Madoff’s Number Should Have Been Tipoff
By Howard Megdal ~ November 11th, 2009. Filed under: Howard Megdal.
The reporting on the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff perpetuated has been thorough- with the clear understanding that the Securities and Exchange Commission failed to exercise its regulatory authority many times over.
But the most concrete clue that Madoff would equal disaster came from his to-be-auctioned satin Mets jacket, now for sale by the U.S. Marshals at this weekend’s auction of Madoff material.
The jacket, just like the one Doc Gooden used to wear after getting a base hit, has Madoff emblazoned on the back, and the number 25 on the sleeve.
25? The number that has never, ever mixed well with big-money investments by the New York Mets?
Yes. 25.
In other words, Bernie Madoff had the same number as Kazuo Matsui, who was signed to a three-year, $20.1 million with the promise of a return that included both offense and defense. Turns out that particular promise went o-for-2.
25, the number worn by Bobby Bonilla when the Mets signed him to a then-record six-year, $29 million contract. He was supposed to show Mets fans the promised land. Instead, he showed us The Bronx.
The Mets then compounded this misappropriation of funds by dealing for Bonilla again. Ultimately, their buyout of Bonilla’s deal promises to cost the team long after they’ve settled whatever clawback lawsuits come as a result of their profit from the Madoff investments.
The concern here, obviously, is that Pedro Feliciano currently wears number 25. There were few more valuable members of the 2009 Mets, and Feliciano has been a valued member of the team since 2006.
But with a number like 25, one can’t help but wonder: is Pedro Feliciano a ticking time bomb? For the good of the team, Feliciano needs to find another.
