Say what you will about A-Rod and his paycheck -- at least he works for it. Albert Belle hasn't played a game since Oct. 1, 2000, but the disabled hothead will still collect $12,368,790 this season -- paid for by Baltimore's team insurance policy.

	Compared to Belle, Shea should be wearing a "Will get RBIs for food" sign.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of solid, blue-collar big leaguers out there making ballpark peanuts compared to Big Al. Here's an entire team of bargain ballplayers who make less than Belle in 2002 -- combined. And we still had enough left over to hire unemployed Pirate Derek Bell as a motivation coach. Ladies and gentlemen, your Bargain Belles!

C Paul Lo Duca ($546,667)
1B Albert Pujols ($600,000)
2B Alfonso Soriano ($630,000)
SS Jimmy Rollins ($355,000)
3B Shea Hillenbrand ($260,000)
OF Adam Dunn ($250,000)
OF Jacque Jones ($312,500)
OF Lance Berkman ($500,000)
BENCH 1B Doug Mientkiewicz ($285,000); SS Rafael Furcal ($405,000); 3B Eric Hinske ($200,000); UT Junior Spivey ($215,000); C A.J. Pierzynski ($250,000)
HITTER SUBTOTAL: $4,809,167

In MLB world, Sally Struthers would have a commercial featuring Odalis.

SP Roy Oswalt ($300,000)
SP Mark Buehrle ($310,000)
SP Barry Zito ($295,000)
SP Odalis Perez ($625,000)
SP A.J. Burnett ($367,500)
BULLPEN J.C. Romero ($215,000); Octavio Dotel ($435,000); Scott Strickland ($355,000); Vladimir Nunez ($360,000); Scott Williamson ($400,000); Jorge Julio ($216,000)
Closer Eric Gagne ($300,000)
PITCHER SUBTOTAL: $4,178,500

TOTAL BARGAIN BELLES PAYROLL: $8,987,667

This article appears in the July 8 issue of ESPN The Magazine.