Speaking at his own charity event, David Wright made it clear that all the work he is putting in to stay in shape is not for any other reason than a passion for the game and a desire to win.
“Health is extremely important, but I have to go out there and do what I’m capable of doing,” Wright said in an interview with Kevin Kernan of the NY Post.
“That’s just as much in the equation as staying healthy, playing well. This is not about being a feel-good story, we’re trying to win. There are no personal feel-good stories. There is a fire burning inside of me to succeed.”
The event was the 7th annual David Wright Vegas Night at the Virgina Beach Convention Center, which raises money for the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.
Also attending was long-time friend and former met Michael Cuddyer. Of Wright, he said, “Hey, I know when it’s time to retire. To succeed, first and foremost it’s a mindset. You’ve got to get yourself in the mindset that you are not going to go through the motions.”
“He’s in the mindset I’m not only going to prove myself right, I’m going to prove everybody else right that has stuck with me, that I am going out and battle. I’m going to do my best to get this team back to the World Series.”
Another person attending the event that knows Wright pretty well was his wife Molly, who said, “David is a fighter, he is so determined to get back on the field, literally he will do whatever it takes.”
“I’ve had people come up to me the last couple of weeks and ask: ‘Do you still play?’ That’s how little I’ve played,” said Wright. “This is the longest stretch I haven’t played baseball in my life.” Wright, 34, has managed to play in only 75 games over the past two seasons, batting .260/.365/.436 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs.
I can speak from my own experience in this case. I play baseball at Ithaca College and have torn the ACL in my right knee twice in the last three years. I have worked my way back and will be pitching again this season for a team that expects to win the Division III College World Series. People ask me why I went through so much rehab (so much) and my answer would be the same as Wright’s: I love the game and I want to win. He doesn’t want my sympathy, but he sure as hell gets my empathy.
David Wright, though, has gone through much more than just two ACL tears. Not only did he have neck surgery, not only is he dealing with a chronic issue of spinal stenosis, but he is under the scrutiny of the New York spotlight.
I am tremendously impressed with how he has carried himself under these circumstances and how perfectly he has said what he has wanted to say – He wants to win, and no herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or spotlight can stand in the way of him doing just that.
