An Ode to the Captain: Fifteen Can't Miss David Wright Moments

It’s not often that a player like David Wright rolls around. Not just in regards to on field talent, but being a consummate professional off the field as well.

But when they do, it comes with this overwhelming sense of comfort, security and excitement. Mets fans knew Wright was going to be special after his steady rise through the Mets’ system that plateaued with his Major League debut on July 21, 2004 against the since relocated Montreal Expos, but we will get to that later.

Wright’s path to the Mets was an interesting one.

Most Mets’ fans — and fans around baseball for that matter — know July 1 as Bobby Bonilla day. This is the annual tradition where the Mets hand Bobby Bonilla a $1 million paycheck.

The Mets released Bonilla after a dismal 1999 season, but still owed the washed up slugger $5.9 million. Bonilla’s agent posed a deal to former owner Fred Wilpon, that would defer the money 10 years, but instead, they would owe Bonilla over $1 million every year, starting in 2011 and ending in 2035.

While absolutely ridiculous, the money they saved in ’99 allowed them to sign Mike Hampton that winter, who was a stalwart in the team’s rotation that year, posting a 3.14 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 0.4 HR/9 and punched out 151 batters across 33 starts.

The southpaw Hampton also secured the Mets lone win in the 2000 World Series.

In free agency that winter, Hampton spurned the Mets, citing the Colorado school system as his reason for taking his talents to the Rockies out west.

The Mets were awarded a compensatory draft pick in the 2001 MLB draft, No. 38 overall, where they selected Wright, a lifelong Mets fan from Virginia.

After spending two and a half years in the farm after being drafted, Wright was called up to the show in the summer of ’04, and the rest was history.

Wright went on to become a seven-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove recipient, two-time Silver Slugger, New York’s team captain and the heart of the franchise for over a decade, the Face of MLB, and go on to hold numerous team records.

In honor of Wright’s birthday, here are 15 can’t miss moments from his career.

MLB debut

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 was probably an ordinary day to the rest of the world, but to the Mets it sparked a new era in Queens.

Wright made the start at the hot corner and shined defensively, but wore the collar at the plate. However, the next day after getting his feet wet, the then 21-year-old went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

The Mets went on to finish the ’04 campaign with a 71-91 record, and shipped off their top pitching prospect Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano, but brighter days were still on the horizon in Flushing.

The iconic catch

Showing off his defensive prowess, Wright made headlines and highlight reels for years to come with an incredible over the shoulder catch on Aug. 9, 2005 at Petco Park in San Diego against the Friars.

With outfielder Brian Giles at the plate against Dae-Sung Koo, Giles punched a ball the opposite way and sawed off his bat. It was no sweat for Wright, who backtracked, stuck his bare right hand in the air over his shoulder and made the grab.

Even the Padres fans were applauding the terrific play!

Home Run Derby against division rival Ryan Howard

After signing outfielder Carlos Beltran and ace Pedro Martinez in free agency that winter, combined with adding catcher Paul Lo Duca, first baseman Carlos Delgado, closer Billy Wagner among other supplementary pieces the following offseason, the new look Mets went into the 2006 season like a bunch of superheroes.

That year, they touted six All-Stars, including Wright, who went on to square off against Philadelphia Phillies bopper Ryan Howard in the Home Run Derby at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Howard just edged out David Wright with the former having 23 overall and five in the final round, compared to Wright’s 22 overall and four in the finals.

While Wright would come up short in the Derby, what he did the next day was special.

Wright homers in first All-Star Game at-bat

At the All-Star Game one day later, Wright got the starting nod at the hot corner and took his first cuts at the plate in the bottom of the second inning.

With former Met Kenny Rogers, now of the Detroit Tigers on the hill, Wright took the lefty deep to left field to knot the game up at one apiece.

Wright went 1-for-3 at the plate, while fellow Met Carlos Beltran went 2-for-4 with a double and stolen base, though ultimately the National League All-Stars lost 3-2.

Wright holds the distinction, along with Lee Mazzilli as the only two Mets to ever homer in an All-Star Game. The latter did it in 1979 coming off the bench for the first pinch hit long ball in All-Star Game history.

Wright walks off Mariano Rivera and Yankees

This actually took place two months before Wright’s Home Run Derby excursion and subsequent All-Star Game dinger, but it is one that is forever engrained in the minds of Mets fans.

What could be better? A clutch late inning performance at home against the cross town rival Yankees to send fans home happy. Wright did just that.

With the game locked at a 6-6 stalemate going into the bottom of the ninth, Paul Lo Duca doubled off Yankees lockdown closer Mariano Rivera, which set the table for the Mets budding young third baseman.

Wright then launched a ball to dead central that just evaded Johnny Damon‘s glove and gave the Mets a 7-6 victory.

