On February 7, 1949, "Joltin Joe" DiMaggio became the first player in the history of the American League to crack six figures when he inked a one year deal with the New York Yankees that would pay him $100,000. The first player to sign for six figures was Hank Greenberg in '47, when he inked a deal with the Pirates that paid him $100,000.

The year before the Yankee Clipper had hit .320, parked a league leading 39 balls over the wall, and also led the league with 155 RBI's, while finishing second in the MVP voting. The raise in pay was substantial as DiMaggio had made $65,000 the year before. By today's standards DiMaggio's $100,000 would be worth right around $980,000. While it is a far cry from the baseball contracts we see today, it was a historic moment in the career of DiMaggio and the Yankees organization.