When the Major League Baseball season starts on April 5, the seasons of four professional sports leagues — in baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer — will be in progress. (The National Women’s Soccer League season begins on April 10.) Test your financial knowledge of these leagues by taking our quiz:
1. Match the sports league with its minimum salary:
1. MLB | A. $36,500 |
2. MLS | B. $507,500 |
3. NBA | C. $507,336 |
4. NHL | D. $525,000 |
2. At $14 million, this player has the NHL’s highest base salary:
A. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
B. Alex Ovechkin, Washington
C. Patrick Kane, Chicago
D. Shea Weber, Nashville
3. In 2014 this player became the highest-paid player ($7.2 million) in the history of MLS. Who is the player?
A. Clint Dempsey
B. Michael Bradley
C. Ricardo Kaká
D. Thierry Henry
4. The NBA’s most valuable team is valued at $2.6 billion. Which team is it?
A. Boston Celtics
B. Chicago Bulls
C. Los Angeles Lakers
D. New York Knicks
5. This MLB team has the league’s highest payroll, at $273.4 million.* Which team is it?
A. Chicago Cubs
B. Los Angeles Dodgers
C. Miami Marlins
D. San Francisco Giants
6. This player’s 13-year, $325 million contract is the richest contract in baseball history. Who is the player?
A. Albert Pujols, Angels
B. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
C. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
D. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
7. Worth an estimated $21.2 billion, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is the richest owner in U.S. sports. Which NBA team does he own?
A. Los Angeles Lakers
B. Minnesota Timberwolves
C. Los Angeles Clippers
D. Sacramento Kings
Answers: (1) 1–B, 2–A, 3–C, 4–D; (2) D; (3) C; (4) C; (5) B; (6) C; (7) C *as of 3/20/15
Sources: MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, Sportrac.com, Forbes