Today is the 17th anniversary of Mike Piazza‘s home run in the first game in New York after 9/11. It is a moment which will live on forever in not just baseball, but also as part of the healing process.
Certainly, no one will ever forget the home run, but how much do you really remember from that inning? Can you name all of the key players from not just he home run, but how it all transpired? Let’s find out:
Steve Karsay Matt Lawton Edgardo Alfonzo Desi Relaford Robin Ventura Tsuyoshi Shinjo Armando Benitez Javy Lopez Keith Lockhart B.J. Surhoff
Like two nights ago, the Mets had the opportunity to take out one of the leading Cy Young candidates to help Jacob deGrom‘s Cy Young case. Like with the game against Aaron Nola, the Mets dealt a small blow but could not deliver the knockout punch.
The Mets did try. In the third, Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce went back-to-back to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Back-to-back home runs to raise the ERA of a #CyYoung candidate? That's a shame. ? #LGM pic.twitter.com/J7EWJzI2Oz
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 21, 2018
The one weakness in Max Scherzer‘s game this year was the long ball, and the Mets took full advantage. Conversely, the major strength in Scherzer’s game was the strikeout, and he mowed down the Mets.
After the Bruce homer, the Mets had just one hit and one walk, which did allow Scherzer to go seven. In total, Scherzer increased his lead over deGrom in innings and strikeouts, but his ERA rose .04.
For a while, it seemed as if the Mets were going to hit Scherzer with a loss because somehow someway Jason Vargas was out-pitching Scherzer.
The only damage against Vargas was an Anthony Rendon two run homer in the sixth. Seth Lugo, as part of his 1.1 innings, got the final out of the inning to preserve the 3-2 lead.
After Scherzer was pulled, the Mets immediately went to work against left-handed reliever Matt Grace.
Jeff McNeil hit a leadoff triple, and he’d come home on a Bruce single past the drawn-in infield to give the Mets a 4-2 lead. It wasn’t enough for this Mets bullpen.
Anthony Swarzak allowed the first two to reach in the bottom of the eighth, and Daniel Zamora would come on to face Bryce Harper. In the lengthy at-bat. Zamora would get the best of Harper who just missed out as he flew out to deep right field.
Maybe because it was because he opted to take the bullpen cart, but Robert Gsellman would surrender the lead. He first run came on a Rendon groundout, and the second scored on a Juan Soto RBI double.
With that, Scherzer was off the hook. With us living in a world where deGrom may win the Cy Young with a losing record, the loss was probably inconsequential.
The game would go extras, and the Mets seemed poised to end it early with them loading the bases in the 10th with just one out.
However, even with Greg Holland losing the strike zone having thrown seven straight balls, Jack Reinheimer swung at a 1-0 pitch and hit a soft tapper to Holland, who started the inning ending 1-2-3 double play.
In that 10th inning, McNeil was surprisingly sent up to bunt. In that at-bat, home plate umpire made a few very questionable strike calls, including ruling McNeil bunted at a pitch. This led Mickey Callaway to flip and earn his second career ejection.
In the 11th, Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff double, and he would be stranded there.
What was surprising was how Jacob Rhame returned serve. After allowing a leadoff double to Ryan Zimmerman, who tagged up and moved to third on a Matt Wieters line out, Rhame would strike out Mark Reynolds and Victor Robles to end the inning.
Finally, in the 12th, the Mets retook the lead.
Amed Rosario led off the inning with a single off Jefry Rodriguez, and this time, McNeil would get the bunt down.
The bases were loaded after Conforto was intentionally walked, and Bruce walked after him. Jose Lobaton pinch hit for Rhame, and he delivered with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 5-4 lead.
Paul Sewald was given the 12th, and he delivered his second career save with a 1-2-3 inning. Just because it was a 1-2-3 inning, it doesn’t mean it was uneventful.
