Average MLB salary is roughly the players' weight in Gold per season !

[Doug]

Average salary is 2.6 million.

If a player weighed 210-220 lbs, that would be about 3 million a season.

http://www.onlygold.com/tutorialpages/YourWeightInGold.asp

I wonder how that compares with much earlier players ?

What metal would you be paid in, if you were paid your wages in metal, based on your weight ?

 

[wilheim]

Saalries have come a long way in the last 90 years.

Eddie Ciccotte of the Chicago Black Sox infamy won over 200 games in the majors before he was banned for life.

He won 29 in 1919, he led the league in wins, winning percentage, and innings pitched, as well as in complete games.

His 1919 salary was $6,000, but he had a provision for a $10,000 bonus if he won 30 games. Legend has it that as the season drew to a close, owner Charles Comiskey ordered manager Kid Gleason to bench Cicotte, denying him a chance at a 30-win season and the bonus money. Some have speculated this was his motivation for participating in the fix, although the facts do not appear to support this conclusion.

Ciccotte desparate for money appealed to Cominsky for the bonus on the basis of his sensational season but was refused by the skinflint owner..



wil.

 

[Doug]

6k in 1919 was actually big money. Gold was about $20 an ounce then, so that's like 300 oz of gold, or 300k today, add his denied bonus, and its more like 800k today, based on Gold. I'm sure you could buy a nice house for under 6k then.

 

[wilheim]

$6,000 obviously went a lot farther back in 1919 than it does today but not many pitchers have come close to the season Cicotte had that year in the last 40 years (Denny McClain won 31 games in 1968).

Take for example The Dodgers Derek Lowe, he was 12-14 last year and is 7-8 for L.A. so far this year and earns $10,000,000 per season. That is where the real inequities lie, at the top, where the supposedly better players earn the big money that causes the average salary to be skewered.

Take the Dodgers Chad Billingsley for example, he was 12-5 last year and 9-9 so far this year on the same team as Lowe and earns $415,000 per season.


wil.

 

[wilheim]

Top 25 salaries in MLB for 2008.

1 Rodriguez, Alex $ 28,000,000 New York Yanks
2 Giambi, Jason $ 23,428,571 New York Yankees
3 Jeter, Derek $ 21,600,000 New York Yankees
4 Ramirez, Manny $ 18,929,923 Boston Red Sox
5 Beltran, Carlos $ 18,622,809 New York Mets
6 Suzuki, Ichiro $ 17,102,149 Seattle Mariners
7 Santana, Johan $ 16,984,216 New York Mets
8 Helton, Todd $ 16,600,000 Colorado Rockies
9 Hunter, Torii $ 16,500,000 Los Angeles Angels
10 Abreu, Bobby $ 16,000,000 New York Yanks
11 Delgado, Carlos $ 16,000,000 New York Mets
12 Pettitte, Andy $ 16,000,000 New York Yanks
13 Zambrano, Carlos $ 16,000,000 Chicago Cubs
14 Hampton, Mike $ 15,975,184 Atlanta Braves
15 Ordonez, Magglio $ 15,768,174 Detroit Tigers
16 Furcal, Rafael $ 15,730,195 Los Angeles D's
17 Thome, Jim $ 15,666,666 Chicago White Sox
18 Guerrero, Vladimir $ 15,500,000 L.A.A. Angels
19 Hudson, Tim $ 15,500,000 Atlanta Braves
20 Sexson, Richie $ 15,500,000 New York Yanks
21 Schmidt, Jason $ 15,217,401 Los Angeles D's
22 Johnson, Randy $ 15,100,546 Arizona Dbacks
23 Ramirez, Aramis $ 15,000,000 Chicago Cubs
24 Rivera, Mariano $ 15,000,000 N. York Yanks
25 Tejada, Miguel $ 14,811,414 Houston Astros


Source: USA Today.

Oddity: only one Boston Red Sox - Manny Ramirez at 4th place.

 

[Doug]

$6,000 obviously went a lot farther back in 1919 than it does today but no many have come close to the season Cicotte had that year in the last 40 years (Denny McClain won 31 games in 1968).

Take for example The Dodgers Derek Lowe, he was 12-14 last year and is 7-8 for L.A. so far this year and earns $10,000,000 per season. That is where the real inequities lie, at the top, where the supposedly better players earn the big money that causes the average salary to be skewered.

Take the Dodgers Chad Billingsley for example, he was 12-5 last year and 9-9 so far this year on the same team as Lowe and earns $415,000 per season.


wil.

