How Much is $67 Million?

Under the terms of the trade that sent Alex Rodriguez to New York, Rangers owner Tom Hicks will continue to pay an average of just over six million dollars of A-Rod’s salary each year over the next seven season. Add that to the $24 million in deferred money that Hicks will be shelling out, and the total comes out to a cool $67 million.

Clearly, Texas had to find some way to escape from Rodriguez’ astronomical contract (although finding a way to remove Chan Ho Park’s salary from the books might have made even more sense), but that’s a lot of money to be paying a player who’ll be spending the foreseeable future hitting home runs for a league rival. I couldn’t help wondering what else Hicks could have bought for that sum.
 

$67 million = …

2 times the expected payroll of the Milwaukee Brewers (Projected at $30 million in 2004)

Superagent Scott Boras’ fee for 5 more A-Rod caliber contracts (Estimated at $12.5 million)

6+ Seasons of Ivan Rodriguez (Signed by Detroit to a four-year, $40 million contract this off-season. Think Rangers fans would mind seeing I-Rod return to Arlington?)

Stadium naming rights for 29 years (Based on the $57.5 million, 25-year deal between Citizens Bank and the Philadelphia Phillies)

61 T-206 Honus Wagner tobacco cards (Sold at auction for $1.1 million. Wagner’s highest salary as a ballplayer was $10,000.)

628 Infamous Bartman balls, pyrotechnical destruction not included (Sold at auction for $106,600)

Tickets for 1243 people to see A-Rod play in each of his Yankee Stadium home games for the next seven years (Great seats, too: $95 per field championship ticket.)

9571 World Series rings (Estimated value of Florida’s 1997 rings: $7000 each)

610,923 Alex Rodriguez autographs (1994 Classic Autograph card, sold on eBay for $109.67)

That’s a lot of money!
 

Arlo Vander could think of quite a few things he’d like to do with $67 million.

Have a better way to spend $67 million? Let us know!