Here is todays Throwback Thursday BUM MET of the Week. This cat is probably one of the biggest BUMS the Mets ever had - Bobby Bonilla. In 1992, Bonilla was signed as a free agent by the New York Mets to a 5 year, $29 million contract ($48.7 million today), making him the highest paid player in the league at the time. However, Bonillas offensive production diminished, finishing with a .270 batting average, 95 home runs, and 295 runs batted in during his tenure with the Mets. Despite a modest offense, Bonilla ended up participating in two more All-Star Games with the Mets (1993 and 1995). Bonillas stay in New York was also marred by a number of incidents, such as threatening sportswriter Bob Klapisch that he would show him the Bronx in response to his book on the 1992 Mets, The Worst Team Money Could Buy: The Collapse Of The New York Mets On another occasion, he called the press box during a game to complain about an error that he was charged with. In November 1998, the New York Mets reacquired Bonilla from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Mel Rojas (future BUM MET of the Week?). Again, his level of play did not measure up to expectations and he had numerous clashes with manager Bobby Valentine over lack of playing time. His tenure in New York culminated in an infamous incident during Game Six of the 1999 NLCS where the Mets were eliminated by the Braves in an eleven inning game while Bonilla reportedly sat in the clubhouse playing cards with teammate Rickey Henderson. After his subpar 1999 season, the Mets released Bonilla, but still owed him $5.9 million. Bonilla and his agent offered the Mets a deal: Bonilla would defer payment for a decade, and the Mets would pay him an annual paycheck of $1.19 million starting in 2011 and ending in 2035, adding up to a total payout of $29.8 million. Mets owner Fred Wilpon accepted the deal mostly because he was heavily invested with Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff, and the 10 percent returns he thought he was getting on his investments with Madoff outweighed the 8 percent interest the Mets would be paying on Bonillas initial $5.9 million. As a result, the payout was a subject of inquiry during the Madoff investment scandal. So now the Mets are still paying this guy and have to for the next three decades because of Wilpons involvement with Madoff. So in spite of making two All-Star appearances with the Mets with ok numbers, his demeanor with reporters, fans and the franchise was one of the worst public relations disasters the Mets have ever had. He may still be getting paid millions by Wilpon, but Bobby BUM-NILLA is this weeks Throwback Thursday BUM MET of the Week!
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 22:12:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015