Cecil Fielder Is Your Latest Athlete to Land in IRS/Tax-Related Trouble

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Prince Fielder has talked extensively about his distaste for his own father, the former home run slugging Cecil Fielder. Some of this stems around Big C's behavior as Cecil was a young child, and some of it revolves around the older tater king's inability to successfully manage a budget.

So it should come as no huge surprise that Cecil finds himself on the wrong end of an IRS lien (like there's a right end). From the TaxWatchdog at Detroit News.

Former Detroit Tigers star Cecil Fielder owes $273,123.29 in federal taxes, the latest financial issue facing a slugger who has had a slew of money problems in recent years, records show.

The lien against Cecil, 45, comes five months after the Tax Watchdog first revealed that the IRS had filed a $409,149 tax lien against his estranged son, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder.

Well, at least it's genetic. What? If you don't find unfunny hereditary tax jokes at least kind of laughable, I don't want to know you anyway.

Sports Stars Money Woes

Former All-Star Cecil Fielder made almost $50 million during his 13-year career in the major leagues, but he's fallen on hard times since retiring. The slugger has squandered much of his fortune and is now being sued by the IRS for failure to pay taxes. Click through to see more sports stars who have struggled with financial woes.

Brian Bahr, Getty Images

Michael Vick was once the NFL's highest-paid player. Now the jailed former star is millions of dollars in debt, and is making 12 cents an hour in his job at the federal penitentiary.

Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP

Evander "Real Deal" Holyfield, shown here in 2002, is reportedly in financial trouble with multiple sources. In October, Holyfield was back in court, again facing the possibility of jail time in a child-support case before a settlement was reached.

W. A. Harewood, Getty Images

Former boxing champ Thomas Hearns reportedly owes the federal government thousands in unpaid income taxes. Hearns' attorney stated that the 49-year-old disputes the debt and is working to resolve it.

Bill Pugliano, Getty Images

Former MLB star Jose Canseco walked away from a $2.5 million home in California earlier this year, saying it "didn't make sense" to keep paying the mortgage. Not surprisingly, the bank started foreclosure proceedings.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Last August, ex-NBA star Latrell Sprewell, who once turned down a $21 million contract offer because he had his "family to feed," had a yacht repossessed after falling behind in payments.

Kevork Djansezian, AP

Disgraced track champion Marion Jones admitted she was flat broke in 2007, despite numerous lucrative endorsements following the 2000 Sydney Olympics. After her $2.5 million North Carolina home was foreclosed upon in 2006, a court found her "total liquid assets" were worth less than $2,000.

Hiroko Masuike, Getty Images

Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003, after losing in excess of $300 million earned from his lucrative boxing career. Tyson reportedly spent lavish sums on cars, jewelery and even Bengal tigers before going broke.

Wizards forward Andray Blatche reportedly is so bad with money, that even with an NBA contract, he would sleep some nights at the Verizon Center because he couldn't make rent.

Johnny Nunez, WireImage.com

Former track star Patrik Sjoberg was on top of the world as a high-jump champion, but he had a lavish lifestyle and eventually went broke in 2001.

Bud Symes, Allsport / Getty Images

But seriously, it's a sad thing to watch a guy that enthralled our country for at least a year of my childhood as he wailed away at the record books, launching bombs and making fat kids everywhere feel better about themselves.

But then again, it's not surprising that a guy who played like Cecil did (a "my performance ain't perfect but it's loud and it's fast" kind of way) finds himself in this sort of hot water, really. And given the economic times, I think we'll be less and less surprised to see who ends up in the same boat.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

11-30-2008 @ 8:05AM

zandme said...

How can someone make that much money and be in that much debt is crazy. Learn how to manage your damn money.

12-01-2008 @ 8:44AM

quadrigap said...

Kinda like the IRS????

12-01-2008 @ 8:34AM

Randy said...

And were supposed to feel sorry for this guy ?

12-01-2008 @ 8:56AM

Don said...

Obama will bail him out.

12-01-2008 @ 8:58AM

Have money-must spend.

12-01-2008 @ 9:01AM

Leo said...

