5
2011
The Wilpons, Sandy Koufax and Me
An article by Former Writers
Intriguing isn’t it – how would I ever get together with those people?
In years past, I was also friendly with George Steinbrenner – rest his soul – he was a fine man and very personable when we met at the Belmont Ball. Both of us were running horses in the Belmont and we wished each other ‘racing luck’.
I met the Wilpons and Sandy Koufax at the race track when I was with Eugene Jacobs – one of the finest horse trainers in the business.
So you never know who you will run into along the way in this life. Now, I can tell you the big difference between the Wilpons and Sandy. The Wilpons believe that they are way above the average person and don’t share anything very well – usually money, but friends as well. So that day at the race track – Sandy and I became long-distance friends. He liked to play in some of the summer golf tournaments in Connecticut and I went and walked along with him. My golf is/was much better than his, but he sure tried. However as a person – even a famous person – he was first class.
I never saw the Wilpons in person again, and that was fine with me. Slowly through the years I learned about them and their ‘family’ way of doing business. They would use family members to ‘fix the books’ so to speak and keep the money moving – usually with Bernie Madoff running the show. I really had no idea about how all that stuff worked. However, I must admit I was quite surprised when Fred named Jeffy as the Mets President. That was a shock. In recent years, with Madoff now in jail for over 150 years things have changed. The judicial system has gotten into the Wilpons finances and Mario Cuomo is trying to sort things out. He will have a report as soon as he can solve some of the issues there.
As for the Mets baseball team, I love them and I especially love the way they’ve treated Terry Collins who is their new manager this year. The whole group is happy, smiling and trusts Terry like family. Everyone connected with the team is First Class – especially the SNY gang.
I wish I lived closer and could attend some games, but that’s not happening. What is happening is that the Mets are coming together as a team, and it’s Terry Collins who is responsible for that.
Thanks to all involved, Mets fans are forever.
About the Author: Former Writers
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Wonderful piece Annie. And I know what you mean about loving the Mets from a distance. I live in Sydney Australia and also would love to see a game live every so often.
I know the Big Apple has its share of detractors, but going to Sydney is extreme. My wife comes from Melbourne Australia. She couldn’t wait to get out of there. We now live in Florida.
Thank you so much – I live in New England and now that I have SNY, I prefer the TV – saves a long ride and gives me the most professional crew on TV sports. The lovable Mets – how true for us all.
NEW ENGLAND, ANNIE? MUST GET SOME FLAK FROM THOSE WITH RED ‘Bs’ ON THEIE HEADS; I LIVE IN WARMER EQUIDISTANT CLIMES HERE IN SOUTHERN NC(CHARLOTTE AREA) & I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT I GET A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF SUPPORTIVE,. “LET’S GO METS” COMMENTS WHENEVER I DON MY COLORS(BLUE/ORANGE).
ANNIE, MYSELF BEING MARRIED INTO A JEWISH FAMILY, I CAN ATTEST THAT KEEPING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS CLOSE ESP WITHIN THE “TRIBE” IS A STAPLE AMONG JEWISH BUSINESS DEALINGS THEY ARE PROFESSIONALLY INCESTUOUS TO THE Nth DEGREE, WHICH I’VE POINTED OUT TO MY MORE REASONABLE IN-LAWS IS WHY, DUE TO THEIR CHOICE TO REMAIN SEPARATED, CONCLAVED FROM MAINSTREAM POPULATIONS BASED UPON RELIGOUS PRACTICES IS, IMO, PREDOMINANTLY WHY SOLIAL DECRIMINATION AGAINST THEM IS SO RAMPANT HISTORICALLY, AS THE UNWASHED MASSES SEARCH FOR SCAPEGOATS, “OUTSIDERS” ARE EASIEST TO TARGET WITHOUT ANY “INSIDE” SUPPORTERS TO DISCLAIM THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE ILLS THAT PAIN SOCIETY. i.e. MONEY,POWER, CONNECTIONS MAKING THE TYPICAL JEWISH POPULATION SEGMENT THE INSTANTANEOUS “THEM” IN ANY SOCIETAL MOB. I MUST POINT OUT, IN ALL HONESTY, THIS “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” TENDANCY IS NOT SOLELY A JEWISH ISSUE AS IN MOST CIVILIZATIONAL SETTINGS THOSE WITH SIMILARITIES(MAFIA,SKINHEADS,BLACK PANTHERS,MET FANS(lol)), BE IT RELIGION, BACKGROUND, LANGUAGE, RACE, OR INTERESTS TEND TO BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE DEALING WITHIN THEIR GROUPING BE IT IN NEIGHBORHOODS OR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS.
I don’t mess with any team who can still fill their stadium – they are OK by me.
Seriously I never paid a lot of attention to the Red Sox until Terry Francona came along. I mean, they were there and they always filled the seats. In fact one day I just snuck in during the afternoon practice and went to the top of the great green wall just to see how far I could see. (Pretty far and lots of boats in the harbor.)
Keeping the family together is a fine thing, but I don’t see Mrs. Wilpon joining her husband for the games – has anyone ever seen her?
A lot of people around here like the Mets and we liked them a lot better when we could see them on TV – we only started getting SNY two years ago – here we were a couple of miles from ESPN’s village and no TV for the closest team to us.
Annie, Good article and thanks for the observations regarding Sandy and the Wilpons. From all I’ve been able to observe, the Wilpons always apperared to be “distant” and your story confirms that. Glad to hear that Sandy is not like that and able to interact with other folk.
