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Bobby Bonilla Day

  • July 3, 2024
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Happy Holidays!

That’s a phrase that is usually reserved for the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. It makes sense for people to use it. There are several different holidays that people celebrate over that period, so instead of listing them all or missing any, we lump them together in a general wish of goodwill. With that as our basis, allow me to also suggest that the first four days of July should be treated similarly. Here in America, we celebrate our independence on the fourth of July. Our friendly, hockey loving neighbors to the north celebrate their independence on Canada Day, which is July 1. And finally, baseball fans look forward to a most unique holiday that also falls every year on the first of July: Bobby Bonilla Day!

Of course, those of you who don’t follow baseball, have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. Here’s the deal. Bobby Bonilla was a major-leaguer from 1986 through 2001, playing for several teams, including the New York Mets. His 1999 season, his last year with the team, was a disaster. He only played in 60 games, amassing a .160 batting average and only 4 home runs and 18 runs batted in. Understandably, the team did not want to bring him back to play in 2000 and pay his contracted amount of $5.9 million dollars. So, they set out to buy him out of the contract through deferred payments. The two sides eventually settled on a most unique arrangement.

The team offered to pay Bonilla an annual installment starting on July 1, 2011, and ending on July 1, 2035. Seems like a wise plan to push the money off into the future, saving dollars today that could be used to rebuild a winning team. However, with a negotiated 8% interest rate, the annual check comes to about $1.19 million. That means Bonilla will make nearly $30 million over time, instead of the original $5.9 million he would have been owed. That’s how a man who hasn’t played a game in over twenty years continues to make a seven-figure salary and will continue to do so until he is 72 years-old.

Why would the Mets agree to something this ridiculous? It is based upon a number of separate investments that the team and its ownership had made which promised incredible returns that would more than cover the expense. Those investments were made through a man whose name may be more familiar to you than Bobby Bonilla’s. The investor was Bernie Madoff.

As you can see, the Mets go down in history as a laughingstock for agreeing to such a terrible deal, while Bonilla has 1,193,248 reasons to celebrate every July.

Life teaches us that there are no guarantees. It also gives us many reasons to be skeptical of others, especially when it comes to financial matters. Some advice is good: (Take the deferred payment and make 5x more). Some advice is bad: (Ponzi scheme? What Ponzi scheme?). But no matter how many good or bad decisions we have made over the course of our lives, knowing who to trust is complicated and difficult. Before you place your trust in someone, they need to demonstrate over time through their actions that they are worthy of it. In fact, one of the quickest ways for me to not trust someone happens when I hear them say, “trust me.”

Trusting people is risky. Trusting God is wise. The Bible is filled with the details of the promises God has kept with His people for centuries. No schemes, no tricks, no failures. God, as the Creator of the universe has a complete understanding of all things. He has set everything in motion and actively works to sustain us. The Bible also provides a clear demonstration of His great love for us, choosing not to destroy man after our fall, but to save us through the saving work of Jesus Christ. His love for us, His teachings, and most of all His death and resurrection give us everything we need to reconcile us to God despite our sinful nature. The Bible also details the gift of God’s Holy Spirit who is active in our world and our lives every day, giving us the guidance we need to be His light in a dark world.

Trust in God. Lean not on your own understanding. Seek God’s will in all things so that He will bless our plans in life. We can fully trust the plan of creation, redemption, and sanctification that God has given to us. No need for our agents or attorneys to review it – except that they too can come to faith and gain benefits now, for years to come, and for an eternity.

That news should make all of us extremely happy, even without a million-dollar payment!

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations