Eventually I'll stop piggybacking off of Brian at 30-Year-Old Cardboard, but his birthday posts are excellent reminders and inspiration on slow days. Much as my offhand reference to Mike Cuellar's age (71) made reader Bob feel a bit old last week, it startled me to learn that Bobby Bo was turning 46 today. I remember Bonilla as the ultimate midseason pickup, a guy whose excellent half-season in Baltimore in 1995 (.333, 10 HR, 46 RBI) seemed to go to waste on Phil Regan's muddled sub-.500 team. Given a full season to bat in the midst of Rafael Palmeiro and Cal Ripken in 1996, the slugger turned in a .287-28-116 stat line for a team that finished three wins short of the World Series. From what I've heard, he was a good teammate as an Oriole, and I remember him and Palmeiro calling a team meeting after Tony LaRussa and the A's got a little too comfortable throwing chin music at the Birds.
Happy Birthday, Bobby. You were one heck of a hitter...but not much of a pitcher!
he was traded for '5 tool stud' alex ochoa. this trade turned out so well for both the mets and orioles. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWell Max, I would still say it worked out okay for the O's. Bonilla at least helped us to the Wild Card before he jumped to the Marlins and won the World Series...
ReplyDeleteahhhh 1996. what a great year that was. ;)
ReplyDeletegoyanks - I'm going to let that slide for now...
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