I also have a New England link in my life. My wife was born in Boston and grew up in Maine and is a Red Sox fan. Both of my children live in the Boston area and so are Mets/Red Sox fans. The wife and I live in the Hudson Valley, somewhat distant from Citi. As a Yankee hater, it was easy to adopt the Red Sox as my second team. So we have a Mets- Red Sox alliance in the family and each accepts our mate’s favorite team as our second team. It is an easy alliance formed around a Yankee hater common bond. See, the Yanks are good for something.
MASK, DON’T BOTRHER HATING THEM, I’VE FOUND THEY’RE MUCH EASIER TO IGNORE THAN TO BOTHER WITH IN ANY CAPACITY. OTHER THAN THEIR INTRUSION INTO OUR BIDS FOR WINFIELD & FOSTER(OUR FIRST INAPPROPRIATE F/A INVESTMENT) I’VE FORTUNATELY BEEN LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE METRO ARENA(AREA) EXCL ’88 &’89 SINCE 1984 REDUCING MY CONTACT EXPOSURE TO THEIR RATHER AROGANTLY OBNOXOUS FANBASE. I’VE OFTEN HELD THAT THE PRIMARY BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NYY FAN & NYM FAN IS IMAGINATION. AS WHEN IT COMES TO REACHING POSTSEASON GLORY ONE GROUP NEEDN’T HAVE ONE WHILE THE OTHER REQUIRES A VIVIDLY OPTIMISTIC SUPERSIZED ONE. I’M OFTEN QUERIED AS TO THE DIFFERENCE DUE TO MY RESIDENCE STATUS BEING SO CONSISTANTLY REMOTE, MOST OFTEN WITHIN NL COMPETITOR GEOGRAPHY LIKE DELAWARE(WILMINGTON), SO JERSEY(CHERRY HILL), MID GEORGIA(COLIMBUS/MACON), SANTA MONICA,CA & PRESENTLY “RETIRED” IN NC
From all I’ve been able to observe, the Wilpons always apperared to be “distant” and your story confirms that. Glad to hear that Sandy is not like that and able to interact with other folk.
I’d bet anything that the Wilpons have made more public appearance in the last 12 months to try and unsmear themselves, than they have in the 30+ years as owners. Not once have they ever sat in the cheap seats with fans. Not once did they ever stop and take pictures with fans. Mrs. Joan Payson did, and so did Mr. Nelson Doubleday.
I personally don’t want to know or care what the owners look like. I would be perfectly happy to not even know their names.
There are teams still with ownership groups where most of them are essentially anonymous. You hear occasionally from the managing partner, but usually only if there is a big announcement. otherwise, they are just in the background and ignored by the fans.
I’m with you. I couldnt care less if we never hear a peep out of the owners. Who cares!
That’s so funny, since I’ve heard the exact opposite of all those parties. Fred Wilpon, as much as a dope he was to get involved in a ponzi scheme and make most of his money business decisions based on a crook, is a very charitable man, giving lots of money to his pet charities including setting up the foundation for the Welcome Back Veterans at his alma mater, U of M.
Sandy, on the other hand, I remember specifically in his biography by Jane Leavy that he’s well-known to very stingy, and even he said in the New Yorker profile (the infamous one where Freddy threw his players under the bus) that he gave some money to Madoff, it was “fluff” money essentially, but he wasn’t happy about losing it. But all around, everyone thinks Fred is a decent guy, as much as he lets the wrong people in at times.
Funny we can see what we truly want to believe.
Fred is a wealthy man and getting involved in a Ponzi scheme is indeed a bad decision. But maybe Picard is blowing smoke by claiming that any Wilpon knew about anything ‘Ponzi’. They say it is total conjecture and is not borne out by mediocre returns on investment. Coop, we need to wait until the suit is concluded.
Fred is a wealthy man because he’s been involved deeply in a Ponzi scheme.
Picard is trying to get money back for the victims. Get the facts straight.
Few people, certainly not any routine baseball fans, know the facts critical to determining the truth. So we’ll wind up being closer to the elusive truth through a court case and possibly with further divulgement of key facts. Right now you’re substituting your opinion for fact. I suggest you read the comments of the federal judge. He’s not convinced the Wilpons knew it was a Ponzi scheme.
But the federal judge acknowledged 300mils Wilpons made of the Ponzi scheme.
so it is 300 mils plus.
You have misinterpreted what U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff did.
Rakoff expressed skepticism over some examples cited by the trustee of when the team’s owners allegedly ignored red flags indicating Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme. For instance, the judge discounted claims that they should have investigated Madoff because of news articles questioning his success.
Rakoff also decided that the case will be heard in U.S. District Court, as the Mets’ owners had hoped, rather than in bankruptcy court, where Picard has had success.
Nothing has really been decided beyond the judge saying that for now he’ll assume portions of the case will survive his ruling late in September. Fasten your seat belts. This case is going to be interesting.
What I am talking about is the mount Wilpons put in and what they got out of it.
300 mils plus.It doesn’t matter what Wilpons knew.
That is how they count the Ponzi scheme.
Al the rich, especially those with a billion or more in assets to protect and shelter from taxes give to charity. The smart ones start and establish their own non-profit foundations for the best possible write-off, while keeping the decision making power of how those charity dollars are ultimately spent.