After Heyward was called out on a pitch outside the strike zone, he argued the call, and he was tossed by Home Plate Umpire D.J. Reyburn. Heyward didn’t even bother going to the clubhouse. Instead, he watched the final out from the bench.
Come next week, Harper will join the Mets in watching games from the bench as the Nationals will soon be eliminated from the postseason.
Game Notes: Wilmer Flores was shut down for the rest of the year after being diagnosed with arthritis in his knees.
There’s no other way to put it. This was an ugly game from top to bottom from the Mets. Noah Syndergaard allowed three earned and was chased after four innings but what has been a pretty poor Phillies offense. That’s what happens when you uncharacteristically allow two homers in a game (Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera).
The Mets offense only mustered three hits off of Zach Eflin and two of those were infield singles by Amed Rosario. Overall, the Mets would only muster six hits in the 4-0 shutout with Rosario getting three of those hits.
Overall, this just looked like two teams whose seasons were soon coming to an end playing like it was a getaway day. Fortunately, with how well the Mets have played in the second half games like these have been few and far between.
Game Notes: Brandon Nimmo has drawn at least one walk in seven consecutive games.
The Mets had won 19 consecutive games in which a Mets pitcher had hit a homer. That included Steven Matz‘s last start when he had homered. Well, Matz woud hit a homer again in this game giving you hope it was going to be 20 straight:
Strong Island ??? #PitchersWhoRake pic.twitter.com/LGJHOCj0mN
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 19, 2018
That homer came off of Aaron Nola, and it not only gave the Mets the lead, but it put a little dent in Nola’s Cy Young case. Certainly, Matz was cognizant of that as after Matz trotted around the bases, he walked up to Jacob deGrom and said, “That was for my friend.”
Really, Matz did all he could do to help deGrom win the Cy Young. In addition to the homer, Matz was good on the mound. In his five innings, he would allow just two hits while walking five and striking out four. In addition to the hitting and pitching, Matz would make an incredible behind the back catch to start a double play:
"Keep your eye on the ball" does not apply to @Smatz88. ? pic.twitter.com/fvUq425ObV
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 19, 2018
With the four walks, Matz’s pitch count was up. At 91 pitches, it made the decision to pinch hit for him in the top of the sixth an easier one than it normally would be.
At the time the Mets had a 2-0 lead because Dominic Smith would double home Brandon Nimmo in the fourth inning. Smith and Nimmo would take part in another two out rally in the fifth. After Nimmo walked because, well that’s what he does, and Dom singled, Gabe Kapler would pull Nola and put it Pat Neshek. Neshek walked Kevin Plawecki to load the bases, and Mickey Callaway sent up Wilmer Flores to pinch hit.
Flores would strike out on three pitches.
That Flores strikeout was a missed opportunity. With the inherited runners on base, it was a chance to put a further dent in Nola’s Cy Young wishes. It was also a chance to tack on some needed runs.
The Mets would add .02 to Nola’s ERA which probably won’t have much impact on his Cy Young chances. Because the Mets failed to take advantage of the opportunity, they would also miss a chance to saddle Nola with the loss. Well, it was the missed chance and the bullpen implosion.
Jerry Blevins started the fire by walking Carlos Santana and hitting Aaron Altherr with a pitch. Callaway then brought on Drew Smith, who just could not get anyone out. First, it was a Wilson Ramos single. Then a Justin Bour double. Finally, Jorge Alfaro homered. Anthony Swarzak would come on and get the Mets out of the inning without allowing another run.
But by then, it was too late. The Mets fell behind 5-2, and they did not have another run in them. It didn’t matter much as the chance to really dent Nola’s Cy Young case went by the wayside.
Game Notes: In a recent BBWAA poll, deGrom was overwhelming voted as the Cy Young winner.
