By the time he was acquired by the Yankees from the Kansas City Athletics on December 11, 1959, Maris was a fine ball player who was on the verge of blossoming into a perennial all-star and a prolific power hitter defined by the common standards of the day.

FORBES: 50 Years Later, And Roger Maris Is Still Fighting For Respect

On the flipside, the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays have less than 50% of 2009 revenue locked up in player contracts through 2011 and therefore have lots of room to sign some expensive talent.

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Such generosity by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner , required by the league's rule that teams pay 34% of their net local revenue to help make poorer teams more competitive, is the reason why the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals increased in value by more than 20%.

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