In keeping with tradition -- and contractual obligation -- the sports world comes together every July 1 to acknowledge Bobby Bonilla Day, the day the New York Mets pay the now-62-year-old former All-Star outfielder just a shade over $1 million.

Bobby Bonilla Day is an opportunity to poke fun at the Mets, but the deal is the reason the team ended up with one of its all-time greats.

Why is he the face of contract deferrals when so many others have cashed in too? Bobby Bonilla was a four-time All-Star when he originally joined the Mets after the 1991 season, with a five-year, $29 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in baseball.