When David Wright was the captain of the New York Mets, he was proud to go out everyday and wear the orange and blue colors that make up the Mets uniforms. Wright didn’t just wear the Mets jersey; he fully embraced it—his comments on his career and his joy in being a Met from start to finish demonstrated this. Baseball, however, meant much more to him than just the game. It was about passion, loyalty, and a deep love for a fan following that stuck by him through thick and bad. His emotional connection with the fans has always made them feel that they are an important part of his journey, and he has always acknowledged that they were and continue to be.

David Wright, born in Norfolk, Va, grew up a Mets fan and always wanted to put on a Mets uniform as a kid. The Norfolk Tides were affiliated with the New York Mets at the time, so that is where David grew his love for the Mets. It is a dream scenario for David Wright to have gotten drafted by his childhood team. One of Wright’s most moving quotes was, “Being a Met for life meant more to me than being a mercenary-type player.”

The word “rollercoaster” could be one to describe David Wright’s full MLB career with the mets. From successful, MVP caliber seasons to seasons that were decimated with injuries, David was able to experience it all with the same franchise. Seasons like 2015 and 2006 are ones you like to remember David for, as the team performed well when he performed well. He lead the teams to successful playoff runs in those years. Then there are other years you’d like to forget, such as 2011. David Wright suffered a stress fracture in his bac, holding him to playing 102 games out of 162. This specific injury led David Wright to eventually being diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2015. He never had a fully healthy season after 2011.

In 2015, David was out for the majority of the season with spinal stenosis. He only played 30 games, but he battled through pain to give everything he could for the Mets’ magical playoff run that year. The mets were able to make it to the World Series that year, and this was particularly special for David because it was the first World Series he was ever playing in. In game 3, David went up to bat in the 2nd inning while the Mets were down 1-0. Sure enough, David blasted a home run that sent the crowd into a frenzy. This home run is a classic memory for Mets fans because of the loyalty that David displayed throughout the years. How could you not jump for joy for David after all he had been through to try to have moments like that?

Mets fans, including myself, love to wonder what could have been if David could’ve stayed healthy for more seasons. His impact was truly felt, and his presence was missed when he was off the field. Injuries continued to haunt Wright until his retirement in 2018. Some would argue that David was well on his way to the Baseball Hall of Fame before the injuries. Wright just wasn’t able to play for long enough. The injuries brought his career to an early end. “If I were to sit here and play the what-if game, it would drive me crazy,” “Don’t think I haven’t thought about not trying to dive for Carlos Lee. It runs through my mind… It’s impossible to not think about things that might have gotten us to this point.” David said this while reflectingvon his career.

In 2018, David had a farewell tour that had Mets fans feeling sappy. It just didn’t feel right for him to be retiring so early. Mets fans knew he gave it his all to try to fight through pain to give the fans and the city what they deserved. On September 29th, 2018, David played his last game in front of a sold-out Citi Field crowd. It was a special night that was highly emotional. David left the field in tears while the crowd was roaring and chanting his name one final time.

David stuck with the Mets through good and bad times and never wanted to leave. That alone is enough to be able to receive endless amounts of love and support from a passionate fanbase such as New York’s. Although his career will always be looked back on as a “What-if,” plenty of people will remember his career as a loyal and dedicated one. He was a symbol of what it meant to play in New York. He represented a whole city. The Mets haven’t gave the captain label to anyone since David had retired, and there is a good reason. David Wright is immortalized in New York Mets history forever.