In addition to Jacob deGrom making a case for him to win the Cy Young, he has also been making an impact on the Mets record books. At the moment, he is the Mets all time leader in K/9 and ERA+. He has also moved to second place all-time in ERA, third place in FIP, and he’s cracked the top 10 in strikeouts. In essence, deGrom has moved into Jerry Koosman territory, and really, he is knocking at the door of being considered along with Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden as being in the upper echelon of Mets pitchers.
With respect to Gooden, we all know his best year was 1985. That year was not just the best year any Mets pitcher has ever had, it is among the best seasons any pitcher has ever had. That year, Gooden was the unanimous Cy Young going 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA, 0.965 WHIP, 229 ERA+, 2.13 FIP, 268 strikeouts, 8.7 K/9, and a 12.2 WAR. After a record setting rookie season, you could see him at least threatening to challenge Seaver for the best ever in Mets history. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
Perhaps, that was the mark of just how great Seaver was. Looking at his Mets career, it is hard to pick just one season which defined his greatness. After all, he does have three Cy Youngs, which remains the most in Mets history. Looking over his Cy Young seasons, his 1971 and 1973 seasons really stand out.
In 1971, Seaver was 20-10 with a 1.76 ERA, 0.946 WHIP, 194 ERA+, 1.93 FIP, 289 strikeouts, 9.1 K/9, and a 10.2 WAR. In 1973, Seaver was 19-10 with a 2.08 ERA, 0.976 WHIP, 175 ERA+, 2.57 FIP, 251 strikeouts, 7.8 K/9, and a 10.6 WAR.
As an aside, it is astounding to see Seaver have two seasons that great. Really, he was unparalleled in his greatness. To put it in perspective, when R.A. Dickey won the Cy Young in 2012, he had a 139 ERA+ and a 5.7 WAR. Seaver had eight seasons with at least a 139 ERA+ and eight seasons with at least a 5.7 WAR.
Looking back to Dickey’s 2012 season, he had a season good enough to beat out Clayton Kershaw to make him the third Met to win the Cy Young award. While it was good enough to beat Kershaw, the best pitcher of this generation, it is nowhere as good as the season deGrom is having right now.
So far through 30 starts, deGrom is 8-9 with a 1.78 ERA, 0.950 WHIP, 207 ERA+, 2.05 FIP, 251 strikeouts, 11.0 K/9, and an 8.6 WAR.
Now, that is a season on par with what we have seen with Seaver and Gooden. That FIP is better than what Gooden had in his all-time great 1985 season. His ERA plus is better than what Seaver had in his aforementioned Cy Young seasons. In fact, deGrom’s current ERA+ is even better than any season Seaver has posted in any season.
In essence, once you are mentally able to move past the win-loss record, deGrom is having one of the best seasons a Mets pitcher has ever had. Depending on your gauge, it can be fairly ranked anywhere in the top five of Mets single season pitching performances.
Remember, the list goes beyond just Seaver and Gooden. There were also great seasons from Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana, Koosman, and Matt Harvey. However you look at it, deGrom belongs near or atop the list of single season performances. More than that, deGrom is becoming one of the best pitchers in Mets history . . . if he wasn’t one already.
When looking at the second half of the season, there are amy number of positives. There’s Jacob deGrom looking to become the fourth Met to win a Cy Young. David Wright is going to play one last game.
Perhaps most important is the resurgence of Michael Conforto. Tonight was the latest chapter of the comeback.
The fun part with Conforto now is it doesn’t matter who’s pitching. Left. Right. Conforto is going to get his hits.
He hit an RBI single off Jake Arrieta in the fifth. He hit an RBI double off Tommy Hunter in the seventh. Finally, he had a homer off Austin Davis in the ninth.
A new career high.
Six of our nine runs came off the bat of @mconforto8! #MetsWin! pic.twitter.com/deR41T5J3B
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 18, 2018
Overall, Conforto was 3-for-5 with a run, double, homer, and a career high six RBI. In total, Conforto would drive in six of the Mets nine runs.
