Enter the Era of the $49,000 at Bat ; Alex Rodriguez's $252 Million Baseball Deal Spotlights Imbalance between Rich and Poorer Teams

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It took exactly two days for pitcher Mike Hampton's blockbuster $121 million deal to become chump change.

The Colorado Rockies had put together what looked like an astounding offer: $15 million a year for eight years. When pen was put to paper, it was the second-largest contract in the history of sport - falling just short of a 1997 basketball deal.

Now, it's a distant fourth.

The Texas Rangers' signing of slugger Alex Rodriguez to a 10- year, $252 million contract has staked out a new standard in professional athletics - one that may imperil the very foundations of America's pastime.

Certainly, landmark contracts have always been met …