Major League Baseball announced the allotment of 2019 postseason shares, with the total pool the third-highest at $80,861,145.74. The amount is down from a both record of more than $88 million last year and $84 million in 2017.
The players’ pool is formed from 50% of the gate receipts from Wild Card Games, 60% of gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series, 60% of receipts from the first four games of the League Championship Series, and 60% of the gate receipts from the first four games of the World Series.
The pool was divided among the 10 postseason teams: the two World Series participants, the two League Championship Series runners-up, the four Division Series runners-up and the two runners-up in the Wild Card Games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who unexpectedly were eliminated in the NL Division Series, generated $2,627,987.24 in the players’ pool. They issued 60 full shares, 15.282 partial shares and 35 cash awards. The full value of a share was $32,427.60.
The Dodgers and Washington Nationals played to five games in the NLDS, with one of the contests at Dodger Stadium including a first-ever postseason bobblehead giveaway.
In 2017, when the Dodgers advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1988, the club earned — and split — just over $20 million. It was a record-high at the time before the Dodgers surpassed it last year with a $21,165,272.04 pool.
The Nationals’ first World Series win in franchise history was accompanied by $29,110,012.47 in their share of the players’ pool. The Nationals issued 61 full shares ($382,358.18 value), 14.13 partial shares and two cash awards.
American League champion Houston Astros earned $19,406,674.98 that was divided into 57 full shares ($256,030.16 value), 13.58 partial shares and 10 cash awards.
Last year’s full share amounts were $416,837.72 for the world champion Boston Red Sox and $262,027.49 for the 2018 NL champion Dodgers.
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