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Monday, March 10, 2008

The Biz of Baseball: Brown: Cha-Ching! Selig Gets 4% Raise. Made $15.06M Last Year

Wow!...Think of all the .357 Magnum ammo R. Budd can now buy!

While player salaries haven’t kept pace with the skyrocketing growth of revenues in MLB, one player off-the-field is certainly cashing in.

After receiving an extension that will keep him as commissioner of baseball until at least 2012, Bud Selig has been pulling in a nice paycheck to go with.

Last year, Selig pulled in $14.5 million, which was more than all other sports executives. Think that the steroid scandal and the Mitchell Report have diluted Selig’s worth to his employers, the owners? Think again.

The Sports Business Journal reports that Selig had an increase in pay of 4 percent compared to last year, and pulled in a cool $15.06 million.

Repoz Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:10 PM | 17 comment(s)
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1. Fred C. Dobbs Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:20 PM (#2709974)

Good for him, he deserves it. Not only did he stop all the steroid use, but he also caught all the bad guys that did them.

2. Random Transaction Generator Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:22 PM (#2709976)

This wouldn't happen if there was a salary cap in baseball!

3. villageidiom Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:30 PM (#2709980)

In total, MLB paid out $85.1 million in employee compensation and benefits for the 236-employee office during the fiscal year, up from $77 million the prior year for 231 employees.

So, MLB office employees averaged an 8.2% raise. And Selig got around 4%.

4. Craig Calcaterra Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:58 PM (#2709995)

I think he deserves it. His style sucks in many ways, but he has done exactly what he was hired to do.

5. Gambling Rent, Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:58 PM (#2709996)

Best paying Temp Job ever!

6. The Piehole of David Wells Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:00 PM (#2709998)

So, MLB office employees averaged an 8.2% raise. And Selig got around 4%.

that's not exactly true. a modest increase in the cost of insurance probably accounts for a lot of that "raise" for office employees. i can't stand it when i get my salary report from my company and they tell me i'm making X in compensation when only 70% of it is salary (and 75% of that is take-home).

7. Joey B. Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:03 PM (#2710001)

I don't think we yet know what the change in player compensation is this year compared to last year, but a 4% pay increase for the commissioner hardly seems that outrageous to me. I'll bet most of us probably wish our business was as egalitarian as the pro sports model when it comes to compensation!

Having said that, it is true that the player share of the total revenue has gone down quite a bit in the last few years. That trend can't continue, or the labor peace the game has enjoyed the last few years will definitely be at serious risk in the near future.

8. Craig Calcaterra Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:05 PM (#2710002)

Perspective: Bobby Abreu will make a million bucks more than Selig this year.

9. Gambling Rent, Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:07 PM (#2710004)

Perspective: Bobby Abreu will make a million bucks more than Selig this year.

On paper.

10. Repoz Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:10 PM (#2710005)

Perspective: Bobby Abreu will make a million bucks more than Selig this year.

But at least Selig isn't afraid of going to the wall...of China.

11. Sparkles Peterson Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:35 PM (#2710023)

I'd like to get upset about how much he's making, but executives in other industries screw up even more egregiously, their companies are devastated instead of flourishing, and they still reel in a hell of a lot more than Selig.

12. catomi01 Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:56 PM (#2710035)

BP still has his MORP at $7.15/hr.

13. Gambling Rent, Posted: March 10, 2008 at 06:03 PM (#2710036)

If i made 15 million dollars a year to watch baseball, i'd pick my nose in front of congress too.

14. Walt Davis Posted: March 10, 2008 at 06:14 PM (#2710039)

Or, it's $500,000 per team. You can't even get Neifi Perez for that. Below replacement-level commish. :-)

15. Walt Davis Posted: March 10, 2008 at 06:18 PM (#2710040)

Also, folks have to remember that in his first 3 years, Selig only earned about $250,000 per year. Then he had 3 arbitration years in which he was still paid below market-value. It wasn't until he became an FA that he really hit the jackpot and now MLB is paying for his decline phase. Have you seen the aging curve for commissioners in their mid-70s? (Didn't realize Bud was THAT old).

Carlos Lee for 6/$100 or Selig for (roughly) 6/$100? Any opinion, baseballchick?

16. Swoboda is freedom Posted: March 10, 2008 at 06:31 PM (#2710044)

It is the long term deals that kill you. Sighed through 2012, you are paying for the decline years.

17. Aspiring One-Armed Economist (6 - 4 - 3) Posted: March 11, 2008 at 01:04 AM (#2710244)

I object to the analysis of #16 because it seems based on the premise that Selig hasn't been in his decline phase throughout his tenure as baseball commissioner.

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Monday, March 10, 2008

The Biz of Baseball: Brown: Cha-Ching! Selig Gets 4% Raise. Made $15.06M Last Year

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