16
2009
A Plea For Sanity
An article by 
I can’t begin to tell you how scared and helpless I felt as I watched David Wright lie still on the ground after being hit in the left temple by a 93-mph Matt Cain fastball. The force of the blow was so powerful that it knocked Wright’s batting helmet clean off his head and sent it veering toward the ground just ahead of Wright’s collapsing body. The ominous sound of the baseball and his helmet making impact was so shockingly loud that it immediately silenced everyone for a moment. A sound like that is never good and it seemed out of place in a ball game. The sight of David Wright lying on the ground at home plate was surreal as well as sobering.
Within seconds he was surrounded by a handful of Mets including medical staffers and Jerry Manuel who looked stunned. After a few minutes of being tended to by Mets trainer Ray Ramirez, Wright was finally able to get up with some assistance and walk off the field on his own. After some testing in the Mets training room, he would head to the hospital for more diagnostic testing, and a CT-scan later revealed that Wright had suffered a concussion. This of course, is good news as the results could have been much worse, but whenever I hear the word concussion, it still makes me cringe. Especially where the Mets are concerned.
The last time the Mets had to deal with a concussion was when Ryan Church suffered a vicious blow to the head while sliding into second base in a game against the Atlanta Braves last season. Church was in the midst of one of his hottest streaks of his career when it happened, but what was more disturbing then the concussion he suffered on that play, would be the way the Mets handled the injury in the days, weeks, and months to follow. It was one misstep after another and Church would never be the same again even after finally returning at seasons end. The Mets received much criticism for the way it was handled and it raised many questions about the competence of the Mets medical and training staff.
I hang on to the hope that much was learned from that experience by the Mets, and they are now much more equipped to handle an injury like a concussion. Although the way I’ve seen them handle Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran this season, it still gives me pause for concern.
In this lost season which began with such high expectations, I pray that the Mets will execute extreme caution and make the number one priority ensuring that David Wright is 100% healthy and that he suffers no lasting effects from this latest Mets injury.
Getting him back on the field as soon as possible is not the way to go. Even if David Wright says he’s good to go, don’t you dare let him set foot on that field. There is nothing to be gained by having him resume the season without first ensuring he is completely out of the danger zone, and that could take weeks.
The lingering effects of a concussion can often surface two weeks later, when it’s least expected. I urge you to make the sane choice and immediately place him on the 15-day disabled list so that he can rest and be under observation for a further two weeks.
Please… I’m begging you…
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
Went to my first Mets game, a Mayors Trophy game at Shea, in '73. We beat the Yankees 8-4 and I was hooked. I marched in two Banner Day parades, and before the Grand Slam single, there was the "Hendu Can Do" grand slam - I was there. I've collected Mets memorabilia all my life and started Mets Merized Online to feed my addiction.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 20 | .565 | 1.0 |
| Mets | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Marlins | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 23 | 23 | .500 | 4.0 |
Last updated: 05/25/2012
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Agree. Concussions are to be taken seriously. Last night’s game between the Dodgers and D-Backs where Hiroki Kuroda got hit in the head by a line drive by Ryal. Kuroda suffered the concussion also.
I feel the same way. Its time to shut down all of our core players (Wright, Beltran, Reyes). This season has been long over for the Mets, and there’s no reason to jeopardize next season and the health of these players.
I hope they have the presence of mind not to send him off on a plane ride on the next road trip. That mistake appeared to be a critical one with Church. The scary part of David’s convalescence starts now. David needs to be treated with kid gloves.
Youre absolutely right Joe. There is no reason to bring him back prematurely. While hes been a constant for years, having him on the field less than 100% is just ridiculous.
Maybe a lot of people have ragged on David, but he means the world to this team and its fans.
Get well soon David, but not because we need you to play now but because we want you to be well, for the future.
Sit David fo a while to make sure he is 100% healthy when he comes back.
Also….the nationals are going to catch us now….at least we can get a good draft pick.
David Wright won’t be in the Mets lineup for a few days. I say give Wright a week off.
I couldn’t agree more. This season has been terrible for a host of reasons. If David didn’t come back this season and simply rested do we really care? Ditto for the others. Just play out the schedule as best as possible and look towards spring training. I hope there are plenty of firings and replacements to excite the team. Starting with the GM and cleaning house with the trainers who have ill-prepared the players–the Wright beaning aside of course. I can live with it. Sometimes teams suffer these kinds of seasons. Next year just can’t be this bad. Can it?
I know professional athletes think they are invincible. They are not and injuries and accidents appear all the time, usually brushed off with an ‘I can play with this’ attitude. Thankfully – and for the first time, I believe – the Mets DL’d David right away. This is truly the end of the season for them and there is no valid reason to rush him back.
Now is the time for the Mets organization to sit down and reorganize from the top of the management to the bottom. This can be done right now during the final weeks of this ‘season’. Let the team bring up some of the youngsters for a glimpse of the Big Leagues – and the way of life in the Majors.
As for David Wright – he is the jewel of the franchise in all ways. Treat him with great care, he is irreplaceable.
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACOMODATION
JOE, AS U DOUBTLESSLY NOW KNOW, YOUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED, THOUGH THE CHURCH ISSUE WAS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED INASMUCHAS THE ESCOBAR KNEE TO HIS TEMPLE WAS HIS RARELY REPORTED THIRD HEADSHOT OF THE SEASON, SECOND OF THAT GAME WHEREBY ON AN ALMOST IDENTICAL PLAY EARLIER IN THE GAME A SLIDING CHURCH WAS KNEED IN THE HEAD BY THE AFOREMENTIONED ESCOBAR IN THE SAME ACROBATIC ATTEMPT. CHURCH ALSO HAD A HISTORY OF DOWN TIME WITH GNATS DUE TO MIGRAINE PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE ATL MEDICAL STAFF THAT CLEARED CHURCH FOR AIR TRAVEL TO COLORADO. I’M NOT SURE IF NYM’S CONTRACT WITH HSS PROVIDES A TRAVELING MD TO ACCOMPANY THE TEAM ON THE ROAD & EVEN IF IT DID, IT’S UNLIKELY TO BE A HEAD TRAUMA SPECIALIST. MOST LIKLY AN ORTHOPOD.