The New York Mets retired David Wright’s No. 5 jersey and inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Saturday.
To commemorate the honor, the Mets placed the third baseman’s No. 5 on the Home Run Apple behind Citi Field’s center field wall.
Wright became the 10th Mets player to have his number retired by the organization, joining team legends like Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza. He joined Tom Seaver as the only player to have his number retired and be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on the same day.
During his 14-year career in Queens, Wright became the Mets’ all-time leader in hits (1,777), singles (1,119), doubles (390) and RBI (970). His .296 batting average and 242 home runs rank third in franchise history. Named the fourth captain in team history in March 2013, Wright was a seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner.
“I never accomplished my goal of bringing a World Series back to Queens,” Wright said to the crowd during the ceremony, via CBS Sports. “But I promise you I gave it everything I had and wanted it just as badly as you did.”
“That night [of my final game],” he added, “I fully realized the extent of the relationship I had developed with the city of New York, and in particular this Mets fanbase.”
The Mets played in one World Series during his 14 seasons, losing in 2015 to the Kansas City Royals in five games. But by then, his career was near its end as Wright struggled with numerous back, neck and shoulder injuries. He batted .208/.240/.333 with one homer and four RBI in 24 at-bats.
Wright’s only other postseason run of note was in 2006, when the Mets advanced to the National League Championship Series and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. He batted .160/.176/.320 with a homer and two RBI. However, in a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, Wright hit .333/.385/.500 with four RBI.
He retired in 2018 after returning for one final game, playing four innings. Prior to that, Wright’s last action for the Mets was in 2016 when he appeared in 36 games.
Despite the lack of championship success during his career, Wright was beloved by Mets fans and was one of New York’s most popular athletes while the Yankees were winning division titles and a World Series.
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