 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (August 2022) |
| Bobby Bonilla | |
|---|---|
 Bonilla playing for the Pirates circa 1988 | |
| Third baseman / Right fielder | |
| Born: February 23, 1963 The Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 9, 1986, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 7, 2001, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .279 |
| Hits | 2,010 |
| Home runs | 287 |
| Runs batted in | 1,173 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Roberto Martin Antonio Bonilla[1] (/boʊˈniːjə/, born February 23, 1963) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001.
Bonilla was one of MLB's best batters and overall top players in the late 1980s and early 1990s with powerful hitting strength,[2][3] as well as a part of the highly successful and pennant contending Pittsburgh Pirates organization around the same time.[4] Bonilla recorded impressive statistics in home runs, RBIs, doubles, extra base hits, and Wins Above Replacement averages, as well as four All-Star selections, three Silver Slugger Awards and was a top candidate for the National League's Most Valuable Player award during his tenure with the Pirates.[4] He led the league in extra base hits (78) during the 1990 MLB season and doubles (44) during the 1991 MLB season.
Bonilla signed with the New York Mets during the 1991–92 offseason, becoming the highest-paid player in the league at the time, earning more than $6 million per year. However, he struggled to live up to expectations with the Mets (which made the contract the subject of much criticism)[5] and throughout the rest of his career. He played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1995 to 1996, reaching the American League Championship Series with the team in 1996. He earned two additional All-Star appearances and helped the Florida Marlins win the 1997 World Series.[4]
After being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers partway through the 1998 season, he signed with the New York Mets for a second time in 1999. When the Mets wanted to release him at the end of the year, he negotiated a settlement whereby the Mets would pay him $1.19 million on July 1 every year from 2011 through 2035, a date that has become known in Mets fandom as "Bobby Bonilla Day". He is also paid $500,000 by the Orioles every year from 2004 to 2028 due to them also having a deferred contract with him.[6] After two more lackluster seasons, one each with the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, he retired at the end of the 2001 season. Through his 16 years in professional baseball, Bonilla accumulated a .279 batting average, with a .358 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage.
- ^ Levin, Eric; Huzinec, Mary (July 18, 1988). "Save That Ball, Boys—The Way Bobby Bonilla's Going, It'll Be Valuable". People. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ Cracknell, Ryan. "THE OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL BOBBY BONILLA DAY BASEBALL CARD". Beckett Media. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "1992 Score – [Base] #225 – Bobby Bonilla" (JPG). Score. 1992. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c Souder, Mark. "Bobby Bonilla Biography". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Cortes, Ryan (September 30, 2016). "Bobby Bonilla was more than just that Mets contract". Andscape. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "A reminder that Bobby Bonilla gets paid every year by another MLB team besides the Mets". For The Win. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.