Some days when people get old, they feel even older, and that’s what happened to me the other day. I looked on my news source on my computer and I see the Texas Rangers signed somebody to a 10-year contract for $325 million. That would be $32.5 million a year.
I grew up in an era when Major League Baseball teams could probably be bought for $32.5 million total (probably a lot less). This is so out of whack for my mind that it is getting in the way of me enjoying games anymore. There are people that I have never heard of in Major League Baseball signing hundred million dollar contracts. It is unbelievable. Of course, I am speaking from a totally different perspective than most.
I remember Nolan Ryan in 1979 for the Houston Astros and I’m sure it was a multi-year deal, but he was the first baseball player to sign a million dollar contract. Before then, I can remember in the 60s, Pete Rose holding out because he wanted a $100,000 contract, which would have been the first ever for a non-pitcher and non-home run hitter. He said, “Guys who hit singles and doubles ought to be able to make big money, too.”
But the one that still blows me away dates back to 1966. There is no question that the best pitcher in baseball at that time was Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers, but he had a running buddy and teammate who was just about as good named Don Drysdale. Fact is, the prior year Koufax had won 27 games, Drysdale 24.
Now this was a time when there was no such thing as free agency. When you grew up a Dodger, you ended your career a Dodger. If you grew up a Yankee – and so forth and so on. Well, they were in the Dodger organization and, except for a trade, they couldn’t go anywhere else. So, they had no options. You either accepted what the club gave you or you quit. Nobody had the guts to try that – until Koufax and Drysdale did.
They decided they were going to throw the Dodgers an offer for the two of them together, and if the Dodgers didn’t respond in a positive way they were going to quit the game of baseball. The holdout went on and on and on, until people realized they were actually serious. Do you know how much they were asking for? They were asking for $1 million divided among the two over a 3-year span. Now, that was their asking price and people back then thought it was ridiculous, that they were crazy to ask for that much money. It amounted to $166,000 a year for each one.
Eventually, right before training camp opened, they came to an agreement. Koufax signed for $120,000 that year. Drysdale got $105,000. After that happened, they were the second and third highest paid players in the baseball behind Willie Mays at $130 grand. Do you realize there are players today who make over $200,000 per game? Are they worth it? No. Do I blame them for taking it? No.
I guess I’m just an old man complaining. I really don’t want players to have off-season jobs to try and make ends meet, but I really would like to see just a little more loyalty by them and a little more sanity by the owners.
Until next time, so long everybody.
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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].