MLB Distributes Second-Highest Amount For Postseason Player Compensaion Ever

MLB distributed $57.3M in postseason player compensation for '11, up 4.4% from last year and the second best figure in league history. The money, generated from 60% of the gate receipts of the first three games of each Division Series and first four games of each LCS and the World Series, is largely a function of ballpark capacities of the participating teams. And this year, the earning power of the compensation pool was boosted in part by playoff runs by the World Series champion Cardinals, Tigers, Brewers, Rangers, Yankees, Phillies and D'Backs, each of which play in facilities holding in excess of 43,000 people for playoff games. The total pool trails only the record $59.07M distributed two years ago. The Cardinals divided their $20.63M portion of the pool into 51 full shares of $323,169.28 each, 11.962 partial shares and eight cash awards.