Bonilla’s Year Wasn’t That Marvelous

Ever consider what “Marvelous” Marv Throneberry might command on the open market today?

Throneberry, noted for his feeble hitting and atrocious fielding, was one of several pitiful players on the 1962 New York Mets, arguably the worst team in major league history.

Throneberry helped mislead the Mets to 120 losses that year.

But a closer examination of the numbers by the National Sports Review reveals that Throneberry actually had a season comparable to Bobby Bonilla’s in 1992. Bonilla made $6.1 million with the Mets; Throneberry earned less than $50,000 in 1962.

Bonilla batted .249 with 19 home runs and 70 runs batted in. Throneberry batted .235 with 16 homers and 49 RBIs, in 81 fewer at-bats. Bonilla had 109 hits to Throneberry’s 87 and held a slight edge in slugging percentage, .432 to .426.

Guess that’s why Bonilla got the big money.

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Add comparison: The 1962 Mets had a more potent offense than the 1992 Mets, who had a payroll of nearly $45 million.

The ’62 Mets had a higher team batting average, .240 to .235, scored more runs, 617 to 599, hit more home runs, 139 to 93, and had higher marks for slugging and on-base percentages.

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Trivia time: Who are the only two NBA players who won rebounding titles while averaging fewer than 10 points?

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Fight talk: There have been only three heavyweight title fights at New York’s Madison Square Garden since the epic Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I in March of 1971.

Current champion Riddick Bowe, who will make his first title defense Feb. 6 against Michael Dokes at Madison Square Garden, is already sounding like a young Ali.

Says Bowe of Dokes: “I saw him get smacked by Razor Ruddock (at the Garden in April of 1990) and he slept for about a week. The man’s had 55 fights, he’s had his chance. I can’t miss his head, it’s a terribly large head. He’s an ugly man. The heavyweight champ should be handsome, like me.”

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No deal: Here’s a look at the top four salaries rejected by athletes in 1992:

--Eric Lindros: 10 years, $55 million from the Quebec Nordiques.

--Greg Maddux: five years, $28 million from the Chicago Cubs.

--Ruben Sierra: five years, $25 million from the Texas Rangers.

--Doug Drabek: four years, $18.25 million from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Hello, room service: You would think the $43.75 million the San Francisco Giants have agreed to pay Barry Bonds over the next six years would pretty much cover the incidentals.

But part of the deal requires that the Giants provide Bonds with a hotel suite on all road trips.

It is believed Bonds will be required to travel with the team and possibly play in some games.

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Piano Man--Not!Reggie Dwight, a practice-squad player with the Atlanta Falcons, is getting deluged with fan mail. Unfortunately, it’s not for him. Dwight shares the same name as pop superstar Elton John, whose given name is Reginald Dwight.

“I’ve gotten his phone calls, I’ve gotten his mail,” Dwight told the Sporting News. “I wish somebody would send me his money--just some of it.”

Dwight, the football player, is an eighth-round draft choice from Troy State.

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Trivia answer: Wes Unseld and Dennis Rodman. In 1974-75, Unseld, of the Washington Bullets, led the league with a 14.8 rebounding average while averaging 9.2 points. Last season, Detroit’s Rodman averaged 18.7 rebounds and 9.8 points.

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Quotebook: Doug West, on his Minnesota Timberwolves’ teammates after a recent loss: “We got booed on our home court, and we deserved it. We have some brain dead people on this team.”