Its opening-day payroll this season was $56 million.

The Marlins, whose opening-day payroll rose from $23.3 million to $30 million, experienced a 54 percent leap in their average salary, from $752,000 to $1,156,903.

The opening-day payroll was reduced from $52.7 million in 2002 to $40.6 million in 2003 and to a projected $30 million for 2004.

The survey showed that the total opening-day payroll for all clubs surpassed the $300 million mark for the first time, totaling $300,511,924.

Well, the team's opening-day payroll fell to $40.6 million this year from $50.3 million last year.

The 2002 Yankees' opening-day payroll was some $92 million more than the Pirates' payroll.

The opening-day payroll this year was $120 million.

These are some of the results that can be gleaned from opening-day payrolls, which for the most part continue to reach unprecedented highs.

The Red Sox have by far the largest, a whopping 43 percent over their opening-day payroll of $77.9 million a year ago.

This team was an afterthought, with an opening-day payroll of $48 million, a small fraction of the Mets' $120 million.