Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Seattle Mariners have the worst record in their league. If you want to see a winning baseball team, you'll have to go to places like Spokane, Boise or Salem.  That's where minor league teams play night after night. 

Playing in the minor leagues is a little different than playing in the big leagues. For instance, after the game the players might have to catch a ride home with some of the fans.  Correspondent Chris Lehman explains.

In the minor leagues, you ride buses, not chartered jets.  You play in front of 2000 fans, not 30,000.  And your measly salary doesn't pay for a condo with a million-dollar view.

Instead, you might end up living in the spare bedroom of a suburban family like this one in Keizer, Oregon.

Kari Naughton with Volcanoes players Jose Flores, Eliezer Zambrano, and Wilber Bucardo (L-R)

The Naughtons are one of 15 families who host players for the nearby Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.   They're a Single-A team.  It's one of the lowest rungs in the pro-baseball world.

Kari Naughton says her role as a temporary mother for professional baseball players is about more than giving them three squares and a roof over their heads.

Kari Naughton:  "The host family's responsibility is to make them feel at home, not have to have them any other worries except let's get to the field to play, get you home for whatever, so that they can concentrate on their dream."

And what is that dream?

Jose Flores:  "We wanna play in the big leagues."

That's Jose Flores.  The 20-year-old Venezuela native plays third base.  The Volcanoes are an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.  But team officials say only ten percent of Volcanoes players ever reach the majors.

Flores says he knows he has a lot of hard work ahead of him if he wants to make it to the top. 

He says it's hard being away from his mother and two younger siblings.  But he says living with a host family helps make up for the pain of separation.

Jose Flores:  "We feel like we're home, like in Venezuela.  Because we live with a family here."

The Naughton family often comes out to the ballpark to watch their houseguests in action.

Stadium announcer:  "Third baseman, number 15, Jose Flores"

Jose Flores at bat

Chris Lehman: "So we're here in the bottom of the first and Jose Flores is now coming up to bat with the bases loaded.  Pretty exciting, huh?"

Kari Naughton:  "If would be nice if he was a homerun hitter, but he's not.  But we'll just take a base hit so we can get one or two of the guys in.  That would be really good."

It doesn't happen.

Kari Naughton:  "Oh, dang it!"

It's an inning ending double play.

Kari Naughton:  "That's all right, Jose!"

Flores redeemed himself later by scoring two runs in the Volcanoes 9-8 victory.

The Volcanoes aren't the only minor league team in the Northwest to use host families.  Most families get a minor stipend to pay for food and all those rides to and from the ballpark.

Volcanoes Vice President Rick Nelson says it's a small price to pay.  He says living with host families helps keep the players out of trouble.  Remember, these are guys just out of high school who aren't even old enough to drink.

Rick Nelson:   "This is for a lot of them their first job.  So they're away from home. And to put them in an apartment and to be on their own probably isn't the environment we want or the San Francisco Giants so they want them still to be in a family environment.  It's great for the kids to come home, have a family there that they can talk to, sit down at the dinner table, and still have a good relationship."

Crashing with local families has another benefit for the players.  It's cheaper than finding an apartment.  That's an important consideration when you only make about $900 a month.

Of course, in a few years these guys could be making millions.  That's not something that fazes host mother Kari Naughton.

Kari Naughton:  "It doesn't matter if they get famous, but it would be.... It's always nice to help them fulfill their dream and get hopefully to the Majors.  For them, that's their career.  This is their life.  This is what they want to do.  I don't care if they become one of the major names."

For now, the players are just young adults trying to get a start in life.  And Naughton figures they could use a helping hand.