How much is losing Game Seven of the ALCS worth? The answer is $10,140,051.86, apparently.
MLB announced 2017 postseason shares earlier today and the Yankees, as well as the NLCS losing Cubs, were awarded $10,140,051.86 in postseason pool money. The Yankees issued 57 full shares at $138,897.63 a pop, plus 15.01 partial shares. I wonder who got the 0.01? Probably Tyler Clippard.
Here are the details on the postseason shares, via MLB’s press release:
The players’ pool is formed from 50 percent of the gate receipts from the Wild Card Games; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship Series; and 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the World Series. The players’ pool was divided among the 10 Postseason Clubs: the two World Series participants, the two League Championship Series runners-up, the four Division Series runners-up and the two runners-up in the Wild Card Games. The 2017 players’ pool was a record total of $84,500,432.15, eclipsing last year’s $76,627,827.09.
The Astros will split a record $30,420,155.57 in pool money — the Cubs split $27,586,017.75 last year — which works out $438,901.57 per share. That’s also a record. The Dodgers split a $20,280,103.72 postseason pool. Winning Game Seven (or Game Six) of the ALCS would have, at worst, doubled New York’s postseason pool money. Here’s all the postseason shares information.
Keep in mind the postseason pool money is not limited to players. Coaches and other team personnel are included as well. CC Sabathia probably won’t even notice that $138,897.63 direct deposit hit his bank account. But for other members of the staff, like clubhouse personnel and equipment people, even a partial postseason share makes for a massive holiday bonus.