Dave Parker, the First Athlete to Earn $1 Million Per Year - 33rd Square (2024)

In 1978, star right-fielder Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first professional athlete to command a salary of $1 million per year. When Parker signed a 5-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates heading into the ‘78 season, it marked a historic milestone in sports business. For the first time ever, an American pro athlete would earn a seven-figure annual income.

Prior to Parker‘s mega-deal, the top salaries in sports were far more modest. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, athlete compensation failed to reach the heights seen today. Let‘s take a look at the salary progression in baseball, football, and basketball leading up to Parker‘s groundbreaking contract.

Baseball Salaries Before the Million Dollar Mark

In the early decades of professional baseball, even the game‘s biggest stars made fractions of modern contracts. Legendary Yankees slugger Babe Ruth topped out with a salary of $80,000 in the 1930s. Adjusted for inflation, that equates to just around $1.5 million in current dollars.

It was not until 1949 that any player even surpassed the $100,000 mark. That year, Yankee great Joe DiMaggio became the first to do so, earning $100,000 per year at his peak.

Top players in the 1950s and ‘60s like Mickey Mantle, Hank Greenberg, and Sandy Koufax finally reached the $100,000 level. By 1970, Giants star Willie Mays set a new high mark with a salary of $135,000.

But these earning paled in comparison to what Dave Parker would rake in by the end of the decade. For instance, Parker‘s contract in 1978 was nearly 8 times larger than Mickey Mantle‘s top salary.

Salaries in Football and Basketball Before $1 Million

Like baseball, pro football and basketball players earned very modest wages for most of the 20th century.

In the 1940s, the NFL‘s top stars like Sammy Baugh were paid between $13,000-$15,000 annually. The league‘s highest earner in 1946 was Bob Waterfield at just $20,000 per year.

NBA salaries in the 1950s ranged from $4,000-$20,000. A pioneer like Earl Lloyd, one of the first African American players, earned only $10,000 his rookie year in 1950. Wilt Chamberlain‘s record $65,000 per year contract in 1965 was still a far cry from a million.

Clearly, it took until the 1970s before any professional athlete came close to seven figures. But the stage was set for Dave Parker to make history.

Dave Parker‘s Path to $1 Million

A native of Mississippi, Dave Parker was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 at just 19 years old. He spent several years honing his skills in the minors before making his MLB debut in 1973.

The talented right-fielder improved each season, making his first All-Star team in 1975. By 1977, Parker had established himself as one of baseball‘s premier players, leading the National League in hitting with a .338 average and 215 hits.

Heading into the 1978 season, Parker was coming off this MVP-caliber campaign. Moreover, the sport‘s new era of free agency was just beginning. With his star rising and contract expiring, Parker found himself in prime position to score a huge payday.

In February 1978, the Pirates stepped up with a record-shattering deal:

• Years: 5
• Salary: $1 million per year
• Total value: $5 million

Overnight, the 27-year old Parker became baseball‘s highest paid player. His salary instantly doubled from his 1977 earnings. Sports pundits marveled at this "monstrous contract" and "astronomical amount" for an athlete.

But for Parker, the million dollar payday provided peace of mind:

"This is security for my family. Now I can concentrate strictly on playing baseball."

For the Pirates franchise, locking up their superstar outfielder was well worth the huge investment…

Aftermath – Ushering in the Era of Huge Salaries

While Dave Parker‘s million dollar contract caused shockwaves in 1978, it soon became the norm for sports superstars. His deal opened the floodgates to massive paydays.

Just one year later, NFL quarterback Joe Montana signed a 4-year, $3.2 million contract with the 49ers. This made Montana football‘s first million dollar man.

Michael Jordan later shattered NBA salary records in the 1990s, including a $30 million per year deal with the Bulls. By the 2000s, $1 million average salaries were commonplace in the league.

In 2000, slugger Alex Rodriguez broke baseball‘s bank with a $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers – the largest in American sports history to that point.

Since then, the sky has become the limit on pro athlete salaries. Today, Dave Parker‘s $1 million yearly wage seems modest in comparison. The average among 2021‘s top MLB stars was $30 million. The NBA‘s LeBron James earns over $40 million per season, while NFL phenom Patrick Mahomes recently inked a $450 million contract, the richest ever in American team sports.

Clearly, Dave Parker‘s landmark contract paved the way for athlete compensation to reach unfathomable heights. While once deemed outrageous, Parker‘s deal opened minds to the vast revenues generated in pro sports thanks to media deals and sponsorship rights.

The "million-dollar man" ushered in today‘s era of $100 million contracts, forever changing the sports business landscape.

Final Thoughts

As a lifelong sports fan, I find it fascinating to reflect on how much athlete salaries have grown over the decades. Stars from past eras like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle could scarcely imagine the nine-figure contracts common today.

Dave Parker‘s milestone as the first "million dollar" athlete still stands as an important point in sports history. His contract showed the dramatic shift in revenues flooding into pro leagues by the late 1970s.

Of course, these massive deals also leave fans shaking their heads over "greedy" players making in a month what ordinary people make in a lifetime. But like any business, an athlete‘s worth is defined by what teams are willing to pay.

As salaries continue to balloon, who knows – we may soon see the first $1 billion player contract! But they‘ll still have Dave Parker to thank for kicking off the trend.

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