Stop me when you’ve heard this before from a disgruntled Met fan, “and we’re still paying Bobby Bonilla.”
I’m not the biggest baseball guy, but I am naturally skeptical. This week I took the time to look into this Bonilla situation, and it turns out, the Mets are in fact still paying Bobby Bonilla.
It’s turned into a national holiday. Since 2011, every July 1st until 2035 Roberto Bonilla collects a cool million and change from the New York Metropolitan baseball organization.
Horrendous contracts are nothing new in sports, some are more interesting than others, and some are more egregious than others. In either situation, the player and the franchise signed their names on the dotted line, together.
It’s like Teddy KGB said…
A Davey O'Brien winner, a Heisman Trophy winner, and the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft, Sammy Sleeves’ rookie contract changed the NFL forever.
The then, St. Louis Rams gave Bradford a contract guaranteeing him 50 million before he even took a snap in the League. While he was the 2010 Offense Rookie of the Year, “Sleeve’s” time in the pro's was crippled by injuries.
Bradford tore his ACL twice in the same knee within a two year stretch. Just saying that makes me cringe. The Encyclopedia has been blessed with great genes. Bradford and are about the same age, and while I’ve never made over 130 million dollars, I have been able to play through many men’s league and pickup games without sustaining debilitating physical damages.
Sam Bradford’s overstimulated first contract prompted the NFL to pull back it’s rookie wage scale for players entering the league. Bradford couldn’t help the fact his body failed him, but at least his bank account isn’t hurting.
If you google Sam Bradford very little shows up regarding his present whereabouts. He reminds me of Ryan Howard.
No, not that Ryan Howard…this one. The one who could clean out his desk within five seconds, and nobody would ever know he was even there.
Some guys disappear, and some guys relish the lime light. On the opposite end of the spectrum you're probably gonna find a guy that poses for pictures as a half-man half-horse, and kisses himself in the mirror.
Alex Rodriguez inked a 10 year 252 million dollar deal with the Rangers in 2000. Again, contrary to Bradford, A-Rod balled out, he won the AL MVP, and two Gold Gloves in Texas.
That's where the positive vibes end for the Rangers though, they were forced to ship the shortstop to the Yankees as they couldn't afford the entirety of the deal they originally signed. The organization ate 67 million, the most ever by a franchise ridding themselves of a contract.
Something tells me A-Rod doesn't care though. He ended up winning a Chip with the Yankees in 2009, and those checks still must've cleared, because Rodriguez is in the process of buying the Timberwolves with entrepreneur Mark Lore.
From the looks of it, A-Rod's already made himself at home within the friendly confines of the Target Center.
Getting up jumpers, drinking gin and tonics, and cool-mackin' it courtside. Not a bad rebound coming off of steroids, Madonna, and J-Lo.
Being paid for a performance that's not even there, or a pinnacle that was never reached is a hard reality in sports, or in any walk of life. Just take a look at The Encyclopedia and this writing thing. If talent and output always equated to monetary value. I'd be a billionaire by now.
