In 1953, my sixth major league season, I had my only 20-win season (20-6) and won a World Series game. Naturally, I was expecting a good raise. I was making $18,000. Hank Greenberg, general manager for Cleveland, bet Buzzie Bavasi, general manager of the Dodgers, $10 that he wouldn't pay me what I asked for. Buzzie called me aside where we had been chatting in the lobby of an Atlanta hotel during the winter meeting. He said to me, "What do you want?" I said $30,000. Buzzie gave me the full shock treatment. "Oh, my, Carl, I couldn't do that." I said, "OK, pay Greenberg." Buzzie said, "Now wait a minute, let's talk. We've never had any trouble getting together." He said, "$28,500, and that's tops." I said, "Go pay Greenberg." "No, now wait," said Buzzie. "Here's what I'll do. You bring your family to spring training, so let me pick up their expenses-there's your $30,000."

"Not quite," I said. "That usually costs me less than $1,000." Now I'm trying to think of some way to get that last 500-600 bucks, so I say, "Buzzie, how about paying for the dental work I'm having done back in Anderson in the winter."

He finally agreed. My dentist loved getting those Dodger checks, and he put six gold inlays in my teeth. Recently, I had to have one pulled. I saved the gold nugget and had a tie tack made out of it. If you see me dressed with a shirt and tie, I'll show you what's left of my 1954 raise.

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