In addition to Conforto, Jeff McNeil would have a three game, which is something that is becoming old hat for him. To just put in perspective just how special this is, he’s tied a Wright Mets record:
Jeff McNeil now has 7 3-hit games through the first 52 games of his career. That ties David Wright, who also had 7 3-hit games in his first 52, for the most by a #Mets player through that many games.
— john (probably watching college football) (@_Jawhnn) September 18, 2018
All that offense was enough to get Zack Wheeler over a fifth inning blip.
In that fifth inning, Wheeler would hit Odubel Herrera with a pitch. J.P. Crawford followed with a bases clearing triple. After a Cesar Hernandez sacrifice fly, the game was tied 4-4.
That inning marred what was an otherwise terrific Wheeler start. In fact, all three of the Phillies hits off Wheeler would come in that inning.
Even with him battling through the fifth, Wheeler’s final line was 7.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He’d get the win in this 9-4 Mets victory.
Wheeler’s MLB best 1.32 second half ERA is still a dominant 1.68 ERA. By all indications, his ERA may stay there as Mickey Callaway suggested this could be Wheeler’s final start.
Considering all the time he’s missed the past few years, that would make sense. Fortunately, for the first time in a long time, he’s heathy. Maybe this is why he’s finally pitching like an ace.
Game Notes: Austin Jackson, Amed Rosario, and McNeil would each deliver an RBI.
Heading into the Month of September, Jacob deGrom was probably the favorite to win the Cy Young, but it was still anyone’s game with Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer having great seasons of their own. So far this month, deGrom has separated himself ever further from the pack.
In Nola’s three September starts, he is 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA. Scherzer had a decent start to the month until his loss to the Braves on Friday. In that start, Scherzer allowed six earned in four innings. Now, he’s 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in the month.
Like Nola and Scherzer, deGrom has seen his ERA rise this month. Still, deGrom’s 2.70 ERA this month is half of Scherzer’s. That is also because deGrom had a “bad start” in Boston.
For deGrom, it was the bottom of the third in Boston which derailed what had looked to be a truly special start.
After striking out six of the first seven Red Sox batters he faced, Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez hit back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners with one out. Mookie Betts brought home Devers with a sacrifice fly. This is normally where deGrom would get out of the inning, but he would leave one up to Brock Holt, who hit a two run homer to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
Right then and there, deGrom’s streak of 26 starts not allowing more than three earned and his 21 consecutive quality starts streak was on the line. From there, there were points where you thought deGrom wasn’t going to reatch the sixth. In fact, Mickey Callaway had Jerry Blevins warming at one point. There may have also been points where you thought he would allow another run.
He didn’t.
Instead, deGrom would go seven innings allowing the three earned on five hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. The 12 strikeouts were really impressive. Entering the game, the Red Sox were the second hardest team to strike out (19.7%). In the game, deGrom would strike out 12 of the 27 batters (44.4%) he faced.
Importantly, the Mets would rally to tie the score and get deGrom off the hook. In the sixth, Amed Rosario would follow an Austin Jackson single to put runners on second and third with no outs. Jeff McNeil would not hit a liner deep enough to score a run, but Wilmer Flores would . . . barely:
https://twitter.com/MLBReplays/status/1041405356977659904
Unfortunately, Betts would get hurt on the play. It should shift Jackie Bradley, Jr. to right with Tzu-Wei Lin in center. Michael Conforto would then hit a double to deep center to tie the game. It’s debatable if Bradley would’ve gotten to it. Regardless, the Mets were down a run.
They would tie it in the seventh on a two out RBI single by Rosario. Brandon Nimmo was 90 feet away from scoring the go-ahead run and giving deGrom the lead, but McNeil couldn’t bring him home.
WIth that, deGrom notced another no decision, and he still remains a game under .500, and yet, he he having an all-time great season. In fact, with this start, deGrom tied Bob Gibson and Chris Carpenter single season mark for consecutive quality starts. In the seasons Gibson and Carpenter set their marks, they won the Cy Young.
