Bobby Bonilla: why is July 1st a special day for New York Mets fans?
1 july 2025 в 21:13
New York Mets fans know what July 1st is all about: it’s Bobby Bonilla Day! For those who are not aware, this day celebrates a former player of the team, who is now 62 years old and has a huge fortune, as he receives an annual check for over $ 1 million. However, the annual payout for Bobby has sparked serious debates for one obvious reason — he is no longer a player. So what is in Bobby’s contract with the Mets that he receives every summer?
Learn all about Bobby, his former MLB career, and his contract with the Mets below.
Bobby is a former third baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Most known for his time playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and then sporadically for the New York Mets, a Bronx native, he also played for the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Considered one of the best hitters and overall players of the MLB in the 1980s-1990s, Bobby received numerous awards while playing for the Pirates. But his signing with the Mets attracted more attention — and controversy — becoming the highest-paid player in the league at that time.
Bobby retired by the end of the 2001 season.
Just a reminder: today Bobby Bonilla receives a check for $ 1,193,248.20 from the Mets, which he receives every July 1st from 2011 to 2035. pic.twitter.com/TX7mG2gHv8
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 1, 2025
Bobby Bonilla Day has become a phenomenon in the Mets fandom. Although not an official holiday, Bobby Bonilla Day is every July 1st, when the former athlete receives $ 1.19 million, a payment that comes from the contract he signed with the Mets.
Currently, Bobby has a net worth of $ 20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Bobby earns a staggering $ 1.45 million per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Although Bobby has not played for the Mets since 1999, he receives payment from the organization until 2035 thanks to his contract. In 2000, the Mets agreed to pay Bobby the remaining part of his contract, $ 5.9 million, in annual payments of nearly $ 1.2 million until 2035 plus agreed-upon 8 percent interest.
Back then, the Mets invested with Bernie Madoff, who promised double-digit returns, and the team was expected to make huge profits if everything worked out. However, as many know, Bernie was a mastermind behind the largest Ponzi scheme in history. So the plan did not work out, and from 2011 to 2035, the Mets must pay Bobby a huge check every July 1st. Additionally, Bobby has a second deferred contract with the Mets, and the Orioles pay him $ 500,000 per year since 2004. It is assumed that this contract will last for 25 years.
Now, under the leadership of Steve Cohen, the Mets celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day along with his annual contract payments, of course
Learn all about Bobby, his former MLB career, and his contract with the Mets below.
Bobby is a former third baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Most known for his time playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and then sporadically for the New York Mets, a Bronx native, he also played for the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Considered one of the best hitters and overall players of the MLB in the 1980s-1990s, Bobby received numerous awards while playing for the Pirates. But his signing with the Mets attracted more attention — and controversy — becoming the highest-paid player in the league at that time.
Bobby retired by the end of the 2001 season.
Just a reminder: today Bobby Bonilla receives a check for $ 1,193,248.20 from the Mets, which he receives every July 1st from 2011 to 2035. pic.twitter.com/TX7mG2gHv8
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 1, 2025
Bobby Bonilla Day has become a phenomenon in the Mets fandom. Although not an official holiday, Bobby Bonilla Day is every July 1st, when the former athlete receives $ 1.19 million, a payment that comes from the contract he signed with the Mets.
Currently, Bobby has a net worth of $ 20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Bobby earns a staggering $ 1.45 million per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Although Bobby has not played for the Mets since 1999, he receives payment from the organization until 2035 thanks to his contract. In 2000, the Mets agreed to pay Bobby the remaining part of his contract, $ 5.9 million, in annual payments of nearly $ 1.2 million until 2035 plus agreed-upon 8 percent interest.
Back then, the Mets invested with Bernie Madoff, who promised double-digit returns, and the team was expected to make huge profits if everything worked out. However, as many know, Bernie was a mastermind behind the largest Ponzi scheme in history. So the plan did not work out, and from 2011 to 2035, the Mets must pay Bobby a huge check every July 1st. Additionally, Bobby has a second deferred contract with the Mets, and the Orioles pay him $ 500,000 per year since 2004. It is assumed that this contract will last for 25 years.
Now, under the leadership of Steve Cohen, the Mets celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day along with his annual contract payments, of course
© Smirnova Olga
