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41
Jason Schmidt
Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$15,500,000
$250,000
$15,750,000
Scott Boras is baseball's superagent, but Schmidt's reps -- brothers Randy & Alan Hendricks -- have three hurlers on this list earning combined $54 million.
42
Shawn Marion
Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$15,070,000
$600,000
$15,670,000
Incentive to stick around: The Matrix is the top-paid Sun, scheduled to earn $16.4 million next season and has a player option for '08-09 for $17.2 million.
43
Ray Allen
Seattle SuperSonics (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$14,611,570
$1,000,000
$15,611,570
With Rashard Lewis leaving, Allen is going to be The Man again: $16 million salary next year is almost $10 million more than next highest-paid Sonic.
44
Albert Pujols
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
Last Year's Rank: 23
$12,000,000
$3,500,000
$15,500,000
Hungry, Hombre? Visit the Cards slugger's high-tech St. Louis sports bar, Pujols 5, where every table has its own flat-screen TV with volume control.
45
Antawn Jamison
Washington Wizards (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$15,101,625
$270,000
$15,371,625
Looking forward to a big year from Antawn? Wizards forward has a $16.4 million player option next season, in which he'll be playing for a new deal.
46
Steve Francis
New York Knicks (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 43
$15,070,000
$250,000
$15,320,000
Fisticuffs fanatic Francis is the president of PMG Boxing, a promotion firm in his native D.C. that will amost surely be his post-NBA place of business.
47
Tom Brady
New England Patriots (NFL)
Last Year's Rank: 12
$6,006,720
$9,000,000
$15,006,720
Now that's a team guy: Brady agreed to forgo a $6 million option bonus so the Pats had the cap room to sign notorious malcontent Randy Moss.
48
(Tie)
Carlos Delgado
New York Mets (MLB)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$14,500,000
$500,000
$15,000,000
Mets slugger bought a new pillow in March after suffering a stiff neck but declined to name manufacturer, saying, "I'm not giving out any free plugs."
48
(Tie)
Johnny Damon
New York Yankees (MLB)
Last Year's Rank: 46
$13,000,000
$2,000,000
$15,000,000
Rounds out record Fortunate 50 low of only five Bronx Bombers on the list -- but still earning a combined $98 million between them in salary alone.
50
Amaré Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: NR
$12,455,000
$2,500,000
$14,955,000
Riding the wave: Would-be real estate mogul Amaré has two luxury condos and a $5 million mansion in the Phoenix area among his holdings.
Who are the emerging superstars-in-waiting who will soon make their debuts on the Fortunate 50? To find out, check out our gallery of the most likely Future Fortunates.
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Sources: salaries, winnings and bonus figures from players' associations, tour records, agents and news reports. Endorsement estimates from Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing, other sports-marketing executives and analysts, and agents. Salaries based on current or most recently completed seasons (exception: 2007 for NFL). For winnings-based sports (auto racing, golf, tennis), 2006 calendar year amounts used.
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