Twins’ Puckett First $3-Million Ballplayer

Baseball salaries reached another level Wednesday when outfielder Kirby Puckett and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a three-year, $9-million contract, bringing him to the $3-million-a-year mark.

The deal came amid another run of spiraling salary increases, which will boost the average in the major leagues above $500,000 per player by next season.

It was only 10 years ago that the million-dollar level was reached when pitcher Nolan Ryan agreed to a four-year, $4-million contract with the Houston Astros in November, 1979.

Less than three years later, in February, 1982, outfielder George Foster became the first to be paid $2 million a season, agreeing to a five-year, $10.2-million contract with the New York Mets.

“It’s hard to believe you get a bargain for $9 million,” Twin General Manager Andy MacPhail said. “But you do when you consider the way salaries are escalating.”

Puckett, a 28-year-old center fielder who won the American League batting title last season, will get a $1.5-million signing bonus, of which $500,000 will be paid immediately, $500,000 on Dec. 15, 1990, and $500,000 on Dec. 15, 1991. He will earn a salary of $2.2 million in 1990, $2.5 million in 1991 and $2.8 million in 1992.

“Hopefully, this will open up other avenues for other people,” Puckett said. “You’ve got a couple guys in the free-agent market now, Rickey Henderson and Mark Langston, and there’s going to be some owners who really open up to them and maybe get them some more than I’ve gotten.

“But I’m not going to look over my shoulder. What I’ve gotten, I’m happy with it. And if those guys get more, I can’t be disappointed at all. I go out and I play and I do my best, and it’s fortunate to have great years back to back to back, and that’s the way they rewarded me and I’m very proud of it.”

Puckett, an American League All-Star for the past four seasons, batted .339 in 1989 with nine home runs and 85 runs batted in. He has a .320 career average.