Four Baltimore Orioles were among the 225 major-league players on active rosters and disabled lists last Aug. 31 who were at the million-dollar salary level, according to a study by The Associated Press.
Leading the list of Orioles was first baseman Glenn Davis, who ranked 22nd among all major-leaguers with a salary of $3,275,000, a figure he can earn again this season if he reaches incentives for games played. The American League's Most Valuable Player, Cal Ripken, was 59th overall with a salary of $2,566,667. He will be playing on a club option next season, but his salary figures to rise dramatically when he signs a new contract.
Others on the list were Dwight Evans, 200th at $1,160,000, and Joe Orsulak, tied for 201st with $1,150,000.
The number of players making $3 million rose from one to 34 from the previous season and 62 more made at least $1 million than in 1990. The total of $2 million players climbed from 29 to 127 as baseball's salary scale continued to escalate.
The Oakland Athletics, who had the largest payroll in baseball at $39.2 million, had 16 players making $1 million or more, the most of any team. Of those, eight made $2 million or more and five -- Jose Canseco, Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley -- made $3 million or more.
It was only two years ago that Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins became the first player to sign for $3 million a year.
The California Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants each had 12 players at $1 million or more. The Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals, the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers had 11 each (although Walt Terrell of the Tigers had $1.1 million of his $1.2 million salary paid by Pittsburgh, which released him).
At the other end of the salary scale was the Houston Astros, who had the lowest payroll at $12.5 million, including more than $1 million in termination pay. Of 100 players at the major-league minimum of $100,000, nine were on the Astros.
Houston had just three players at the million-dollar level, the fewest of any team. The Orioles, Cleveland and Seattle had four each.
Orioles salaries
The 1991 salaries for the Baltimore Orioles, with players on Aug. 31 rosters and disabled lists (dl); figures were obtained by The Associated Press from management and player sources and include salaries, pro-rated shares of signing bonuses and earned incentive bonuses:
Player .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Salary
Glenn Davis. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,275,000
Cal Ripken.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,566,667
Dwight Evans .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,160,000
Joe Orsulak. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,150,000
dl-Mark Williamson .. .. .. .. .. ..745,000
Bill Ripken. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..700,000
Bob Melvin.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..650,000
Gregg Olson. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..505,000
Mike Flanagan.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..500,000
Ben McDonald .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..491,667
Randy Milligan. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..330,000
Tim Hulett.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..327,500
Bob Milacki. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..280,000
Mike Devereaux. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..210,000
Sam Horn. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..205,000
Dave Johnson .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..200,000
Todd Frohwirth. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..130,000
Chris Hoiles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..107,500
dl-Jose Mesa .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..107,000
David Segui. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..106,000
Jim Poole .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..105,000
Anthony Telford .. .. .. .. .. .. ..104,500
Juan Bell .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..103,000
dl-Jeff McKnight . .. .. .. .. .. ..103,000
Leo Gomez .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..102,500
dl-Brian DuBois .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100,000
Chito Martinez. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100,000
pTC Mike Mussina .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100,000
Arthur Rhodes.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100,000
$3 million club
Major-league baseball players who were paid $3 million last season:
Player, - team .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Salary
Darryl Strawberry, LA.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,800,000
Joe Carter, Tor . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,791,667
Will Clark, SF .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,775,000
Kevin Mitchell, SF . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,750,000
Jack Morris, Min. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,700,000
Mark Davis, KC .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,625,000
Eric Davis, Cin . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,600,000
Willie McGee, SF. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,562,500
Jose Canseco, Oak .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,500,000
Dave Stewart, Oak .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,500,000
Mark Langston, Cal . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,550,000
Tim Raines, Chi (AL) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,500,000
Dennis Martinez, Mon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,348,333
Bob Welch, Oak .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,450,000
George Brett, KC. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,438,661
Don Mattingly, NY (AL). .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,420,000
Jack Clark, Bos . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,400,000
Doug Drabek, Pit. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,350,000
A. Dawson, Chi (NL). .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,325,000
Nolan Ryan, Tex . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,300,000
Dave Winfield, Cal . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,300,000
Glenn Davis, Bal. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,275,000
Paul Molitor, Mil .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,253,333
Danny Darwin, Bos .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,250,000
Rickey Henderson, Oak . .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,250,000
Robin Yount, Mil. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,200,000
Kirby Puckett, Min . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,191,667
Mike Boddicker, KC . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,166,667
Orel Hershiser, LA . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,166,667
Frank Viola, NY (NL) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,166,667
V. Coleman, NY (NL). .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,112,500
Dennis Eckersley, Oak . .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,100,000
Kelly Gruber, Tor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,033,333
Dave Stieb, Tor . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$3,000,000