EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Spring of discontent

A-Rod's huge contract throws sluggers for a loop

Click here for more on this story

By Jacob Luft, CNNSI.com

Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas are both embarrassed about their salaries.

A-Rod for making too much; Thomas for making too little.

The Big Hurt is in the midst of a nine-year, $85 million deal, which won't end until 2006. We should all be so "embarrassed."

$how Me The Money Gary Barber/Allsport The top 20 average annual salaries in baseball (for 2001, in millions): Player  Sal.  Player  Sal.  A. Rodriguez  $25.2  Green  $14  M. Ramirez  $20  M. Vaughn  $13.3  Jeter  $18.9  R. Johnson  $13.1  Bagwell  $17  Piazza  $13  Delgado  $17  Belle  $13  Clemens  $15.45  Griffey  $12.94  Hampton  $15.12  P. Martinez  $12.5  K. Brown  $15  L. Walker  $12.5  C. Jones  $15  B. Williams  $12.5  Mussina  $15  Maddux  $11.5

The problem is, with A-Rod signing a 10-year, $252 million contract, sluggers with comparable statistics stuck in long-term deals are feeling a little green with envy.

Gary Sheffield has seen all the stupid contracts the Dodgers have been giving out recently -- three years, $15.5 million for Carlos Perez? -- and decided he wants a stupid one of his own, even though his current deal won't expire until 2004, when he'll be 36.

Sheffield has conveniently forgotten that Los Angeles paid him $5 million to waive his no-trade clause in the 1998 Mike Piazza trade with Florida. The Marlins also had to forgive his $2.5 million loan to the ease the deal through.

Sammy Sosa has averaged nearly 60 home runs the past three years and will be a free agent at the end of this season. He can wait till then to collect on his payday, but he'd rather not. Sosa reportedly nixed a three-way trade that would have sent him to the Dodgers because they wouldn't grant him a $100 million extension.

Barry Bonds is going through similar pains, not knowing who will be signing his checks next spring. He issued a "pay me or trade me" statement to the Giants.

Of course, none of these players were griping when they signed their long-term deals. Here is a sampling of the difference between then and now for these star-crossed sluggers:

Gary Sheffield

Is Gary Sheffield ever happy? He sounded fine after signing his current deal in '97. Stephen Dunn/Allsport

Contract terms  Signed: April 2, 1997 ... Terms: Six years, $61 million, beginning 1998 ... Club option 2004 ($11 million)  3-Year Averages (1998-00)  AVG  HR  RBI  R  SB  OPS  .309  33  98  93  12  .988  Sheffield, Feb. 2001: "I'm getting less than [Darren] Dreifort? I'm getting just $3 million more than Carlos Perez? It's not my fault they signed Perez to that stupid contract. It's not my fault they gave Eric Karros a no-trade clause when he's got no value." Sheffield, April '97: "A deal like this, guys haven't gotten it before. I can't believe it. I'm spaced out, basically."

Frank Thomas

It pains the Big Hurt to look at the dry ink on his contract. Jonathan Daniel/Allsport

Contract terms  Signed: Sept. 30, 1997 ... Terms: Nine years, $85 million, beginning 1998.  3-Year Averages (1998-00)  AVG  HR  RBI  R  SB  OPS  .299  29  109  99  3  .939  Thomas, Feb. 2001: "It's just like Hollywood. You can't have the top actor making $25 million and the rest making $10 million." Thomas, Oct. '97: "It means a great deal to me and my family to remain in the city of Chicago and stay with the White Sox."

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is playing the family card with the Giants. Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport

Contract terms  Signed: Feb. 20, 1997 ... Terms: Two years, $20.4 million, beginning 1999 ... club option 2001 ($10.3 million)  3-Year Averages (1998-00)  AVG  HR  RBI  R  SB  OPS  .293  40  104  113  18  1.065  Bonds, Feb. 2001: "At this point in my career, after all I've done for this organization, I should just be told whether I'm going to be back here or not. If I'm not going to be here let me know so I can tell my family." Bonds, Feb. '97: "It won't be my last [contract], it will be my last big one."

Sammy Sosa

Sammy Sosa knows he's going to get paid big bucks by somebody soon. Harry How/Allsport

Contract terms  Signed: June 27, 1997 ... Terms: Four years, $42.5 million, beginning 1998.  3-Year Averages (1998-00)  AVG  HR  RBI  R  SB  OPS  .305  59  145  118  10  1.022  Sosa, Aug. 2000: "It's not about the money. They pay the best players [the best salaries]. I consider myself in that category. It's not about dollars, it's about respect." Sosa, July '97: "People always talk about the millions of dollars. This is not my type of thing. Money doesn't mean anything to me. The only reason I'm here is because I play good."

 

Related information
Stories
Sheffield airs anger with Dodgers in article Big Hurt skips another workout, talks with Manuel Dodgers GM wants fair value for Sheffield CNNSI.com's Mike Berardino: Sheffield causing great divide
Multimedia
Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.