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Baseball player
Bobby Bonilla
Bonilla playing for the Pirates circa 1988
Third baseman / Right fielder
Born: (1963-02-23) February 23, 1963 (age 61) 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
Teams
Chicago White Sox (1986)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1986–1991)
New York Mets (1992–1995)
Baltimore Orioles (1995–1996)
Florida Marlins (1997–1998)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1998)
New York Mets (1999)
Atlanta Braves (2000)
St. Louis Cardinals (2001)
Career highlights and awards
6× All-Star (1988–1991, 1993, 1995)
World Series champion (1997)
3× Silver Slugger Award (1988, 1990, 1991)
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 the Major League'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 1995-1996, 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 part way through the 1998 season, he signed for a second time with the New York Mets 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 every year from 2011 through 2035 on July 1, 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.
^ abcSouder, 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.
Roberto Martin Antonio Bonilla (/boʊˈniːjə/, born February 23, 1963) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and outfielder who played...
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after a force-out at second, threw a ball four wild pitch that let BobbyBonilla score from third. Jim Thome's home run cut the lead to 7–3 in the sixth...
won the World Series over the Cleveland Indians. November 22, 1996: BobbyBonilla was signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins. March 26, 1997:...
experienced superstars. They picked up Eddie Murray for over $3 million, BobbyBonilla for over $6 million. They also traded McReynolds and Jefferies for one-time...
the end of one season and refused to discipline Rickey Henderson and BobbyBonilla for their actions in 1999 (the two were seen playing cards during the...
earned the wild card berth. Veteran additions such as LF Moisés Alou, 3B BobbyBonilla, and trade-deadline additions Darren Daulton and Jim Eisenreich added...
Biggio* 291 Jimmy Wynn 291 173 Bobby Abreu 288 Del Ennis 288 Bob Johnson 288 Hank Sauer 288 177 Garret Anderson 287 BobbyBonilla 287 Brian Giles 287 Matt Kemp...
Bonds BobbyBonilla Darryl Strawberry Benito Santiago Don Robinson N/A N/A 1991 Will Clark Ryne Sandberg† Howard Johnson Barry Larkin† Barry Bonds Bobby Bonilla...
appearance. Their biggest acquisition was Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder BobbyBonilla, who signed a five-year contract for just over $29 million that was...
since 1990. After three and a half seasons, the Mets parted ways with BobbyBonilla. The former All-Star turned lightning rod for fan criticism was dealt...
staff by luring Alex Fernandez to Miami and brought over third baseman BobbyBonilla, outfielder Moisés Alou, reliever Dennis Cook and outfielders John Cangelosi...
Bill Mazeroski* 2,016 285 Gary Matthews 2,011 Johnny Mize* 2,011 287 BobbyBonilla 2,010 Jason Giambi 2,010 289 Bill Madlock 2,008 290 Tony Taylor 2,007...
O'Donnell – Sheri, Khadijah's high school friend (Season 2, Episode 14) BobbyBonilla – as himself (Season 2, Episode 16) Shemar Moore – Jon Marc, Synclaire's...
was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves. January 28, 2000: BobbyBonilla was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves. February 22, 2000:...
managed by Bobby Valentine, who entered his fourth year as skipper. They played home games at Shea Stadium. November 11, 1998: BobbyBonilla was traded...
All-Stars as Barry Bonds, Jay Bell, Tim Wakefield, Andy Van Slyke and BobbyBonilla in Pittsburgh before a fire sale in the mid-1990s soured him with new...
5 draft of November 22, 1954 José Bautista George Bell Paul Blair† BobbyBonilla Everth Cabrera Nestor Cortes Jr. Alfredo Simón Jody Davis R. A. Dickey...
official Roman Catholic calendar since 1969) Armed Forces Day (Singapore) BobbyBonilla Day (United States) Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day (Canada) Children's...
half-game lead, but Pittsburgh's "B-B Guns" (which included Barry Bonds, BobbyBonilla, Jay Bell and now former Met Wally Backman) led the Pirates to their...
267 Bobby Doerr* 1,094 Fred Pfeffer 1,094 269 Amos Otis 1,092 270 Johnny Bench* 1,091 271 Nelson Cruz 1,090 272 Garret Anderson 1,084 BobbyBonilla 1,084...
the New York press made much of a card game between Henderson and BobbyBonilla. Both players had been substituted out of the lineup, and they reportedly...
addition to hiring Leyland as manager, the Marlins signed third baseman BobbyBonilla, outfielder Moisés Alou, and pitcher Alex Fernandez to lucrative free-agent...
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