On January 16, 1973 â Steve Carlton becomes the highest-paid pitcher when he signs a contract with the Phillies for a reported $165,000. The 28 year-old southpaw, last seasonâs unanimous Cy Young Award winner, will lose a league-leading 20 games this season after posting one of the finest season in baseball history when he went 27-10 for a Phillies team that won just 59 games.
Carlton will pay off for the Phillies, winning 4 Cy Young Awards, 241 games and pitching them to the 1980 World Series title. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.
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