$$$$$

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DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

$$$$$

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Sat Mar 05, 2022 6:51 pm

I haven't answered a phone in days. I haven't responded to my favorite baseball text thread. I haven't looked up any baseball news sites, listened to any baseball talk or even looked at really, any sites lately, besides this one.
When the talks broke off, it broke me a little bit.
I don't blame anybody. The owners and players are doing what's best for them. Unfortunately, they never have us in mind when making these decisions.
Both sides say they do. But they don't.
Both sides say they do and lie because that is what they feel is best for them, I suppose.

I'm old school. I remember a headline on a 'Sport magazine' or maybe 'Sports Illustrated' that went something like this...

Pete Rose- "I want to be the first $100,000 singles hitter in baseball!"

It was a big headline because it was just known that only the very best players were making that kind of money.
However, he did reach his goal.
Little would he know that about 10 years after reaching this goal, Rod Carew would one-up him and become THE largest paid player in baseball making 800 Grand.

I bring this up because of the (non) negotiations taking place. For years, owners had it all their way.
Send a contract in the mail.
99 percent of the time, the player signs it and returns it.
Not signing it and sending it back meant the player was holding out for more money.
Only Stars had the balls to do this.
Noteable holdouts were Ruth, DiMaggio, Koufax, and Drysdale.
All would sign sooner or later for more money.

When free agency came, it made fans and players more aware of just how much of an advantage the owners had in filling their coffers.
To tell the truth, the fan never cared.
They only wanted to see baseball.
Now, even casual fans want to see who 'wins' or 'loses' negotiations between owners and players.
I don't know why.
It's not my business. Don't care.
I just want to see baseball.

Below is a list of the highest paid players in baseball.
Two things really interested me.
One is how the highest paid players don't escalate as they do today.
For instance, in 1927, Babe Ruth famously made 70 Grand.
I say famously because I believe that was the year that a reporter told the Babe that he was now making more money than the President of the United States. The Babe replied, "I had a better year."
What's interesting is that no other player would make $70,000 again until 20 years later.
Back in the day, a player 'earned' his money. Ruth was Ruth.
Now, if a player happens to have a good 'walk year,' it's 'ca-ching, ca-ching, let the cash register ring!'
I miss players having to earn their money year to year.

Two, is how it illustrates how players were screwed for so many years. Especially players like Phil Linz, Chuck Hiller, and Jim Gantner.
These players didn't have a 'minimum' of 100's of thousands of dollars.
Really. They were just happy to see that contract in the mail. They couldn't sign it fast enough.
Most, thought themselves lucky enough to have a job loved.

I miss those things while everybody bitches and moans about who should get what.
I don't care.
I just want to see baseball.
As said, I'm getting older. I miss baseball already.
Time is non-negotiable with Father Time.
Father Time is undefeated. Owners and players act as if he is in their corner.
Stupid Owners and Players.

Anyway.....

(1906 is 31x today's money,)

