Oakland A's Criticized After Players Share Photos of Measly Post-Game Meal

Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval issued an apology Tuesday, insisting he and his team became aware of the issue weeks ago and have fired the vendor.

June 2, 2021

Oakland A's — Image via Getty/Jason O. Watson
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The Oakland Athletics received backlash this week after it was accused of serving its minor league players unsatisfactory meals with many people online comparing the food to the viral Fyre Festival cheese sandwich.

Athletes reportedly shared photos of the measly post-game meals on social media, and were later posted by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, an organization dedicated to improving the working conditions and lives of minor league players. The first photo showed two pieces of white bread with a cheese single, a bit of lettuce, a lone slice of tomato, and and what appears to be a side of coleslaw. The second image wasn’t any better: It was a close-up shot of a tortilla with some pathetic-looking vegetables and just a couple of pieces of some kind of meat.

“Players in the Oakland A’s organization shared these photos of their recent post-game meals,” the advocacy group tweeted Tuesday. “No employer would serve these meals to employees they care about. Why are the A’s serving them to their future Major Leaguers?”

While some fans dismissed the outrage by claiming the athletes could simply buy their own post-game meals, others argued it was another example of the exploitation of minor league players, some of whom earn as little as $1,160 a month during the season.

Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval responded to the criticism via Twitter on Tuesday, claiming he and his team were made aware of the issue “weeks ago” and have since terminated the third-party vendor responsible for the meals.

“We apologize to our players, staff, and coaches,” Kaval wrote. “We will redouble our efforts to provide the best options for our team at every level.”