Where's the outrage?

A reader brought up a good point about my blog this morning on the highest-paid actors in 2008. Why is there so little outcry about what actors make as opposed to athletes, specifically baseball players?

That's a question that I've always asked myself. The public starts to foam at the mouth when some baseball player signs an astronomical free agent contract, but would shrug when hearing -- if anyone hears -- what an actor pulls down per picture.

The question is why the different reaction?

I mean, Adam Sandler, took in $55 million last year. $55 million!!! That's nearly twice what baseball's villain, Alex Rodriguez, took in. Can you imagine someone in baseball getting $55 million a year and what the reaction would be? Do you think Adam Sandler is box office, that he carries movies? At least A-Rod, legally or not, is one of the game's all-time greats.

Look, both industries are well paid. I'm not defending baseball, but I just find the different reactions to similar salaries baffling.

For the record, here are baseball's highest contracts in 2009 according to Major League baseball:

1. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, $33 million.
2. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, $23.8 million.
3. Derek Jeter, Yankees, $21.6 million.
4. Mark Teixeira, Yankees, $20.6 million.
5. Carlos Beltran, Mets, $19.2 million.
6. Carlos Lee, Astros, $19 million (in terms of production, he's the Adam Sandler of MLB).
7. Magglio Ordonez, Tigers, $18.9 million.
8. Johan Santana, Mets, $18.8 million.
9. Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, $18.7 million.
10. Barry Zito, Giants, $18.5 million.