So should deGrom.
Game Notes: Seth Lugo took the loss after allowing a run in the eighth.
One of the two teams tonight was the best team in baseball. The other was the Boston Red Sox.
It’s an absurd statement for sure, and yet with the bats going and Noah Syndergaard dealing, the Mets looked like world beaters.
Over seven innings, Syndergaard allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out six. He really kept the Red Sox at bay at the plate but not the basepaths.
There were three stolen bases with the most egregious being an Ian Kinsler stolen base. On the play, Kindler basically walked to second (not an exaggeration). Syndergaard would get his revenge by picking off Kinsler in the sixth.
The stolen bases wouldn’t matter as the Red Sox couldn’t touch Syndergaard. Simultaneously, the Red Sox could not get the Mets out.
Left-handed pitcher William Cuevas would make his first career start, and he wouldn’t last long partially because he couldn’t get left-handed hitters out.
Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce hit back-to-back first inning doubles giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. That grew to 4-0 in the second when Bruce hit a second inning three run homer.
Brian Johnson would come on for the Red Sox and calm things down. Still Jeff McNeil would get to him hitting his third homer of the season. McNeil had yet another multi-hit game, and he had an incredible defensive play to end the seventh:
.@JeffMcNeil805 does it all! pic.twitter.com/kod8KYkI1v
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 15, 2018
The Mets offense wasn’t done either. In the eighth inning against Tyler Thornburg, Austin Jackson and Amed Rosario would homer giving the Mets an 8-0 lead. The Rosario homer was a classic majestic shot over the Green Monster. Like McNeil, Rosario had yet another multi-hit game himself.
That left Jerry Blevins and Tyler Bashlor to close up shop. With their two scoreless innings, the Mets shut out the best offensive team in the majors. In fact, the Red Sox have the most runs and RBI with the best team batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS. They have the second highest wRC+.
For their part, the Mets had Thor. That’s why they won.
Game Notes: It was the sixth time all season the Red Sox were shut out. There was a rat running in the Mets dugout during the game. It was not a Wilpon or Jose Reyes.
David Wright announcing September 29th was going to be his final game in a Mets uniform has left a profound impact upon all Mets fans. We all have our own reactions and stories to tell. Because of how much Wright has meant to the Mets and Mets fans, in this edition of the Mets Blogger Roundtable, we are opening up the responses to not just bloggers, especially those who regularly appear on here, but also to Mets fans who wanted to share their thoughts on Wright. I encourage anyone who reads this to share your own thoughts in the comments.
Michael Baron (nym.news)
It’s horrible to see any player – not to mention an iconic player, Hall of Famer or otherwise – struggle the way Wright has since 2015. It’s been sad to watch and sad to listen to and this was the unfortunate culmination of that sadness. It was heartbreaking to see him at the podium crying as he said goodbye to baseball. I think this was mostly expected at some point soon, but that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach, watching a star player come up, excel, only to fade through all of the promise and hope Sandy and the Mets instilled in him over the years. He took it on the chin for this organization during those dark years, standing in front of the camera trying to explain away the madness and chaos and preach patience and hope through the process, and he deserves a medal for that. He’s an ambassador to the team and the game, and players should strive to be exactly what and who David Wright is and what he stands for. He’s a class act and I’m going to miss him.
James Schapiro (Shea Bridge Report)
Hard to improve on that. I would just add that Wright was admirable because he was a rock during turbulent times for the Mets, but also because of how hard he worked whenever he was forced off the field. Even when he broke his finger in 2011, he came back something like two days later and hit a home run. The doctors told him he was fine to play as long as he could stand the pain of playing with a broken finger, so of course he went out and played. He was great on the field and in the locker room after games, but he was also an exemplary Met in terms of working through adversity.
EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the best things you will read about how much Wright means to fans is James’ 2016 article entitled The Ballad of David Wright.
Mathew Brownstein (MMO, Bullpen with DA)
Growing up, David Wright was my favorite player. Not only for how he conducted himself on the field, but for the way in which he made sure to be the type of player that kids could genuinely look up to. Hearing the news of his retirement is like coming to the end of a great film or book, you want it to continue. I applaud his determination, fight, and fortitude to make it back from over two years of rehab to get this proper sendoff. Thank you for the memories, Captain.
Brad A.
The Mets have had some great players wear the blue and orange. Not only is David Wright among those greats, he leads those greats. We were fortunate to watch one of the best players in a Mets uniform play in his prime. Thank you for everything David and your reputation will live on as all of us will see the #5 hanging on the rafters right next to #31.
Colin Cosell (Mets PA Announcer)
As a young adult, I grew up in a New York sports scene where David Wright and Derek Jeter were the definitive and unconquerable captains of their eras. Jeter had the career and finality that every athlete dreams of. But Wright’s career so quickly turned from dream to nightmare; something that neither he nor Mets fans nor baseball fans in general could’ve ever fathomed. In my eyes, David deserves to play past Franco’s age. But, alas, there we all were during his press conference, accepting what we all kind of knew was inevitable. I cried as he cried, and then I shook as I realized I would have the unintelligible honor of calling his final lineup spot and final at-bats. I don’t know what events and players I’ll have the honor of calling in the future, but this one will stay with me forever. Long live #5, our Captain.
Joe D. (MMO)
Even though I suspected that David Wright would announce that his playing days were over, it was still stunning to hear it. Watching him fight through tears to say he wanted to suit up one more time for his daughters, who never saw him play in an actual game, was heart-wrenching to see. I had to fight back my own tears. Injuries robbed Wright of what was a certain Hall of Fame trajectory. But he leaves an indelible mark on the Mets franchise as the best position player that they ever developed. He will be greatly missed.
Joe DeMayo
It was real tough watching Wright’s press conference yesterday despite it seemingly being the announcement that many of us have expected was a mere matter of time. I have been following David’s career since shortly after he was drafted throughout his path to finally making it to Queens. He along with Jose Reyes being the young home grown stars of this team right before they went and splurged to build those excellent mid 2000’s teams were some fond memories for me. I loved following David’s career as it was so evident that he loved nothing more than being a New York Met. He has given us countless memories and moments that we will never forget as Mets fans. David is a true Met, and will always be one. He literally gave his body for the New York Mets. He handled everything on and off the field in the most perfect way. He is a true role model. He is our Captain. I feel terrible for him that his body just wouldn’t allow him to continue to do what he loves, but I hope he got some closure with his announcement and the wild crowd he’ll have on September 29th. David is a sure fire Mets Hall of Famer, and in my opinion the second best offensive player in team history behind Mike Piazza. I will always be thankful for everything David did, and I cannot wait to be at the game when his number 5 is retired and officially confirmed it will never be worn again by a Met. He deserves that. Thank you for everything David! LGM!
Corne Hogeveen (MMN)
There is no crying in Baseball right? Well David Wright has made me cry a couple of times. It shows how much David Wright means to me. Marvelous player and marvelous person. A true Captain who always be my Captain. Captain you will be missed. We love you!
Hoov (The Happy Recap)
Wright is the man who will not only make us glad that Denver has great schools. He is easily a face on the Mets’ Mt. Rushmore (to take a concept from himself yesterday regarding Jay Horwitz), and he is one of the best to ever wear the blue and orange – a true Mets icon. Lifelong Mets are almost impossible to quantify over a decade (Ed Kranepool is obvious, Ron Hodges less so), but Wright went wire to wire with us, and could have walked, in a dark era, and chose not to. That his body betrayed his love of the sport is a side note to a career that all Mets fans should treasure. to steal a oft used cliche’, don’t cry because it’s over (ok, we’re gonna cry), smile because it happened (and what a smile it is!)
