Dodgers make Brown baseball's highest-paid player

"It's a truly tragic day for baseball," San Diego owner John Moores said Saturday after Brown, the pitching ace who led the Padres to the World Series, agreed to a $105 million, seven-year contract with Murdoch's Dodgers.

Coming just 25 months after Albert Belle became the first $50 million player, the move not only altered the balance of power in the NL West, it sent a shudder through an industry starting to wonder if another player-owner war is inevitable in 2002. That's the first season after the current labor agreement is likely to expire.

"I would have to say we're the favorites to win our division." -- Dodgers manager Davey Johnson

Sandy Alderson, the executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, called it "an affront to baseball." Cleveland general manager John Hart said the media-driven teams "are almost going to a supergroup."

But for Dodgers manager Davey Johnson, it meant his team has a chance to reach the World Series next year.

"I'm sure that when I read the January, February sports magazines, I'm sure they'll have the Dodgers pretty high," he said.

And Brown didn't just get cash. As part of the deal, the Dodgers will provide a corporate jet for 12 round trips a year. Brown was concerned he'd be away from his family in Macon, Ga., and intends to fly them in.

"What it tells you is money has gotten to the point where it is meaningless," Toronto Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said. "You need other things of value."

Anaheim, Baltimore, Colorado and St. Louis also were among the finalists for Brown, a 33-year-old right-hander who went 18-7 with a 2.38 ERA for San Diego this year. All the finalists offered six-year deals, according to Brown's agent, Scott Boras.

Brown, 139-99 in 12 seasons, decided Thursday that the Dodgers were his first choice, Boras said, and Los Angeles agreed to go to seven years on Friday night.

Brown's deal is not the highest in sports. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett has the richest contract, a $126 million, six-year deal and four other NBA players top $100 million: Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal ($120 million), Miami center Alonzo Mourning ($112 million), Cleveland forward Shawn Kemp ($107 million) and Washington forward Juwan Howard ($100.8 million).

In the NFL, Denver running back Terrell Davis is at the top with a $56.1 million, nine-year contract.

Alderson said part of the reason for the NBA lockout was the breaking of the $100 million barrier in that sport.

"It's what caused a lot of people in the NBA to sit up and take notice," he said.

Commissioner Bud Selig, who on Dec. 3 gathered owners in Chicago to talk about the growing disparity between high-revenue teams and the rest of the sport, found his answering machine in Milwaukee filled with messages from owners. Selig declined comment, but didn't seem to mind that Alderson lashed out.

"This is not a good baseball deal," said Alderson, who quit his job as Oakland Athletics president in September to join the commissioner's office. "This is not a decision made by a baseball man -- I don't believe."

Anger has been building among the small markets since the end of the World Series, fueled by Mike Piazza's $91 million, seven-year contract with the New York Mets, Mo Vaughn's $80 million, six-year deal with Anaheim and Bernie Williams' $87.5 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees. The Dodgers, sold by Peter O'Malley to one of Murdoch's companies last spring for $350 million, defended the move.

"The Dodgers do not take payroll disparity and economic responsibility lightly," general manager Kevin Malone said. "We are sensitive to the financial concerns of the industry. This type of monetary commitment to a player of Kevin Brown's abilities would enable us to field a championship-caliber club now."

Malone's remarks made the outspoken Alderson even angrier.

"The commissioner is completely frustrated," he said. "The commissioner held a meeting last week in Chicago that wasn't even attended by the people who made the decision, To me, that was an affront to the commissioner. The media comments you have in the release are an affront to the commissioner and an affront to baseball."

The deal set a baseball record for total dollars and average annual value ($15 million). The previous high for average salary, $13.33 million, was set on Nov. 25 when Vaughn agreed to his deal with Anaheim. The previous high for dollars was set Oct. 23 by Piazza's deal with the Mets.

"I never thought we'd see the day of a $91 million player," said Dodgers senior vice president Tom Lasorda, who is Piazza's godfather. "There's only one thing certain in baseball -- nothing is certain."

Brown gets a $5 million signing bonus, $10 million next year and $15 million in each of the following six seasons. In addition, he gets a hotel suite for road trips and incentive bonus clauses for winning awards.

By signing him, Los Angeles raised its payroll to about $80 million. Since the end of the season, Los Angeles agreed to a $12.4 million, three-year contract with center fielder Devon White and a $6.5 million, three-year contract with reliever Alan Mills.

The Dodgers also acquired catcher Todd Hundley and reliever Mel Rojas from the New York Mets, lost free agent pitchers Scott Radinsky and Brian Bohanon and dealt outfielder Bobby Bonilla to New York.