What is Bobby Bonilla Day? Explaining why the former Met gets paid $1.19M every July 1
It's time for Mets fans everywhere to wish each other a Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!
On Friday, 59-year-old Bobby Bonilla will collect a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, as he has and will every July 1 from 2011 through 2035.
Because of baseball's salary structure, Bonilla's annual payday is often more than some of the game's current young stars will make in a given year
This season that even includes the salary of one of the sport's biggest sluggers and some potential 2022 All-Stars.
In 2000, the Mets agreed to buy out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla's contract.
However, instead of paying Bonilla the $5.9 million at the time, the Mets agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years starting July 1