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Bobby Bonilla Day: How the ‘Holiday’ Came to Be
- Each year on July 1, Bobby Bonilla is paid $1,193,248.20 by the New York Mets under a deferred payment arrangement stemming from a past contract.
- Following the Mets' decision to delay payments owed to Bonilla in 1999, the team arranged to defer $5.9 million plus 8% annual interest, a move influenced by owner Wilpon’s investment in Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
- Bonilla, who last played in 2001 and will be 72 when payments end in 2035, has been collecting these annual payments since 2011, totaling nearly $29.8 million over time.
- The Mets now celebrate July 1 as Bobby Bonilla Day, and other players like Manny Ramirez and Chris Davis also receive long-term deferred payments under similar agreements.
- Bonilla's deal illustrates how deferred payment contracts can extend financial obligations over decades, reflecting a broader trend in MLB contract management.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Player Who Left Mets in 1999 Gets $1.19M Every July 1
As Canadians celebrate their national day, it's Bobby Bonilla Day for New York Mets fans. The 62-year-old former player, who last played for the Mets in 1999 and retired in 2001, gets $1.19 million from the team every July 1 in a deal set to continue until 2035, when...
Bobby Bonilla Day: Ex-Mets GM Reveals True Emotions as Franchise Hands Out $1.19M
Every July 1, something odd happens in the baseball universe. The New York Mets cut a check for a staggering $1,19 million. The recipient is Bobby Bonilla, a 62-year-old former player who last played for the team in 1999. This annual event, now famously known as “Bobby Bonilla Day,” has become a running joke and a financial cautionary tale. It all goes back to an agreement dating to the year 2000, a decision wrapped in good intentions and a deep…
'It's Bigger Than My Birthday': He Retired in 2001, But His Former Employer Still Pays Him More Than $1 Million a Year
Six-time All-Star Bobby Bonilla still gets paid by the New York Mets – in the form of a $1.19 million check — every year on July 1. Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!
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