[Chuck9788]

Please share any thoughts/surprises on the baseball "annual salary leaders" listed below.


MLB Annual Salary Leaders between 1874 - 1945




Year Salary Player(s)
1874 $2,800 Fergus Malone (Chi NA)
1875 $2,200 Rich Higham (Chi NL)
1876 $4,000 Al Spalding (Chi NL)
1877 $2,900 Al Spalding (Chi NL)
1878 $3,700 Bob Ferguson (Chi NL)
1879 $1,800 Frank Flint (Chi NL)
1880 $1,800 Adrian Anson (Chi NL)
1881 $2,000 Jim O'Rourke (Buf NL)
1882 $2,400 Monte Ward (Prov NL)
1883 $3,100 Buck Ewing (NY NL)
1884 $3,100 Buck Ewing (NY NL)
1885 $4,500 Jim O'Rourke (NY NL)
1886 $4,500 Fred Dunlap (StL/Det NL)

1887 $4,500 Fred Dunlap (Det NL)
Charles Radbourne (Bos NL)

1888 $5,000 Fred Dunlap (Pit NL)
Buck Ewing (NY NL)

1889 $5,000 Fred Dunlap (Pit NL)
Buck Ewing (NY NL)

1890 $4,000 Hardy Richardson (Bos PL)
1891 $2,000 Paul Cook (Lou/StL AA)
1892 $2,800 Joe Gunson (Bal NL)
1893 no data
1894 no data
1895 $2,400 Jack Glasscock (Lou/Was NL)
1896 no data
1897 no data
1898 no data
1899 $1,800 Victor Willis (Bos NL)
1900 no data
1901 no data
1902 no data
1903 no data
1904 $5,000 Joe McGinnity (NY NL)
1905 no data
1906 $8,500 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)
1907 $8,500 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)
1908 $8,500 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)
1909 $9,000 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)

1910 $9,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)

1911 $9,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
Nap Lajoie (Cle AL)

1912 $10,000 Roger Bresnahan (StL NL)
Jimmy Callahan (Chi AL)
Hugh Jennings (Det AL)
Honus Wagner (Pit NL)

1913 $15,000 Fred Clarke (Pit NL)

1914 $15,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
Tris Speaker (Bos AL)

1915 $15,050 Fred Clarke (Pit NL)
1916 $20,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
1917 $20,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
1918 $20,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
1919 $20,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)

1920 $20,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
Babe Ruth (NY AL)
Tris Speaker (Cle AL)

1921 $25,000 Ty Cobb (Det AL)
1922 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1923 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1924 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1925 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1926 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1927 $70,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1928 $70,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1929 $70,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1930 $80,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1931 $80,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1932 $75,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1933 $52,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1934 $35,000 Babe Ruth (NY AL)
1935 $31,000 Lou Gehrig (NY AL)
1936 $36,000 Mickey Cochrane (Det AL)

1937 $36,000 Mickey Cochrane (Det AL)
Lou Gehrig (NY AL)

1938 $39,000 Lou Gehrig (NY AL)

1939 $35,000 Lou Gehrig (NY AL)
Hank Greenberg (Det AL)

1940 $35,000 Hank Greenberg (Det AL)
1941 $55,000 Hank Greenberg (Det AL)
1942 $43,750 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL)
1943 $27,000 Joe Cronin (Bos AL)
1944 $27,000 Joe Cronin (Bos AL)

1945 $25,000 Lou Boudreau (Cle AL)
Joe Cronin (Bos AL)