The Wilpon Complex

Outside the Wiplon Complex on the baseball field.

https://mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/facilities-alumni-field-html.aspx

Fred Wilpon's Greatest Home Run

by Ellie Kroll

Spring. Peanuts. Homeruns.

Never have three words been so closely associated with each other. Well, except, perhaps, baseball, softball, Wilpon.

Softball and baseball have been around for about 150 years. These sports are deeply loved by fans. The University of Michigan's number one fan is, arguably, Fred Wilpon.

Fred Wilpon came to Michigan on a baseball scholarship. He was the starting pitcher as a freshman. Unfortunately, he got injured and was unable to play sophomore year. He reportedly felt estranged but head coach Ray Fisher insisted he continued with the team. Wilpon never fully recover from his injury, so Fisher assisted Wiplon in receiving financial aid to help pay for the last two years of school (MichiganAthletics).

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Wilpon worked his way to the top as a successful real estate developer. He also became sole owner of the New York Mets baseball team. According to Celebrity Net Worth, “as of November 2022, Fred Wilpon’s net worth is estimated to be roughly $800 Million.” From that, he donated $12 million to build the Baseball Softball Complex, now named in his honor. Wilpon said in an interview with The Michigan Daily, “The University of Michigan changed my life more than anything, other than my parents” (Kipnis).

Fred Wiplon. Photo source: https://sterlingequities.com/about-us/partners/

With Wilpon’s generous donation, the fields were able to be renovated. Both stadiums received new seats, press boxes, and indoor batting cages (Kipnis). Wilpon was passionate about student-athletes having the best facilities to work with. In 2013, Wilpon added funding for turf fields to the Wilpon Complex. Turf fields allow players to play earlier in the season because you don’t have to wait for the snow and rain to fully dry out.

The softball field was formally called the Varsity Diamond. The baseball field is called Ferry Field, dedicated to former baseball coach (1921-1958). The field was named after this iconic coach for his dedication and accomplishments. The stadium was named after Ray Fisher in 1970. BallParkDigest states, “During his 38 seasons at the helm led the Wolverines to 15 Big Ten titles and the College World Series championship in 1953” (Goldberg).

The Wilpon Complex isn’t Fred Wilpon's only accomplishment or contribution to UM. Wilpon partnered with the Kinesiology school and donated to the Sports Injury and Prevention Center to conduct research into sports-related injuries (Kipnis). Furthermore, Judy and Fred Wilpon acknowledge the struggle of being a first-generation college student. Michigan News states, “a $40 million gift from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation endows the Kessler program at the University of Michigan in perpetuity” (Smith). The Kessler Foundation “provides four years of financial and other support to exceptional University of Michigan students–many of whom are among the first in their family to attend college—helping them achieve their dreams at U-M and beyond”“Kessler Presidential Scholarship". Wilpon wants to help college students succeed without the worry of their personal or family finances.

The name Fred means sage and wise, according to SheKnows.com. This relates to Fred Wilpon because he is very successful and showed perseverance, his love for the university serves a purpose for many students. Fred Wilpon will forever be the University’s number one baseball fan as his legacy will live on forever.

Works Cited

“Fred.” SheKnows, 22 Aug. 2018, https://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/fred/.

Goldberg, Jeff. “For Classic Ballparks, the Name Is in the Game: Ballpark Digest.” Ballpark Digest - Chronicling the Business and Culture of Baseball Ballparks--MLB, MiLB, College, 9 Mar. 2016, https://ballparkdigest.com/2016/03/09/for-classic-ballparks-the-name-is-the-game/.

“Kessler Presidential Scholarship: U-M LSA U-M College of LSA.” U, https://lsa.umich.edu/lsa/irene-and-morris-b-kessler-presidential-scholarship.html.

Kipnis, Matthew. “A Look Back at Loyal Alumnus Fred Wilpon.” The Michigan Daily, 20 Apr. 2021, https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/wilpon/.

Mulder, John. “Fred Wilpon Net Worth.” Wealthy Gorilla, 8 Nov. 2022, https://wealthygorilla.com/fred-wilpon-net-worth/.

“One of Higher Education's Most Innovative Programs for First-Generation Students Receives $40 Million Gift to Support Success through College and Beyond.” University of Michigan News, 10 Nov. 2021, https://news.umich.edu/one-of-higher-educations-most-innovative-programs-for-first-generation-students-receives-40-million-gift-to-support-success-through-college-and-beyond/.

University of Michigan Athletics. “Our Venue Namesakes: The Wilpon Complex.” University of Michigan Athletics, University of Michigan Athletics, 21 May 2017, https://mgoblue.com/news/2016/2/10/Our_Venue_Namesakes_The_Wilpon_Complex.

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