David Wright, the seven-time All-Star who was the face of the New York Mets throughout his 14-year MLB career, became the 11th player to have his jersey retired by the organization on Saturday as he entered the Mets’ Hall of Fame.
Just two days shy of the 21-year anniversary of his big-league debut with New York, Wright, 42, fittingly emerged from the third-base side at Citi Field and stepped to a gold-plated third base, where he established himself as a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Also a two-time Silver Slugger Award recipient, Wright was the Mets’ fourth and most recent team captain between 2013 and 2018. During his time with New York, Wright helped the Mets reach the National League Championship Series in 2006, two years into his MLB career. He was also part of the New York team that lost to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series.
A career .296 hitter with 242 home runs and 970 RBIs, Wright is the only player in Mets history to have his number retired after spending his entire career with the club.
“If you would have told a young David Wright to close his eyes and imagine this day, I would have said you’re crazy, no way, impossible,” Wright said. “And then I would have went out in my backyard in Virginia and hit off a homemade tee with balls that were falling apart at the seams until it got dark outside to prove you right.
“Thank you so much for allowing me to live out my dream in front of you each night. I love you so much. Let’s go Mets.”
Wright, the 35th inductee of the Mets Hall of Fame, ranks first in franchise history in a number of categories, including runs scored (949), hits (1,777), total bases (2,945) and RBIs.
–Field Level Media
