Randy Dobnak shouldn’t be ashamed of driving for Uber

It was a rough weekend for the Twins. A 10-4 beating against the Yankees on Friday and an 8-2 defeat on Saturday mean they have it all to do back here in Minneapolis if they are to keep their post-season campaign alive.

As the Yankees were dishing out that second hammering, one aspect left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. As Andy Nesbitt explains,

The [Yankees] fans could be heard chanting “Uber! Uber’” at Dobnak because last year he worked as an Uber driver while he was in the minors. Making fun of someone for making an honest living and earning some extra money while they chase their dream doesn’t seem all that clever to me.

And, a reminder: Minor league baseball players sometimes get by on as little as $12,000 a year. Given the hours they put in that equates to far less than minimum wage.

Why would these people think that Dobnak’s driving for Uber is something to hold against him? What is he supposed to have done in the face of earnings of $12,000 a year? Quit the sport? Dobnak’s work ethic – very Minnesotan, by the way – is something to be proud of. His hustle ought to be respected, not used as something to taunt him with.

Its likely that Randy Dobnak has a better work ethic than the people taunting him in New York on Saturday. Its a cert that he has more class. Hopefully he can shut them up tonight at Target Field and get the Twins back on the play off board.

John Phelan is an economist at the Center of the American Experiment.