Mets win National League East in 2006

While a collective effort, there will be nothing like seeing these guys celebrate on the field after their no sweat win against the Marlins to send them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

Seeing Wright and Jose Reyes pop bottles of champagne and smoke cigars after the win made everyone think a dynasty was ahead with the young studs. While it wasn’t, the ’06 season will always be memorable.

Wright walks off Heath Bell and Padres

It would be an understatement to say how crushing the Mets’ loss in the 2006 NLCS was, followed by catastrophic collapses in 2007 and 2008, but there were some fun moments along the way.

On Aug. 7, 2008, Wright sent Mets fans home smiling from ear to ear with a walk off home run against former Met Heath Bell and the San Diego Padres.

Wright’s World Baseball Classic heroics

Wright had two iconic moments for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, the first of which came in 2009 with a walk-off hit against Puerto Rico to advance to the championship bracket:

And the second came with a grand slam in the 2013 World Baseball Classic against Italy:

Contract extension

After the 2007 and 2008 collapses to end the era of Shea Stadium on a sour note, the 2009 Mets had renewed hope in their pristine new home Citi Field, but were plagued with injuries and limped to a 70-92 finish as their near miss in 2006 drifted further away.

General manager Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel were canned after the 2010 season and replaced by the savvy Sandy Alderson and baseball lifer Terry Collins. However, some rough years were ahead as the Mets decided to rebuild amidst some tough financial times from the Wilpons who were caught up in a ponzi scheme with Bernie Madoff.

Carlos Beltran was traded away before the trade deadline in 2011 and stud shortstop Jose Reyes left via free agency for the division rival Miami Marlins that winter.

Wright was set to hit free agency the next winter, but instead signed a seven-year, $138 million deal to stay in Queens.

Wright acknowledged both the good and the bad times in Flushing, but put his faith in the team that they could build a winner and took a leap of faith to stay put.

O Captain, My Captain!

Shortly thereafter, at the conclusion of a Spring Training game the following March, Wright was announced as the captain of the Mets.

Wright became the fourth captain in team history, after Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez and John Franco, and the first since Franco left after the 2004 season. Since Wright’s retirement. the Mets have not named another captain.

Unlike captains before him, Wright did not wear the capital “C” on his uniform.

“Let me just say, this is one of the proudest days of my career so far,” Wright said in the press conference below.

Wright becomes all-time Mets hits leader

Let’s backup just a moment to right before his contract extension and captaincy.

At the end of the 2012 season, Wright stood alone as the team’s all-time hits leader, after he singled in a September game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, surpassing Ed Kranepool.

Wright would go on to become the Mets leader in plate appearances (6872), hits (1777), doubles (390), RBI (970) walks (762) and position player fWAR (52.0). (H/T Mathew Brownstein of MetsMerized).

Wright returns to Mets lineup with thunder

Unfortunately for Wright, the longevity of the deal didn’t carry over to the longevity of his body.

After 134 games played in 2014, Wright was diagnosed with a degenerative back disorder, spinal stenosis, early on in the 2015 campaign.

Wright missed a majority of the season, but worked his way back to return in late August in the midst of a pennant race.

In what would turn out to be an offensive explosion and the Mets cranking eight taters overall en route to a 16-7 beatdown over the Philadelphia Phillies, Wright started it all off with a no doubt home run in the second inning in his first at bat since April.

Wright’s World Series homer

From the trade deadline on, the Mets powered to a division title, and ultimately a World Series appearance, thanks to some great pitching and offensive breakouts from Daniel Murphy and newly minted Met Yoenis Cespedes.

But to see Wright gear up to appear in his first World Series ever was special. Through slogging through years of heartache, near misses and a rebuild, Wright finally got to be see the bright lights of the Fall Classic.

While the Mets lost in five games, Wright’s home run and four RBI in their lone win in Game 3 made Citi Field erupt in a way that was reminiscent of the Shea days.

Wright’s farewell

Well, the injuries ended up getting the best of David Wright, and after trying to work his way back after injury shortened ’15 and ’16 seasons and a completely sidelined ’17 season, Wright was able to suit up for a final weekend send off at the end of the 2018 season.

I was lucky enough to soak in the festivities in person, and wrote an article that night to document what I had just experienced. Please read the full write up, here.

Wright proclaimed that it was love between him and the fans and his time with the organization after a 1-0 extra innings win.

The tears flowed as Wright and Reyes took the field on the left side of the infield one last time, and again when he was removed midgame for a standing ovation.

The tribute videos and speech after the victory were enough to elicit a wide range of emotions, from happiness, excitement and nostalgia, to sadness and disappointment that such a wonderful human being and player didn’t get to ride down the Canyon of Heroes.