It is one of the saddest days in a true sports fan’s life when their favorite player announces that he/she is stepping away from the game. Today Mets fans will say goodbye to one of the greatest players to ever wear the orange and blue. David Wright will suit up one final time for the Mets as injuries have forced him to step away from the diamond. He will play alongside shortstop Jose Reyes as if it was 2006.
Wright was cleared Tuesday of this week for the team’s final home stand. Fans got a tease as David Wright was the first pinch hitter used, as manager Mickey Callaway had promised, in last night’s game against the Atlanta Braves. It was an emotional moment between the captain and the fans that adore him. He took the moment in, focusing on two extra special guests in attendance, his wife and daughter Olivia who has never seen her dad play. He swung on the first pitch he saw and was thrown out, but it didn’t matter. Seeing Wright happy, healthy and playing the sport that he loves was a win even in another forgettable Mets season.
Fans loved Wright for sticking by a team who never did him right. He was there in the years Mets fans had nothing to root for giving 100 percent night in and night out. When the team finally reached the World Series in 2015, it was Wright who captured how every fan felt. “Every day I dreamt about this moment,” David Wright said. “Not only about getting to the playoffs, not only getting to the NLCS, but hopefully dreaming of what it would be like to play in the World Series. Now that we’re here words can’t describe it. It’s the World Series. The World Series. The World Series. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet.” Of course he hit the first World Series home run in Citi Field history that season in Game 3 against the Royals. He finished the game with 4 RBIs in the team’s only win in the Series.
Despite the time he missed due to injuries, Wright has hit .296 with 242 home runs and 970 RBIs in 1,583 regular-season games. The longest-tenured active player with a single team in the major leagues, he is the team’s all-time leader in hits, runs, walks, RBIs and doubles. It was never a doubt that his numbers would support his place in Mets’ history, but it was never about the numbers. Wright was a part of the fan base. People felt connected to him and he felt connected to the fans.
“I truly bleed orange and blue,” Wright said, “and throughout this process, the love and support and the respect from inside and outside the organization has meant the world to me. That support has really gotten me through these last couple of years.”
Every Mets fan wanted to see Wright be cleared for one more season, but it was clear that was unrealistic. It was an honor and a pleasure to watch David Wright’s career from rookie to captain. Goodbyes are never easy, but hopefully this will not be the last time we see David Wright.