Anthony Lombardi (Anthony Robert Salon)
Matt Mancuso (MMN)
David Wright exemplified a perfect New York Met player. His classy demeanor, his confident leadership, and his clutch hitting will be remembered and dearly missed. David Wright holds a special place in every Mets’ fans heart.
Joe Maracic (Loud Egg)
Heart says yes, body says no. Decision was taken out of his hands. Class act, always. Farewell Captain.
Ed Marcus
David Wright is one of the nicest Mets I ever got the honor to cover. I met him a handful of times during my tenure as a blogger, and with the exception of maybe R.A. Dickey and John Franco, David came across as the most genuine. I know that it’s cliched to say he bled Orange & Blue, but there is no other way to describe his devotion for this team. He now stands with original Met Ed Kranepool as the lone players to have the distinguished honor of playing their entire career in a Mets uniform (a rare feat in this day and age of free agency and trading star players for prospects). This is truly the end of an era, and it would be a shame if his #5 isn’t retired by the Mets.
Michael Mayer (MMO & MMN)
I’m happy that David Wright will get exactly what he hoped for, one last time on a major league field and for that to be in front of his two young daughters. Sad that it has to end this way, but it also gives the Mets a better idea of their roster going into 2019 as well.
Wright is the best position player in Mets history and deserves this type of send off.
Pete McCarthy (WOR Sports Zone)
I won’t lie. It got a bit dusty listening to David Wright make it clear he wouldn’t be continuing his career beyond this season. Even though it’s the result I thought made the most sense for Wright and the Mets, hearing the emotion in Wright’s voice and the finality of it all hit me, and I’m sure anyone who has followed Wright’s career and comeback attempts. It was great taking calls between games of the doubleheader and after the final game with fans sharing stories of Wright going out of his way to sign an autograph, take a picture, or calling just to acknowledge the character Wright displayed during his Mets career. It’s rare that one’s idols are who we like to think they are but in the case of those who grew up idolizing Wright, they can feel confident they chose wisely. That final homestand will be bigger and have more emotion than any of us can imagine right now. Former teammates of Wright’s will be there and for the first time in Mets history there will be proper send off for a bonafide franchise player.
Meek Phil
David Wright was the first athlete I really became attached to growing up. People don’t realize how great of a player he was in his prime and seeing his career end like this is incredibly unfair.
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
The only thing I ever hoped for with Wright is that when the end comes, it comes with no regrets. Considering how hard he has worked for two and a half years to try to overcome a huge setback like spinal stenosis, I can’t imagine that David thinks he left anything on the table. So kudos to David for giving it a real shot.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please make sure you take the time to read Metradamus’ article entitled David Wright Gets One Last Homestand.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
In the short term, I embrace that there’s been resolution. David will play. That’s all we and he could have asked for.
I’m sorry that all of David’s efforts have led to no more than (presumably) one final appearance. It would have been beautiful had rehabilitation equaled rejuvenation. That, apparently, was too much to ask for.
But you can’t be a baseball fan without being a romantic, and I embrace the romance of one final jog out to third base, one final tossing the ball around the infield, one final grabbing of a grounder, one final swing, perhaps one final hit, definitely one final bow.
The finality is bracing, but it was coming sooner or later. It’s rare that it is presented to us so definitively. Unless it rains.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Make sure to read Greg’s other poignant statements on Wright in his article Resetting Expectations.
Patrick O.
Tim Ryder (MMO, Good Fundies)
As sad as it that David Wright is hanging them up, I can’t help but feel privileged to have been a Mets fan during his tenure and to have seen the heights he reached. When I hear folks talk about Tom Seaver, I’m envious that I didnt get to see him pitch. When my kids ask me about David Wright, I’ll be able to tell them how strong, courageous, determined, and perfect he was as a ballplayer and as a human being. He’s earned this last hurrah. Let’s give him the send-off he deserves.
