Jan. 31, 1962 - Willie Mays signed his 1962 contract with the San Francisco Giants today. The pact made him baseball’s highest paid player at about $90,000. Last season, 10 years after he broke in with the Giants in New York, the 30-year-old Mays hit .308, scored 129 runs, batted in 123, stole 18 bases, and hit 40 homers. Mays’ contract was believed to eclipse that of Mickey Mantle, the Yankee star who reportedly signed for $85,000. The top salaries this year, however, do not match the $100,000 seasons credited to Ted Williams and Stan Musial in recent seasons.
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