These pages track Major League contracts, bonuses,
service time and franchise values. The information is unofficial and has been collected from published reports.
Additions, comments, questions?
Contact Jeff at JEuston@baseballprospectus.com.
Free Agent Position Players
Free Agent Pitchers
Highest-paid Players
Potential Free Agents for 2014
Major League Constitution
Major League Rules
Transaction Calendar
Transaction Glossary
“I don’t even know how to write those numbers.”
- Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, on the $254 million contract for Albert Pujols
“The majors couldn’t pay me enough to play.”
- Kansas City Monarchs pitcher Satchel Paige
“We should make it. We’re the ones doing the entertaining.”
- Giants outfielder Barry Bonds
and we’re f—— it up.”
- Braves owner Ted Turner
and you will find two things are always true.
You never have enough pitching, and nobody ever made money.”
- Donald Fehr, executive director, MLBPA
the players have screwed the owners – they’ve got 75 years to go.”
- Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton
- Durham Bulls catcher Crash Davis
“After my fourth season I asked for $43,000 and
General Manager Ed Barrow told me, ‘Young man, do you realize
Lou Gehrig, a 16-year-man, is playing for only $44,000?’
I said, Mr. Barrow, there is only one answer to that -
Mr. Gehrig is terribly underpaid.”
- Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio
- Red Sox pitcher Lefty Grove, to owner Tom Yawkey
- White Sox outfielder Ron Kittle, 1987
- Dodgers, Padres & Angels executive Buzzie Bavasi
- Yankees catcher Yogi Berra
The things you do for a woman you wouldn’t do for anything else.
Same with money.”
- Kansas City Monarchs pitcher Satchel Paige
and move 12 years of my life away from here. No way at all.”
- Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood, 1969
Money is not the maiden’s virtue, it’s the currency of whores.”
- MLB attorney John Gaherin
drunk or sober, to agree that once a fella goes to work for the A&P,
he has to work for the A&P the rest of his life.”
- MLB attorney John Gaherin
on a ballplayer, I will. If I want to spend $12 million, I will. …
It’s my goddamn money and I’ll do what I want.”
- Padres owner Ray Kroc
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A’s & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
we’re something we’re not. I’ll stick to building ships.”
- Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, 1973
“It was a beautiful thing to observe, with all 36 oars working in unison.”
- Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck,
describing George Steinbrenner’s yacht
- A’s Mike Norris, after losing in salary arbitration
I am speechless by that contract. … It’s unbelievable.
Literally, it will take the sport down, that contract.
We’re right back to the ridiculous contracts. It can’t be.”
- Marlins president David Samson,
on reports Ichiro Suzuki would sign a $100 million contract
“My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?”
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
the coaches gotta coach better, the manager gotta manage better,
and the owners gotta own better.”
- Brewers first baseman George Scott, to the club chairman
in this labor matter, they are dead wrong. We have lost the war,
and the only question is, can we live with the surrender terms.”
- Cardinals owner Gussie Busch, 1976
- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez
The other ten percent I’ll probably waste.”
- Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw, on his plans for his $75,000 salary
to rise above parochial interest and to think in terms of the greater good
of the game. The squabbling within baseball, the finger-pointing,
the tendency to see economic issues as moral ones …
all of these are contributing to our joint fall from grace.”
- Commissioner Fay Vincent
- Bob Dylan
Sources:
- “Lords of the Realm,” by John Helyar (Ballantine Books, 1994)
- jimbouton.com
- “Bull Durham” (Orion Pictures, 1988)
- “More Tales from the Red Sox Dugout”
- by Jim Prime & Bill Nowlin (Sports Publishing, 2002)
- “Time” April 26, 1976.
- “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”
-
by Bob Dylan (“Bringing It All Back Home” 1965).
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