Mets’ Captain Takes His Career Curtain Call

I'm not crying, you're crying.

I am an Atlanta Braves fan. Have been for as long as I can remember and yet, I got all the feels watching one of the all-time great New York Mets get his much-deserved farewell at a sold out Citi Field. David Wright is the face of the franchise for the millennial generation and his name will stay in the record books as the leader in most major offensive statistical categories for a long time. He is the captain in every sense of the word.

Let's get any negatives out of the way. There aren't many so this won't take long. No, David Wright did not bring a World Series championship to Queens. Yes, he's struggled to stay healthy and to be a factor for this team over the last three to four years. I am the farthest thing from an "oh, what could have been" fan. The injuries are an absolute shame. They robbed Wright of what might have been a Hall of Fame career. But, now the positives. No one else will ever wear the number 5 in the history of the Mets. Wright refused to be anything by the silver lining in any ugly Mets season and the driving force behind any successful year for the team.

On Saturday night, I could not take my eyes off the tv. Leaning in for both at-bats Wright took and any possibility we might see him field a ball at third base. (He saw one grounder and handled it cleanly). Wright took the field in the top of the fifth inning only to be replaced to receive a hero's farewell. As the packed house roared with approval and appreciation, Wright said his thank yous to teammates on the field and lined up outside the dugout, family and friends in the stands and to fans. I admit, even I got choked up. Maybe it was a wave of nostalgia pouring over me because of the class act Wright has proven himself to be. Maybe it was the satisfaction of seeing someone's hard work pay off to get back from multiple career-threatening injuries for one final game. Either way, it was my own recognition of Wright's impact on the sport and my own appreciation for greatness.