NEW YORK -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig earned as much in fiscal 2005 as some of the league's top players. If you compare Bud Selig's salary for fiscal 2005 with some players' 2007 salaries, the commissioner winds up in some awfully good company. Those major leaguers whose pay falls between $14 mill and $15 mill: Player Team '07 salary Vlad Guerrero Angels $14,500,000 Lance Berkman Astros $14,500,000 Carlos Delgado Mets $14,500,000 J.D. Drew Red Sox $14,400,000 Pedro Martinez Mets $14,002,234 Andruw Jones Braves $14,000,000 Selig received $14.5 million in the 12 months ending Oct. 31, 2005, according to Major League Baseball's tax return, which was obtained by the Sports Business Journal. Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, received $4,875,000, the publication reported in this week's issue. Pay for executive vice presidents included $1.92 million for Rob Manfred (labor relations), $1.3 million for John McHale Jr. (administration) and $1,245,000 for Jonathan Mariner (finance). Sandy Alderson, who quit as executive vice president of baseball operations in 2005 to become chief executive officer of the San Diego Padres, made $875,000. Jimmie Lee Solomon, who replaced Alderson in June 2005, made $543,583. The publication, citing unidentified sources, said Selig received a $6 million base salary, an equal amount in a bonus and the remainder in expenses and personal fees. Baseball's central office paid $77.3 million in salaries and benefits to 231 employees, the report said. The NFL paid $41.5 million to 839 employees in 12 months ending March 31 last year and the NHL $13.9 million to 56 employees in the year ending June 30, 2005, when staff was reduced because of a lockout. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2824089&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines WHOA! Thats a crapload of $$$$.
It is so refreshing to me that Bud Selig made $14.5M dollars last season for being, essentially, incompetent and at best, mediocre. If most people performed at his level at their everyday, piddling jobs (money-wise), they would be out on their ass so fast that they wouldn't know what hit them.
