PORT ST. LUCIE — Sandy Koufax isn’t smarting as much from his investment in Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme as watching lifelong friend Fred Wilpon, the Mets principal owner, receive a public flogging.
“I don’t know a kinder, more generous, compassionate human being than Fred,” the Hall of Fame lefty said yesterday after tutoring several Mets pitchers. “I lost part of that investment, and I think if Fred knew it was going to be a bad investment, he never would have told me [to invest]. I hate to see what he’s going through. It bothers me.”
Wilpon is facing a clawback lawsuit of up to $1 billion by the Trustee for Madoff’s victims.
“I don’t know who are the victims and who aren’t the victims,” Koufax said, when asked if he is a victim. “If I lost any money, I didn’t lose it to Madoff — I lost it to the IRS. You pay taxes on money that didn’t exist. I just feel bad for Fred. I don’t know the legal situation. I don’t understand what’s going on. There are two different numbers involved and I don’t understand the discrepancy.”
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Manager Terry Collins still was awaiting Luis Castillo
‘s arrival yesterday. A day earlier, the manager expressed disappointment that Castillo, who will compete for the starting job at second base, hadn’t arrived to camp ahead of today’s required appearance for a physical. The first full workout is tomorrow.
“I know he’s going to be here,” Collins said. “He told me on the phone he’s going to show people he can still play.”
Collins didn’t retreat from his previous comment that Castillo should have arrived early.
“I said [to Castillo], ‘We have new people here. We’re going to draw our own conclusions and that’s why I thought it would be good when you get here that we sit down and clear the air, because it’s a new day here,’ ” Collins said.
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Catcher Ronny Paulino
is expected to have his visa problems in the Dominican Republic resolved by Tuesday or Wednesday and report to camp. According to a major league source, Paulino’s visa troubles are the result of his failed test last year for performance enhancing drugs. Paulino will be suspended for the first eight games of this season, a carryover from the 50-game suspension he received last August.
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Triple-A manager Tim Teufel
also is facing a clawback lawsuit as part the Madoff madness. The Trustee is reportedly seeking $1.2 million from Teufel.
“I really can’t comment in a big way on anything with my involvement with the Madoff scandal,” Teufel said. “I feel for the Wilpon family, what they have to go through. I can certainly relate to their pain and anguish.”