His grocery bill is probably more than what he owes...I betcha

12-01-2008 @ 9:35AM

Pete said...

Approximate salaries for Cecil Fielder throughout his career (from www.Baseball-Reference.com):

1987 Toronto Blue Jays $78,500
1988 Toronto Blue Jays $125,000
1990 Detroit Tigers $1,250,000
1991 Detroit Tigers $1,750,000
1992 Detroit Tigers $4,500,000
1993 Detroit Tigers $4,262,500
1994 Detroit Tigers $4,237,500
1995 Detroit Tigers $9,237,500
1996 Detroit Tigers $9,237,500
1997 New York Yankees $9,237,500
1998 Anaheim Angels $2,800,000
Cleveland Indians $170,000

Career (may be incomplete) $46,886,000

12-01-2008 @ 11:53AM

Bob said...

Are we supposed to feel sorry here ? Do you need a 50 room house just because they pay way to much money ? If they had even the smallest of brains they would have just lived a good life and had nothing to worry about ever !! Invest in something and pay the bills on time like the rest of us and you stay ahead of the " Game " Fools is all

12-01-2008 @ 9:40AM

Colby said...

These people have earned their money. However, people who aren't born with a silver spoon in their mouth and earn this type of money quickly have never been taught the value of a dollar. They hire managers who they should be able to trust and help advise but still they end up squandering their money away. Sad situation.

Look at Michael Jackson, great musician but broke. Look at Michael Vick and how he chose to spend his money. If they wanted to piss away their money, I wish they would have just donated it to charity. Somewhere a light needs to come on and they need to be held responsible for their actions.

12-01-2008 @ 9:41AM

Isaac Taylor said...

It is hard to believe that one making so much money; cannot even keep on an even keel, let alone get rich. Easy come, easy go seems to be a sickness for which there is no known cure. At least for this guy. Who can feel sorry for someone who throws huge income to the winds. Not me, that's fer sure.

12-01-2008 @ 10:03AM

Maryellen said...

Can't pay your taxes; go to jail. The ordinary person would not get away with it. There salaries have priced people like us from attending games. We are paying for their saleries.

12-01-2008 @ 10:15AM

nick said...

Whats new you take the boy out of the projects and give him a pot full of money and what do you get. While the money last you got alot of bros and sisters who will suck up to you, once your in trouble no one knows you.

12-01-2008 @ 3:50PM

dave said...

what you said might have had some merit until you acted like the punk you are and referred to him as "boy" and where he must have come from. your suck up "boy" ed mcmahon is in the same boat and doing rap ads to try to save his sorry ass from going bankrupt. he must have lived in the same area as cecil right ***hole?

12-01-2008 @ 10:48AM

BHarrison said...

Anyone who makes $50 MILLION and squanders it away, certainly doesn't deserve any type of a "break" OR empathy . . . "fools and their money are soon parted . . . and well deserve to be . . .""

12-01-2008 @ 10:49AM

tt-rexxx said...

bro's plus ho's = where the money went nobody knows

12-01-2008 @ 10:54AM

bandit said...

I can't believe these guys blow all that money they get for playing a game I would loved to have a chance to play for alot less back in my younger days.I just can't seem to feel sorry for them.

12-01-2008 @ 10:57AM

cfurru said...

It isn't surprising. He had the biggest house in Brevard County, something like 57000 square feet. How many bathrooms do 4 people need? His wife had the beautician coming to the house, she couldn't be bothered to drive to the beauty shop, she was Mrs. Cecil Fielder. Sad.

12-01-2008 @ 11:09AM

Jimbo said...

Ruth, Gerhig, Musial, Williams, Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Robinson, these are Ledgends,,,Please don't include Fielder with them!

12-01-2008 @ 11:13AM

Ro said...

Wow. There's a lot of hatred out there.........Not that I feel sorry for anyone who squanders huge amounts of money. Perhaps these athletes are being paid TOO MUCH...it's like the lottery effect....the money will never run out....or will it? As far as taxes, he needs to pay the back taxes plus penalties or GO TO JAIL........just like you or I would.