TBNL: Bobby Bonilla Day, history in Boston

For us baseball nerds, the phrase “Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!” is an entirely silly, ridiculous thing … but we tend to embrace the ridiculous.

Bonilla receives a payment from the New York Mets each July 1, from 2011 through 2035, for $1,193,248.20. Hence, Bobby Bonilla Day.

The Mets were looking to buy out the final year on Bonilla’s contract in 2000. He was due to receive $5.9 million. Instead of simply making a one-time payment, ownership believed it was more prudent to work out a deferred payment arrangement where Bonilla would receive 25 annual payments.

The Wilpon Family was heavily invested with Bernie Madoff at the time, too, and felt confident they could comfortably swallow a future annual payment to Bonilla without a second thought.

They were wrong on both assumptions.

There have been several other instances of deferred payments lingering long after a player’s career has come to a close (Bret Saberhagen and Manny Ramirez are still receiving payments, to name just a few), but Bonilla has long been propped up as the standard example.

Abreu’s historic night in Boston

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu had a historic game on Monday night.

In the fifth inning, with Boston already ahead 7-4, Abreu hit a ball to the deepest part of Fenway Park’s outfield — the triangle area in right-center field — that hit off the wall and bounced over Reds center fielder TJ Friedl’s head. Abreu would easily round the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

The last Red Sox player to hit an inside-the-park homer at Fenway was Jacoby Ellsbury in 2011.

Abreu would connect again in the eighth inning, this time hitting the ball into the Boston bullpen with the bases loaded. It was his first career grand slam.

He is just the sixth player in MLB history to accomplish both feats in the same game.

Futures Game rosters

Rosters for the All-Star Futures Game — possibly one of my favorite events each year — were revealed on Monday. The game will be played on Saturday, July 12, at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

31 of the 50 players appear on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list. The full rosters are listed here.

Among the notable prospects I’m looking forward to seeing: Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage, Cardinals SS/2B JJ Wetherholt, Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie, Dodgers outfielder Zyhir Hope, Mariners catcher Harry Ford, Marlins left-hander Thomas White, Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter, Rangers SS/3B Sebastian Walcott, Tigers outfielder Max Clark, and Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Elsewhere, around the sport …

• Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena hit a pair of home runs on Monday against the Royals, the 100th and 101st of his career.

• Former Reds, Tigers, Cubs, D-backs, and Rangers catcher Tucker Barnhart announced his retirement. Barnhart hit .241/.318/.351 (79 OPS+) with 53 home runs over a 12-year career.

More (of my) words

Rafael Devers and Framber Valdez have committed to play for the Dominican Republic in next spring’s World Baseball Classic.

Sticking with the WBC, Cuba is undergoing a seismic shift in how it puts together their roster for the tournament.

Trevor Bauer has been demoted to the minor leagues in Japan after an outburst with his pitching coach (and pitching terribly).