I love this article about how MLB is becoming dad friendly. All companies should follow their example.
MLB/ Baseball dads allowed to make home runs for births
BY NAOFUMI MURAKAMI CORRESPONDENT
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106280260.html
NEW YORK--A new paternity leave system introduced this season gives Major League Baseball players the right to leave their teams for up to three days to be with their wives when they give birth.
And why not? Major leaguers are just as busy as other working fathers with their long road trips and back-to-back games, and the new paternity leave system allows MLB players to strengthen their bonds with their families.
The first major leaguer to take paternity leave was Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis, who used to play for the Hiroshima Carp. After receiving a call from his wife that she may be giving birth within the next few days, Lewis got permission to leave his team. The Rangers were traveling from the East Coast to the Midwest at the time.
Lewis flew several thousand kilometers west to his family home in California. By the time he got home, his wife had already gone into labor, and Lewis was able to be at his wife's side when she gave birth to their first daughter on the evening of April 13.
Lewis was scheduled to be the starting pitcher against the New York Yankees two days later, but he applied for three days off, as guaranteed by the new paternity leave system. His absence was a precious missed opportunity for him and for his team, but Lewis doesn't regret it.
"I didn't want to miss the opportunity (of being there when his daughter was born)," Lewis said. "I am so happy to have spent that unforgettable time with my family."
During those three days, Lewis helped change his daughter's diapers, gave her milk and put her to bed.
Kurt Suzuki, a third-generation Japanese-American catcher for the Oakland Athletics, left his team for two days for the birth of his first child.
"It feels great. I'm in awe still," Suzuki told a U.S. media outlet.
When he returned to his team the following day, he hit a home run. He says that his new family member gave him strength.
Before the paternity leave system was introduced, major leaguers were allowed to leave their teams to be present for a child's birth only "if permitted by team management." Due to that clause and the lack of an official rule, some MLB players were not allowed to take time off for the birth of a child.
The paternity leave system will rid MLB of this inequality. The system was requested by a group of players and was unanimously approved at a meeting of executives from all 30 MLB teams last November. So far, eight major leaguers have taken paternity leave.
The system has benefits for the teams as well. Until now, if a player left the team, the ballclub would have to continue with just 24 players. Only 25 players are allowed on the bench, but if teams are missing a member due to paternity leave, they are now allowed to replace the absent athlete with a player from the minor leagues. Even though it's only for a few days, the teams can let a young player experience life in the majors.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was able to be present for the birth of his first daughter in late April. He didn't use the paternity leave system because the game was rained out that day, by coincidence. But he nevertheless appreciates the option.
"It's wonderful to have a system that allows us to take time off for our families. I think it reflects what the U.S. stands for. This would never be possible in Japan," Fukudome says.
The system was introduced at a time when major leaguers' bonds with their families were said to be weakening. According to a study by a U.S. media outlet, roughly 80 percent of married MLB players get divorced. That's much higher than the U.S. average of around 50 percent. One factor could be the long-term absence of major leaguers as fathers.
Official league games start in late March and go on for six months. Each team plays 162 games in MLB, more than professional baseball in Japan. Major leaguers spend more than 220 days a year away from their homes and families.
In addition, MLB players often get traded. They rarely stay with one team for life, and many refrain from buying homes where their teams are based unless they are given long-term contracts. Most major leaguers leave their families in warm states like Florida or California, and work out of state.
MLB public relations officer Pat Courtney says, "Players were torn between their families and leaving their teams a man short. Baseball understands that players need to be with their families. Oftentimes, players felt guilty about taking the leave because they could not be replaced, or rushed back so their clubs would not suffer on the field. The paternity list was created to address those issues."
In the United States, more than 90 percent of men are reportedly present for the birth of their children. Many men even take time off to accompany their pregnant wives on regular doctors' visits. According to a U.S. media survey, working American fathers spend an average of 62 minutes a day taking care of their children, ranking third among working fathers in advanced nations. That's three times more than the time the average working Japanese father spends with his children.
National Fatherhood Initiative president Roland Warren hopes the paternity leave system will have a positive impact on society.
"Professional athletes are role models for good behavior," said Warren. "When you have professional athletes taking paternity leave, it really does create a scenario where other fathers are more likely to do it."
But some critics believe major leaguers should sacrifice everything for their teams, considering the extremely high salaries they are getting, an average of $3 million (242.27 million yen) a year.
The generations of ballplayers who were told they couldn't go home, even for their parents' last moments, feel awkward about the system.
"Twenty-five years ago, nobody left," New York Mets skipper Terry Collins, 62, who also managed in Japan with Orix, told the New York media.
Back in his playing days, major leaguers were told during a game that their wives had given birth or were told to return to the team immediately after the birth of their child. Nolan Ryan, 64, a pitching legend who won 324 games in his career, said in a radio interview, "In those days, they never allowed you to go home for a child to be born."
In 2003, MLB introduced bereavement leave, allowing players to leave their teams for up to seven days for the deaths or final days of family members. This season, the Seattle Mariners' Justin Smoak took roughly a week off in late April for his father's funeral.
In Japanese professional baseball, there is no system in place for players to take time off for the death of a family member or the birth of a child. Whether players can leave a team all depends on the whim of club management. As a result, foreign players are often allowed to return to their home countries in midseason, but Japanese players rarely miss games for days on end.
