The Toronto Blue Jays will celebrate Canada Day at Rogers Centre on Wednesday against the New York Mets, but the visiting fans know July 1 as something else: Bobby Bonilla Day.
Before the first pitch of the series finale between the teams, Bonilla — who retired 25 years ago — will receive a payment of $1.19 million US from the Mets.
Actually, make that $1,193,248.20 and this will be the 16th straight year that it has happened, which has turned out to be just another cause of frustration for fans of the Queens-based franchise.
There’s no end in sight, either, as these payments will continue until 2035.
How did Bernie Madoff help create Bobby Bonilla Day?
In a wild turn of events, these annual payouts to the former slugger — who is now 63 and has been retired since 2001 — actually arose in part due to Bernie Madoff and his infamous Ponzi scheme.
Fred Wilpon, who was then the owner of the Mets, was in the midst of being scammed by Madoff when he decided to cut Bonilla loose while agreeing to defer payments on the remainder of his contract — with interest.
While Bonilla had been owed $5.9 million, the interest over the length of the deal — which runs until 2035 — would turn its total value to $29.8 million.
Wilpon believed that the 10% returns he was making on his investments with Madoff would outweigh the 8% interest he’d be required to pay to Bonilla on the $5.9 million, so he accepted the deal. Bonilla, of course, couldn’t turn down all that extra money and also agreed.
Thus, creating Bobby Bonilla Day.
“It’s kind of become like my birthday so to speak, right? It’s become that big,” Bonilla told the New York Post in 2024. “I don’t think people know the exact date of my birthday, but they certainly know when this deferred comp comes in, so it’s pretty cool in that respect.”
Why else are Mets fans upset?
Bonilla’s ongoing payments and the attention they receive are just one of the many situations involving the Mets that have caused seemingly never-ending frustration for their fans.
Earlier this week against the Blue Jays, two incidents left Mets fans holding their heads in their hands.
To lead off Monday night’s game at Rogers Centre, the Jays’ George Springer hit a de facto inside-the-park home run (which was scored as a triple with a run scored on an error) when high-priced Mets outfielder Juan Soto comically misplayed a ball.
Springer hit a lazy fly ball to left field, with Soto charging in to field it. However, the superstar completely whiffed on the ball, allowing it to get past him and roll all the way to the wall.
Soto casually jogged back to retrieve it as centre fielder A.J. Ewing came over to cover. But as Ewing went to the ball, he lost his grip and it went rolling towards Soto, who then picked it up and didn’t bother to attempt a play at the plate as Springer came home to score.
Later in the game, as New York’s Ronny Mauricio was warming up in the on-deck circle to pinch-hit for Eric Wagaman at the start of the eighth inning, he accidentally hit teammate Francisco Alvarez on the elbow with a practice swing.
With Jays pitcher Tyler Rogers having finished his warmup throws, it appeared that Alvarez thought Mauricio was about to approach the plate and stepped up behind him near the visiting team’s dugout.
But Mauricio then swung his weighted warmup back backwards one more time, connecting with the oft-injured catcher’s arm.
Mauricio quickly turned around to check on his teammate before heading to the plate. Alvarez was able to stay in the game.