Roberto Clemente: Retired In 1972
Career Earnings: $800,000
Current Net Worth: $800,000 (Deceased)
Roberto Clemente, mainly known for being a Pittsburgh Pirate, had the potential to be a longstanding MLB player. For 13 seasons, he was an All-Star and won numerous awards throughout the ’60s. In 1955, he debuted for the first time in the major league, continuing to play until his untimely death in 1972. Suddenly, Clemente passed away when the plane he was on crashed. At that moment, he was delivering aid supplies to earthquake victims. The 38-year-old had earned close to a million dollars by that point in his career.
Carl Ripken Jr: Retired In 2001
Career Earnings: $60 million
Current Net Worth: $75 million
For two decades, right up until his retirement in 2001, Ripken remained loyal to Baltimore Orioles. Cal had brought home plenty of bacon with $60 million earnings by this point in his career. A lot of that came from endorsements, however. By 1996, the LA Times noticed that Ripken was popular in the commercial market, pointing out how many deals he had on the go. He not only starred in General Motors’ Chevrolet advertisements, but he also started campaigns for True Value hardware.
