Wezen-Ball has a really fun piece up now about the highest paid players in baseball since 1979 — when Nolan Ryan became the first million-dollar player. I highly recommend it so that you can see that Mark Davis was, for a time, the highest paid player in the game. That was back when the Kansas City Royals were trying to buy a World Series. What a world it was.
Anyway, I’m going to piggy back on Wezen-ball and do a quick post on something that just struck me while reading it … I was interested to see the first X-million players in the game. It is pretty well known trivia that Ryan was the first million-dollar play. But how about $2 million? Three million? Well, here you go:
– Ryan’s stats the two-seasons before he became baseball’s first million dollar player … 26-27, 3.66 ERA, 105 ERA+, 483 Ks, 262 walks, and he was 33 years old. So, taking that signing as it should have been viewed then: Holy cow, that was a TERRIBLE signing. Ryan became one of the great old pitchers in baseball history … so it worked out reasonably well. But there was no way they could have known that at the time.
Two-million dollar player: Dave Winfield, 1980.
– I’ve often wondered why Winfield — one of the greatest athletes in American sports history and a dominant pitcher at Minnesota — was never allowed to pitch at least an inning in the big leagues.
Three-million dollar player: Kirby Puckett, 1989.
– Five days earlier, the Kansas City Royals gave Bret Saberhagen a three-year, $8.9 million deal — cutting him just short of $3 million per year. I really wonder how negotiations like that go. Did the Royals see the three million as a line in the sand, something they did not want to cross? Apparently not because less than a month later they gave Mark Davis $3.25 million per year. The Royals spending was out of control in 1989 as they tried desperately to get Ewing Kauffman one more World Series championship before he died.
That, I should add, was not the best team money can buy.
Four-million dollar player: Jose Canseco, 1990.
– From 1988-91, Jose Canseco had a 160 OPS+. He really was some kind of hitter then. In fact, his 141 OPS+ through age 26 ranks him with Orlando Cepeda, and is not far behind Alex Rodriguez (144 OPS+).
Five-million dollar player: Roger Clemens, 1991.
– Clemens led the American League in ERA in 1990, ’91 and ’92.
Six-million dollar man: Ryne Sandberg, 1992
Seven-million dollar player: Ryne Sandberg, 1992.
– The Cubs skipped right over $6 million and gave their big guy seven. By the way: Signing a 32-year-old second baseman for a four-year deal that is the largest in baseball history — yeah, that’s a Cubs move. Sandberg had a very good year in 1992, a so-so injury plagued year in ‘93, and they got absolutely nothing out of him in 1994 or ‘95 because of injuries.
Eight-million dollar player: Ken Griffey, 1996
– There are those who talk about Griffey potentially being the first unanimous Hall of Famer … and it makes some sense since Griffey had both the awesome peak and the huge career numbers, he was an all-around player in his prime and he has managed to rise above the steroid stigma of his time. Personally, I think Greg Maddux might come closer to unanimous.
Nine-million dollar player: Albert Belle, 1996
Ten-million dollar player: Albert Belle, 1996
Eleven-million dollar player: Albert Belle, 1996
– Wow. The Chicago White Sox decided to jump WAY into the future and give Belle an $11 million deal when no one before had ever even made $9 million. Well, you can understand it because Belle, in addition to being a great hitter, was, you know, well, he was a pillar of the community, oh, wait, no, well, he was a great teammate, um, OK, but he was a brilliant defensive, um, yeah, in many ways this is the most baffling signing in baseball history. He mashed the ball for the White Sox in 1998 and then left the White Sox for an even bigger deal with the Orioles. You almost have to admire how Belle was SUCH a good hitter that he was able to play the game by his own rules.
Twelve-million dollar player: Pedro Martinez, 1997.
– One of those rare huge money signings where the player turns out not only to be better than expected but A LOT better than expected. Pedro had some injury issues, of course. But just performance: From 1998-2003, he was the best pitcher ever.
Thirteen-million dollar player: Mike Piazza, 1998.
– PIazza had four excellent years for the Mets offensively. Defensively, maybe not so much. But that’s OK, it was probably a pretty good deal — certainly as good a deal as you can expect signing a 30-year-old catcher to an enormous long-term deal.
Fourteen-million dollar player: Kevin Brown, 1998
Fifteen-million dollar player: Kevin Brown, 1998
– Well, if anyone ever asks: Does a player have to be popular in baseball or a fan favorite or media-savvy to get a big baseball deal … you can tell them, uh, no. Albert Belle made the quantum salary jump in ‘96. Kevin Brown made it in ‘98.
Sixteen-million dollar player: Carlos Delgado, 2000.
Seventeen-million dollar player: Carlos Delgado, 2000
– Salaries are jumping by two million at a time now. Delgado had put up a monstrous 2000 season with 57 home runs. He has been a very good player since then — he led the league in OPS in 2003. I was recently asked if he’s a Hall of Famer … my gut instinct is he has a chance but still needs some big years. But I haven’t studied it closely.
Eighteen-million through twenty-five million: Alex Rodriguez, 2000.
– Boy the money was flying in 2000. There’s nothing left to be said about the A-Rod deal except that as a player, he has been worth every penny. In 2007, A-Rod became the first $26 and $27 million player too.
On the horizon, it’s possible that Joe Mauer or Albert Pujols could break the next barrirer, but do that they might have to leave the fans that love them and the cities that have helped create their personas. Only they can decide if it is worth it.
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