Bonifay Makes His Way

CORPUS CHRISTI - On any given day, you can find Josh Bonifay at the ballpark.

A man who has spent his entire life around the game of baseball, Bonifay never once questioned his lifelong desire to devote himself to his boyhood dreams. Ten years ago, he was roving the infield for the Corpus Christi Hooks en route to the franchise's first Texas League Championship. This season, Bonifay can be found inside the dugout of the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Low-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, where he serves as manager.

Josh's dad, Cam, is a long-time baseball executive and scout. For most of Josh's childhood, Cam was the general manager of the Pirates.

"It was every kid's dream," Bonifay said. "It was amazing to get to go to the ballpark every day. It was a tremendous lifestyle getting to travel with my dad, going to tryout camps, and then following him all the way until he got to be a GM in Pittsburgh."

Bonifay spent summers in the Pirates dugout, where he served as a bat boy during the Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla era.

While some kids might struggle with getting burned out doing the same activities over and over, Bonifay always knew where his true passion lied. He labored through eight seasons in the minor leagues, never getting above Double-A, but just couldn't imagine life without baseball.

"There was never a doubt," Bonifay said. "I just love the game so much. I used to play cup ball and paper ball and do all those things in the clubhouse while the game was going on. I'd run around with Andy Van Slyke's kids and Rich Donnelly's kids. I loved playing every kind of ball you could imagine. I played travel ball and then summer ball in Pittsburgh just so I could keep playing baseball. Even when I was playing minor league baseball, all I kept thinking was I want to be coaching when this is done." 

Bonifay was twice drafted by Pittsburgh - in 1996 and again in 1999 when he left the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to sign with his father's team. After seven years toiling in the low-level minors, then-Hooks manager Dave Clark called to offer Bonifay a spot on his roster. It took both parties just a few weeks to reach an agreement and soon Bonifay found himself in Corpus Christi as a member of the 2006 Hooks.

Bonifay joined a team that was destined for the franchise's first Texas League championship. When the All-Star break rolled around, the 27-year-old found himself on an All-Star roster loaded with fellow Hooks. Bonifay joined pitchers Matt Albers, Paul Estrada, Juan Gutierrez, Jailen Peguero, infielder Ben Zobrist, and outfielders Josh Anderson and Hunter Pence.

"It was amazing," Bonifay said. "I mean, look down our roster. We had guys like Ben Zobrist, Hunter Pence, J.R. House, [Jailen] Peguero, [Matt] Albers, J.C. Gutierrez. Everybody on that team made it to the big leagues except, like, a handful of us. The atmosphere created by Dave Clark was second to none. It was all about getting your work in, doing the right thing, being a professional and playing hard and just going out and winning baseball games."

All told, the Hooks sent nine representatives to the All-Star game enroute to a franchise-best 76-63 record.

"[That team] had players after players after players," Bonifay said. "Somehow I was fortunate enough to be named to the All-Star team out of all those guys; I have no idea how. I was just a little piece in that puzzle and it was really cool to be a part of."

Unfortunately for Bonifay, the 2006 season would be his last as a player. He suffered irreversible damage to his arm and had to have his rotator cuff, labrum and AC cuff all repaired in one surgery. He took most of the next season to attempt a rehab, but eventually saw the writing on the wall - his playing career had come to a close.

"The greatest thing about what took place in '06 is the last time I ever put on a uniform as a player, I was holding a trophy, drinking champagne and celebrating with a bunch of guys I will never forget. The surgery was tough because it took me away from the game that I love, but I wouldn't have gone out any other way."

When he knew it was finally time to hang up his cleats, Bonifay went back and finished his Business degree at UNC-Wilmington. He also sent out feelers to various organizations indicating his desire to get back in uniform, this time as a coach.

It didn't take long for Tony Beasley, a member of the Pittsburgh organization, to give Bonifay the call he was looking for. It took less than a year away from the game for Bonifay to wind up back where he belongs - a dugout.

After serving as a player-coach from 2007-2009 in the Pirates system, Bonifay returned to the Houston organization as hitting coach for Greenville in 2011. In 2012, Bonifay was promoted to the same position at Class A Lexington where he was named to the South Atlantic Postseason All-Star Team as a coach.

Though he was delighted to be back in baseball as a coach, Bonifay wanted to try his hand at managing. In 2013, he got his shot. Bonifay took over the Greenville team he coached two years earlier.

All he did in his first season at the helm was lead his team to a 38-30 record - the second-best mark in club history. For his efforts, Bonifay was named the 2013 Appalachian League Manager of the Year.

After another season as Greenville's manager, Bonifay was promoted to Low-A Tri-City.

"Ultimately, everything boils down to taking care of your players," Bonifay said. "If the players know you're looking out for them and know you're taking care of them, they will play really, really hard for you. My career is done and gone, but that's ok. It's not about me, it's about making players better."

As Bonifay continues to climb the ladder as a manager, he says he doesn't have any lofty goals or ambitions. All he wants to do is give his players the tools to become the best that they can be. For Bonifay, stepping out onto a baseball field every day is as far ahead as he has planned. But for a man who has spent his whole life in uniform, he wouldn't have it any other way.