What is Bobby Bonilla Day? NY Mets contract that keeps on giving
USA Today • • sports
Key Points:
- Bobby Bonilla Day, celebrated annually on July 1, marks the date the New York Mets pay the former MLB star $1.19 million as part of a deferred contract agreement made 25 years ago.
- The Mets deferred a $5.9 million payment owed to Bonilla after releasing him in 1999, agreeing to pay him $1,193,248.20 annually from 2011 through 2035 with 8% interest, totaling nearly $30 million.
- Bonilla, a six-time All-Star who last played in 2001, receives these payments until he turns 72, making this one of the longest and most unusual deferred payment deals in baseball history.
- The Mets have embraced the quirky tradition under owner Steve Cohen, who even joked about celebrating the day at Citi Field with an oversized check.
- Bonilla had a successful 16-season career with 287 home runs and a .279 batting average, with his peak years at the Pittsburgh Pirates and notable stints with the Mets and Marlins.
