Bonilla Retires After 16-Year Career

[Baseball Guru]

By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer

February 25, 2002, 8:07 PM EST


Bobby Bonilla, who set the NL record for career home runs by a switch-hitter and helped the Florida Marlins win the 1997 World Series, officially retired Monday.

A six-time All-Star during his 16 seasons, Bonilla turned 39 Saturday. Slowed by bad knees and other injuries, the outfielder-infielder saw limited playing time in recent years.

Bonilla hit .213 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 174 at-bats as a reserve for St. Louis last season.

The free agent finished his career with 287 home runs, 1,173 RBIs and a .279 average for eight teams. His 247 homers in the NL marked the most by a switch-hitter.

"Early on, a couple of teams contacted us," agent Dan Horwits said. "It was in Bobby's hands whether he wanted to continue in the role he'd had or retire. In the end, he decided he wanted to get on with some other things in his life."

Bonilla was in Arizona on Monday, working for a children's charity set up by the players' union.

"We were best buddies all those years there," former teammate Barry Bonds said at San Francisco's camp in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Everyone has to retire sometime, we all do."

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said he thought Bonilla could have a future in the game if he wanted it.

"He's had a great career," La Russa said at Cardinals camp in Jupiter, Fla. "He could still contribute to baseball -- either in the front office or on the field as a coach or a manager."

Bonilla began his major league career with the Chicago White Sox in 1986, playing under La Russa, and hit his first homer off Phil Niekro. Bonilla was traded to Pittsburgh that summer, where he teamed up with Bonds.

Behind Bonds and Bonilla, the Pirates won NL East titles in 1990 and '91. Bonilla hit .280 with 32 homers and 120 RBIs in 1990 and finished second to Bonds in the NL MVP voting.

In December 1991, Bonilla became the highest-paid player in baseball history when he signed a $29 million, five-year contract with the New York Mets as a free agent.

Bonilla hoped his return to his hometown would be a happy one, but his time in New York was tumultuous. He did not duplicate the numbers he put up in Pittsburgh, feuded with the media and was booed at Shea Stadium.

Traded to Baltimore midway through the 1995 season, Bonilla later became a free agent and signed with Florida before 1997.

Bonilla fit in well with the veteran-laden Marlins, batting .297 with 17 home runs and 96 RBIs. He was productive in the playoffs, and saved his best for last.

In Game 7 of the 1997 World Series against Cleveland, Bonilla hit a home run in the seventh inning that cut the Indians' lead to 2-1.

The Marlins tied it in the bottom of the ninth, and Bonilla's leadoff single in the 11th set up the run that gave the Marlins their only championship.

After the season, the Marlins writers gave Bonilla their "Good Guy" award for his pleasant dealings with the media.

Bonilla was traded from Los Angeles to the Mets for the 1999 season, but his stay was marked by disputes with manager Bobby Valentine. In the Mets' final game of the year, he was accused -- by unidentified team personnel -- of playing cards in the clubhouse with Rickey Henderson during a tense NLCS matchup at Atlanta.

Bonilla closed out his career with Atlanta and the Cardinals. Last July, he became the 219th player in history to reach 2,000 hits.

He finished with 2,010 hits and scored 1,084 runs. Bonilla, who played catcher in 1981 during his first pro season, made his first and only career pitching appearance in the majors last April.

Using an 84 mph fastball, Bonilla gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, Arizona's Erubiel Durazo.