Mets legend David Wright talks spring training and his Hall of Fame chances
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright remembers the feeling of being inundated with information from all angles during his playing career with the New York Mets.
The Mets iconic third baseman, who arrived for his daily appearance at spring training in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, does not want to be a distraction to this year's team. But the seven-time All-Star is also willing to serve the needs of president of baseball operations David Stearns and new manager Carlos Mendoza.
"I'm very thankful that I had the opportunity that I had for so long to put this uniform on," said Wright, who spent 18 years in the Mets organization, including 14 as a big-league player. "Not many players get to experience being drafted out of high school, developed in the minor leagues and then be at the big league level for as long as I did on the same team.
"If there's anything whether it's on the baseball side, the business side, the sponsorship side that I can help with, I told them to just let me know."
As for being more involved within the Mets, Stearns asked during an offseason phone call whether there was anything Wright would be interested in doing. Wright, however, feels perfectly content in remaining removed and helping out on his daughters' softball and soccer teams.
"The people that he hired and himself, I think he was here this morning at 6 o’clock. I joked with him, but you lead by example," Wright said. "That's how you do it. If you’re here early and you're the last one to leave, and obviously he's got the reputation as one of the brightest minds in the game, so I’ve got full confidence in that with or without me."
As David Wright returned, here are some of his thoughts on the third base situation, Hall of Fame and the state of the team:
David Wright stays on Hall of Fame ballot
When Wright received the letter that he would be appearing on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, it immediately went on the wall in his office.
The former Mets third baseman finished with 6.8% of the vote in his first - more than the necessary 5 percent needed to ensure he would remain on the ballot for at least one more year.
"It was awesome, incredible honor and something I don't take lightly," Wright said. "To be able to stay on means the world to me, and just humbling, I think is the first word that comes to mind."
Wright said that until recently he had not thought about his own Hall of Fame candidacy. The lifelong Met holds club records in hits (1,777), runs (949) and RBI (970).
"I've never really even thought about because when I put this uniform on a daily basis, it was genuinely, yes, we did it for a living and we were compensated handsomely for doing that, but I enjoyed it. I loved it," Wright said. "I tried to take that same mindset that I had when I was a kid putting my uniform on literally Saturday mornings, it’s the same mindset that I had trying to put this uniform on a daily basis for the New York Mets."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets legend David Wright on Hall of Fame chances, spring training
