stardom usually takes a long time and that is, if it happens.

In Orem, those dreams of being a professional athlete are just starting. The Orem Owlz are a Rookie affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels and play in the Pioneer League along with seven other teams. In baseball, there are four divisions below the Major Leagues: The Triple-A league which is right below the majors, the Double-A league, the Single-A league and then the Rookie League.

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This means that most players have to work their way up through four different leagues before they have a shot at playing in the ‘Big Leagues’. When they get drafted, they play for the Owlz for a year or so and move up to the different leagues as they prove their talent and abilities to the different managers in the organization.

The team plays a 76 game schedule that begins in June and goes until the beginning of September. Throughout the whole summer, they have a total of five days off. They do all this for a whopping $800 a month. Barely enough to cover any expenses. They play because they love the game and dream of making it to the ‘Big Leagues’ eventually.

The Owlz play at Brent Brown Ballpark which is the baseball field at Utah Valley University. The games are very affordable with prices ranging from $4-$10 and free for anyone who owns a Pass of All Passes card. Their schedule can be found online at oremowlz.com and is a great way to spend a night outside enjoying the atmosphere and a great ball game.