Did Bobby Bonilla Retire?

Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2001. Born on February 23, 1963, in the Bronx, New York, Bonilla was one of MLB's best batters in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He played for eight different teams during his 16-year career, most notably with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he formed a formidable lineup with Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke. Bonilla was a six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner who led the league in extra base hits (1990) and doubles (1991). In 1991, he signed a then-record $29 million contract with the New York Mets, becoming the highest-paid player in baseball. Though he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997, Bonilla is perhaps best known today for his deferred payment arrangement with the Mets. When the team wanted to release him in 1999, they negotiated a deal to defer his remaining $5.9 million salary, resulting in annual payments of $1.19 million from 2011 to 2035 (totaling $29.8 million). This arrangement, celebrated by fans as "Bobby Bonilla Day" every July 1st, has become one of baseball's most famous contracts. Bonilla finished his career with 2,010 hits, 287 home runs, 1,173 RBIs, and a .279 batting average.