[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by blueash

Mantle's highest salary, his contract in 1963 was for 100,000. That is less than one million in today's dollars. So no, before free agency the salaries are not even close. I read a book as a child about the Yankees which had a story that Mickey wanted more than 100,000 but was told that 100,000 was the salary Babe Ruth got and nobody was worth more than the Babe. (Actually Babe got 80,000 in 1930 80,000 in 1930 dollars translates to 142000 in 1963 dollars and 1,400,000 today.

For 1.4 million today you can pay a benchwarmer, maybe.

Thanks for the explanation. That puts the various players in perspective. I forgot that free agency would radically change ANY comparison between today's players and the older legends.