Bobby Bonilla
A powerful switch-hitter known for his on-field prowess, he is now famously associated with a unique deferred contract that pays him over a million dollars every July.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American baseball player·Birthday: February 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bobby Bonilla's legacy in baseball is a fascinating two-parter. On the field, he was a formidable force, a switch-hitter with a smooth, powerful swing who earned six All-Star selections. He starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates, forming a core of a competitive team, and later delivered a standout season for the Florida Marlins, contributing to their 1997 World Series win. His career, which spanned 16 seasons, was marked by consistent run production and a confident, sometimes fiery, demeanor. The second chapter of his story, however, began after his retirement. In 2000, the New York Mets agreed to buy out the remainder of his contract, deferring the payments with an 8% annual interest rate. The result is 'Bobby Bonilla Day,' each July 1st, when he receives a check for roughly $1.19 million, a financial arrangement that has made him a perennial subject of sports business lore.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bobby was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a six-time MLB All-Star selection (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995).
- Won three Silver Slugger Awards for his offensive production.
- Finished third in National League MVP voting in 1990 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Won a World Series championship with the Florida Marlins in 1997.
- Recorded over 1,000 career RBIs and nearly 300 home runs.
Did You Know?
Every July 1st from 2011 through 2035, he receives a deferred payment of approximately $1.19 million from the New York Mets.
He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a shortstop.
He played for the Baltimore Orioles in the inaugural game at Camden Yards in 1992.
His deferred payment deal with the Mets was brokered by his agent, Dennis Gilbert, who also represented the pitcher Bret Saberhagen in a similar arrangement.
“I'm just happy the Mets are still paying me every July 1st.”
