A Tribute To David Wright

When David Wright was pulled out of the game on September 29, all 44,000 Mets fans in attendance gave him one final standing ovation. The Mets captain was full of emotion as he hugged each one of his teammates and members of the Mets training staff. Through his 15-year career, he has become the franchise leader in almost every offensive stat and was a huge role model to countless young fans. And despite going hitless, his final game was the perfect ending to a long, rocky journey.

From the moment David was called up in 2004, he was an instant star. New York loved him. And as his career wore on, he became the longest tenured Met and was a bright spot through the long, arduous rebuild, which involved many last place finishes. Going into 2011, Wright seemed on pace to be a shoo-in for a first ballot Hall of Fame spot. But bright as his future seemed, that season was his last full injury-free one.

Wright suffered several injuries. The final nail in the coffin came in 2015, when he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. He managed to return later that year and aid the Mets in their National League Championship Series run, but he was not the same. Wright came back and appeared fairly healthy to start the 2016 season but was forced out when he needed surgery on a herniated disk in his neck. After his 2015 diagnosis, Wright barely saw the playing field. During the next two years, Wright slowly began playing in minor league games.

Even as Wright fought his way back to the big leagues, the Mets seemed hesitant to let him return for the final month of this 2018 season, seemingly citing the added cost of an extra player on the Mets’ payroll. However, in a move that pleasantly surprised even the most cynical fans, the Mets held a joint press conference with Wright on September 13, announcing that Wright would be activated for the Mets’ final home series and start on along with José Reyes on September 29. Tickets were sold out immediately, and resell prices for even the worst tickets in the stadium were well above $100.

As a final tribute, the Mets put together a video of David Wright's most memorable moments. As I sat in the stands watching some of the major highlights of my childhood, I was hit with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. Wright’s diving bare-hand catch in 2005 is one of my first memories that sparked my love for baseball. I remember spending hours studying and trying to imitate his batting stance in the hopes of becoming as good as him one day. In 2015, when Wright in his first at-bat back from a severe injury crushed a home run, he inspired all of us with his resilience. Later that season, when Wright hit another home run in the World Series, he showed us how much he cared about New York and the fans. All of these moments, dedication, and patience over the last two years just to ultimately play one last game for the fans cemented his legacy as one of the Mets’ all time greats.

Though Wright only got two at-bats and one fielding opportunity in his final game, it’s hard to imagine any Mets fan who attended the game feeling ripped off. He finished his career with 1,777 hits, 946 runs scored, 970 runs batted in, and 541 extra base hits, all Mets franchise records. However, as great of a statistical player as Wright was, to myself and millions of other Mets fans, his impact is immeasurable. Wright was a hero on and off the field and the type of person and player all Mets fans and players aspired to be.

“Thank you for allowing me to live out my dream each and every single night,” he said once in an emotional post-game speech. As grateful as he feels towards New York Mets fans, he himself created a dream for countless young kids to one day become like him, and for that New York will always be indebted to David Wright.