Guidry had a season like 25-4, rivals DM.

lots of guys like Pavano and Zito got fat deals and fell flat. A good young player can wait for the big money, or re-up early and get his contract extended and guaranteed, and get like 15M for 3 years, or gamble on 12M+ per later. I'd take that if I were a player like CB. Lock up that first 10M, then you're set.

How about mediocre guys like Chacon, that blow jobs for 2M a year ?

 

[RobFunk]

The two NY teams occupy 10!

 

[Doug]

Giambi is awfully high priced at #2. Good player, but far from great.

 

[RobFunk]

Giambi is awfully high priced at #2. Good player, but far from great.

If he was putting up the numbers that he was when they signed him, it probably would have been worth it.

 

[wilheim]

For all you Jonathon Papelbon haters he makes a whopping $775,000 per season. Of course he is no Rickie Sexson who is pulling down a paltry $15,500,000 this year.

Guidry had a season like 25-4, rivals DM.

Doug - I thought about Guidry and Bob Welch (27-6 in 1990) also which is why I used the term not many.

wil..

 

[Doug]

For all you Jonathon Papelbon haters he makes a whopping $775,000 per season. Of course he is no Rickie Sexson who is pulling down a paltry $15,500,000 this year.

Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Guidry had a season like 25-4, rivals DM. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Doug - I thought about Guidry and Bob Welch (27-6 in 1990) also which is why I used the term not many.

wil..

.....................................................................................................

I'd bet the red sox would extend Paps for 3 years at 25M guaranteed right now, if they haven't offered to already. I can't fault the NYY for getting Sexson, since they aren't paying but a small part of his salary.

My real point is that "your weight in Gold" is ( was ?) an almost unimaginable fortune, it is more than most people will make in their lifetimes ( or close to it). It is what a low-level journeyman player makes every year.

If you are a player that has been around like 5+ years, and you only make 3M a year, you kinda suck. Its like you sit the bench and are a back up catcher, utility infielder, middle reliever with a losing record and a 5+ era, or some other spare part, yet you are literally worth your weight in Gold.

 

[HisIsTheHand]

(Some of the salaries of the) players on the USA today list are being paid by two teams, such as Thome. I think the WSox and Phils are splitting that number.

 

[Doug]

I'm sure many salaries are split, in particular with guys owning fat contracts and then released like Sexson, NYY , I believe only pay like 5% ( if that ) of that one. A-Rod was being partially paid by Texas, saved them a bunch by opting out.

 

[wilheim]

My real point is that "your weight in Gold" is ( was ?) an almost unimaginable fortune, it is more than most people will make in their lifetimes ( or close to it).

Based on today's salaries true but Cicotte's salary in 1919 of $6,000 is only $120 a week (working year round) and plenty of bread winners earned at least half that kind of money back then, maybe not the majority but a good percentage of the middle class MEN who had good jobs grossed $60 per week. The minority of anyone who worked full time back in the Ciccotte era earned $6,000 in three years for sure, certainly nowhere near a lifetime.

The truth is being a pro athelete in the first 25 to 50 years of the last century was not anywhere close financially to what it is today in any sport, the same can be said for movie stars and other entertainers.

Baseball players were forced to actually take jobs in the offseason all the way up thru the 1950s to support their families. The more well known names had it easier because they could use their name to work at places like car dealerships or other sales type positions.

Superstars like Joe Dimmagio, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth were exceptions to the rule because they actually demanded high for the day salaries and easily got endorsement contracts.

I don't know what gold sold for per ounce in 1919 but Ed Ciccote who weighed probably 180 pounds, definitely didn't earn his weight in gold that season.


wil.

 

[Doug]

Based on today's salaries true but Cicotte's salary in 1919 of $6,000 is only $120 a week (working year round) and plenty of bread winners earned at least half that kind of money back then, maybe not the majority but a good percentage of the middle class MEN who had good jobs grossed $60 per week. The minority of anyone who worked full time back in the Ciccotte era earned $6,000 in three years for sure, certainly nowhere near a lifetime.

I tend to disagree ( slightly Wil).

I think $60/week in 1919 would be pretty strong, or above middle class, more like upper middle class.

Minimum wage started in 1938 at 25 cents/hour. Triple minimum wage ( or about $20/hr today) is (IMO) lower middle class.

Using 1938 standards, 75 cents/hour should be about MC, that's only $30/week.

$1.50/hour in 1919 would be pretty nice, or 3 oz of Gold weekly, or 3k/week now.

Does say 45k a year now = middle class ?, of course it depends where you live.

I'd say 50k/year.... like a teacher is middle class.

 

[quinnsft34]

Funny, Albert Pujols, one of the greatest players in the game isn't even on the list.