Anthony Scaramucci
Great athlete but better person than athlete. Was a role model to my sons and we wish him the best. Should be lifetime captain of the Mets.
Dilip Sridhar (MMO & MMN)
There are two ways to look at David Wright and both justify his greatness. There are the numbers and there is the class and persona he held.
Most if not every metric that is used to judge a player would agree that Wright is quite easily the best to ever put on the orange and blue. Wright’s numbers seem very hard to beat and only two Mets on the current roster have a shot at ever catching him. Players of Wright’s caliber don’t just grow on trees and fans will see that very soon. He was on a hall of fame path if not for the spinal stenosis.
The class and persona is what makes him stand out over the other great Mets. Not once was Wright embroiled in a scandal or was he in the news for the wrong reasons. He gave Mets fans a true example of how to handle themselves and made the franchise presentable in a time where they were not. Even when the injuries struck, he never took attention from his teammates and he never tried to pass off the blame. He earned the title of “Captain.”
As a kid who grew up in the era of Wright and as someone who’s had to go though multiple surgeries in a small span of time like Wright, he has taught me to never lose my values and never lose my drive. I thank him for his time with the Mets and wish him all the best going forward. Re5pect
Breanna Susa (That Mets Chick)
I grew up watching David Wright from the moment he got his call up in 2004. Him and Jose Reyes were the reasons why I got into baseball at such a young age. They were the corner stone on the left side of the infield. Young, energetic and fun to watch. I played softball up until my last year in college and I used to emulate his at bat rituals. He would tuck his bat underneath his arm and redo his batting gloves. He would take a deep breath before getting back into the batters box. David Wright was my idol growing up.
I’m so sad about David Wright retiring. I feel a pit in my stomach, kinda after a breakup. David Wright broke up with me. Heartbroken.
Mets Daddy
We all wanted Wright to be our Derek Jeter, but he turned out being our Don Mattingly. He was the great player in our franchise history forced to retire before his time due to back problems. However, with all due respect to Mattlingly, Wright was a better player, and he was much more than that.
Wright was special. He was the guy who grew up wanting to be a Met, and unlike so many of us, he accomplished that dream. Unlike Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, Wright didn’t let anything get in the way of achieving greatness. Unlike Seaver, Wright would play his whole career with the Mets.
We know Seaver is the greatest player who will ever don a Mets uniform, but Wright is the most beloved. That is why seeing all that has transpired just hurts.
He didn’t win a World Series because Guillermo Mota shook off Paul Lo Duca, two collapses which he did all he could do to prevent, and because Terry Collins managerial gaffes coupled with some late game errors. He didn’t set some records because of the comical dimensions of early Citi Field. He may not get into the Hall of Fame because of those dimensions. Mostly, he may not get in because of his health.
Through all of it, Wright was truly great. Likely, he was the greatest position player the Mets have ever seen, and it is going to be hard to see him go. But, by the same token it is good to see he is able to leave the game with his head held high and with his dignity. We are not going to have stories about Wright falling down and failing like the Willie Mays stories of him falling down in center field. No, we have just the best memories of him playing.
Really, it’s hard to pick a favorite. There’s the bare-handed catch. Him diving into the stands. The game winning hits. His euphoria over winning the division or going to World Series. His homer in his first game back, the slide against the Nationals, his fist pump in the NLDS, and the homer in Game 3. There are so many to choose. That’s what happens when you have a great career.
So on Saturday, I will be able to take my son to a game to let him one of the greatest Mets to ever play the game take the field for the last time. As a parent and an ardent Mets fan, it is something I always wanted to do with my sons. I just wish there was a chance for my oldest to go to Citi Field and have an opportunity to remember Wright playing in a Mets uniform.
With David Wright announcing his retirement, it seemed only fitting to focus on all the Mets records he holds. Can you name them all? Good luck!