David Wright spoke with Joel Sherman of the New York Post very honestly about the struggles he’s endured over the last few years, having spent large chunks away from the game because of a multitude of injuries highlighted by a chronic back condition, spinal stenosis.
Wright said the following about his walk into the clubhouse every day and how he days in camp go:
“I come in here and my uniform is completely brand new,” Wright said, literally touching the No. 5 in his locker. “You see everyone else putting on a uniform and playing. There is excitement in their voices. I go and do rehab to try to put myself in the best position to play.”
“The mental part of coming in and knowing you bring nothing to the table as far as helping the team get ready for the season and helping the team win, for me, is the hardest part; as hard as physical part of the rehab process.”4
He also continues by talking about some potential regrets he has now:
“As time passes and you spend all this time rehabbing, you sit and think what if I had done this or that. What if when I originally fractured my back, I had just come out of that game and not played for the next month? But then you think it wasn’t a fault of mine or anybody. You just do things. I was lucky to play as long as I did as healthy as I did.”
Those are just a few quotes from the article that is definitely worth a read.
However, these quotes are just painful to read. As a guy that became a Mets fan in 2007 and grew up with David Wright being my favorite player, it doesn’t get more heartbreaking than this.
He has gone through such a struggle to get back on the field, that hearing these comments that sound somewhat defeated just can’t make anyone feel good. The 35-year old has been such an easy player to root for throughout his career.
I think we can all admire the resilience Wright continues to show, though, in his attempt to get back on the field. He puts in as much work into getting himself in shape to get on the field.
If you want to talk about working for your dreams, this guy has certainly done that regardless of whether he ultimately gets back on the field or not.
