I’ve been digging into some baseball history lately, specifically about Mickey Mantle’s salary. It’s pretty interesting to see how things have changed over the years.
So, I started by looking up Mantle’s annual salary from when he played, which was 1951 through 1968. I mean, this guy was a legend, right? But the money back then was way different from what players make today.
I found out that Mantle made around $1.1 million during his whole career with the Yankees. That sounds like a lot, but when I adjusted it for inflation, it’s roughly $9 million today. Still a good chunk of change, but not compared to the crazy salaries we see now.
The most he ever made in a single year was $100,000, back in 1963. I converted that to today’s money, and it comes out to a little over a million. Imagine playing with all those injuries he had! I read that they would wrap up his legs like a mummy before games.
- Mickey Mantle’s career earnings: $1.1 million (around $9 million adjusted for inflation).
- Highest yearly salary: $100,000 in 1963 ($1 million today).
- Estimated net worth at death: $10 million.
Then I got curious about his net worth. Apparently, when he passed away, it was estimated to be around $10 million. Not bad at all. Most of that probably came from his baseball days, but I bet he had other investments too.
I also checked out some current player salaries, just to compare. Half the teams have at least one player making $25 million or more this season! Shohei Ohtani is pulling in $70 million. That’s insane! And Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are tied for second at over $43 million each.
Some Final Thoughts
It’s wild to think about how much the game has changed, especially when it comes to money. Mickey Mantle was a superstar, playing through pain and all that. I learned that he was 37 in 1969 and even though his body was giving out, he was still torn about retiring. It just shows how much he loved the game. It’s a good reminder that it’s not always about the money, even though the numbers are definitely eye-popping these days!