1906 Nap Lajoie $8,500
1907 Nap Lajoie $8,500
1908 Nap Lajoie $8,500
1909 Nap Lajoie $9,000
1910 Ty Cobb/Nap Lajoie $9,000
1911 Ty Cobb/Nap Lajoie $9,000
1912 Roger Bresnahan/Jimmy Callahan/Hugh Jennings/Honus Wagner $10,000
1913 Fred Clarke $15,000
1914 Ty Cobb/Tris Speaker $15,000
1915 Fred Clarke $15,000
1916 Ty Cobb $15,050
1917 Ty Cobb $20,000
1918 Ty Cobb $20,000
1919 Ty Cobb $20,000
1920 Ty Cobb/Babe Ruth/Tris Speaker $20,000
1921 Ty Cobb $25,000
1922 Babe Ruth $52,000
1923 Babe Ruth $52,000
1924 Babe Ruth $52,000
1925 Babe Ruth $52,000
1926 Babe Ruth $52,000
1927 Babe Ruth $70,000
1928 Babe Ruth $70,000
1929 Babe Ruth $70,000
1930 Babe Ruth $80,000
1931 Babe Ruth $80,000
1932 Babe Ruth $75,000
1933 Babe Ruth $52,000
1934 Babe Ruth $35,000
1935 Lou Gehrig $31,000
1936 Mickey Cochrane $36,000
1937 Mickey Cochrane/Lou Gehrig $36,000
1938 Lou Gehrig $39,000
1939 Lou Gehrig/Hank Greenberg $35,000
1940 Hank Greenberg $35,000
1941 Hank Greenberg $55,000
1942 Joe DiMaggio $43,750
1943 Joe Cronin $27,000
1944 Joe Cronin $27,000
1945 Lou Boudreau/Joe Cronin $25,000
1946 Hank Greenberg $55,000
1947 Hal Newhouser $70,000
1948 Joe DiMaggio/Ted Williams $65,000
1949 Joe DiMaggio $100,000
1950 Joe DiMaggio $100,000
1951 Joe DiMaggio/Ted Williams $90,000
1952 Ted Williams $85,000
1953 Ted Williams $85,000
1954 Ted Williams $85,000
1955 Ted Williams $67,000
1956 Yogi Berra $58,000
1957 Yogi Berra $65,000
1958 Mickey Mantle $65,000
1959 Willie Mays $75,000
1960 Willie Mays $80,000
1961 Willie Mays $85,000
1962 Mickey Mantle $90,000
1963 Willie Mays $105,000
1964 Willie Mays $105,000
1965 Willie Mays $105,000
1966 Sandy Koufax $130,000
1967 Willie Mays $125,000
1968 Willie Mays $125,000
1969 Willie Mays $135,000
1970 Willie Mays $135,000
1971 Carl Yastrzemski $167,000
1972 Carl Yastrzemski $167,000
1973 Dick Allen $200,000
1974 Dick Allen $250,000
1975 Hank Aaron $240,000
1976 Hank Aaron $240,000
1977 Mike Schmidt $560,000
1978 Mike Schmidt $560,000
1979 Rod Carew $800,000
1980 Nolan Ryan $1,000,000
1981 Dave Winfield $1,400,000
1982 Mike Schmidt $1,500,000
1983 Mike Schmidt $1,652,333
1984 Mike Schmidt $1,989,875
1985 Mike Schmidt $2,096,967
1986 Jim Rice $1,964,423
1987 Jim Rice $2,412,500
1988 Ozzie Smith $2,340,000
1989 Orel Hershiser/Frank Viola $2,766,667
1990 Robin Yount $3,200,000
1991 Darryl Strawberry $3,800,000
1992 Bobby Bonilla $6,100,000
1993 Bobby Bonilla $6,200,000
1994 Bobby Bonilla $6,300,000
1995 Cecil Fielder $9,237,500
1996 Cecil Fielder $9,237,500
1997 Albert Belle $10,000,000
1998 Gary Sheffield $14,936,667
1999 Albert Belle $11,949,794
2000 Kevin Brown $15,714,286
2001 Alex Rodriguez $22,000,000
2002 Alex Rodriguez $22,000,000
2003 Alex Rodriguez $22,000,000
2004 Alex Rodriguez $21,726,881
2005 Alex Rodriguez $26,000,000
2006 Alex Rodriguez $21,680,727
2007 Jason Giambi $23,428,571
2008 Alex Rodriguez $28,000,000
2009 Alex Rodriguez $33,000,000
2010 Alex Rodriguez $33,000,000
2011 Alex Rodriguez $32,000,000
2012 Alex Rodriguez $30,000,000
2013 Alex Rodriguez $29,000,000
2014 Ryan Howard/Cliff Lee $25,000,000
2015 Clayton Kershaw $32,000,000
2016 Clayton Kershaw $32,800,000
2017 Clayton Kershaw $33,000,000
2018 Mike Trout $35,800,000
2019 Stephen Strasburg $38,300,000
2020 Mike Trout $37,666,666
2021 Trevor Bauer $40,000,000
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

Thurman15
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:27 pm

Re: $$$$$

Post by Thurman15 » Mon Mar 07, 2022 7:35 am

Very interesting Dan. Babe Ruth today would own Fort Knox. But there was only one Babe. And now the disgusting Trevor Bauer gets 40 million to beat up women. He doesn't play ball. In today's game we often see teams regret a contract quickly after signing a player. But back in the day, at least for the top player each year, there was no regret. Those superstars delivered. Babe, The Mick, Hank, Koufax, Greenberg, Ted Williams. But in the later years we have had A Rod, Joey Belle for a year, Bobby Bonilla, Jason Giambi. And countless others that were/are the 2nd and 3rd highest players in the league.

I also agree that while some fans pick sides I just want them to play ball. Maybe the owners are more to blame but with the salaries the players make it is a rich game. And they do not care about anything other than themselves. They only care about the fans after they garner every penny they can. Then they want the fans to come back like nothing happened. But for me I' love Baseball so I will be back. I never left. I can't pretend I won't watch. I want to go to the parks again...I want to watch on TV....I want to check the box scores every day. And that is exactly why Baseball gets away with this crap. Nice post Dan.
Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer with the Cardinals was once asked " You love Baseball Rogers, but what do you do in the winter ? " His response......"I stare out the window and wait for spring "

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: $$$$$

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Mar 07, 2022 8:49 am

Thanks Al.
I agree with everything you said.
The pay system is wonky now. It'll never be fixed of course, because the players just want more money. Not caring WHO gets that money.
They don't care if Trevor Bauer is their flag bearer in the Olympics of getting paid the most.
Mike Trout, by all rights, should be the highest paid player in baseball.
He has earned it by being the best player in baseball over time.
Instead, it almost makes folks puke to think that Trevor Bauer has that honor.
(Growing up, Mike Trout's hero was Derek Jeter. To his credit, Trout has emulated Jeter in being a world class citizen both on and off the field.
I don't know if Bauer tried to emulate any person, but in my mind.......Bill Cosby )

Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and Al Kaline each had contracts sent to them in different years.
Each have returned contracts unsigned back to their owners. Along with those unsigned contracts was a note.
The note stated that they had had a bad year and didn't deserve the money offered in the contract and should be paid less.
Can you imagine?
In these days where owners and players want more, more, more...
There was a time when some players only wanted what they deserved from their play the previous year.
So refreshing.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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