David Wright epitomized role of captain, former Mets manager Terry Collins recalls
David Wright and manager Terry Collins of the Mets stand in the outfield during workout day at Citi Field on Oct. 4, 2016. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Ahead of what will be a landmark day Saturday, former Mets manager Terry Collins settled into his old digs inside Citi Field’s news conference room Friday afternoon.
Collins was there for one reason: David Wright.
The former Mets captain and the franchise’s all-time hits leader will get his No. 5 retired before Saturday’s 4:10 p.m. game against the Reds; fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 3:15.
Collins, 76, who managed the Mets from 2011-17, was asked if he could point to one thing about Wright that stood out. His answer flashed back to Aug. 24, 2015 — Wright’s long-awaited return after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis earlier in the season.
“I still go back to the experience I had when he was hurt, and he came back in Philadelphia,” Collins said. “And he showed us his true colors, why we named him captain, why he’s the person he is, because he put the team first. It wasn’t about him.
“He was the captain. He came back, and the first thing he said is, ‘I just want to help. You’re playing great. The guys who are playing my position are playing really good. You can do whatever you want with me. You want to hit me eighth, hit me eighth. You want to pinch-hit me, pinch-hit me. I just want to be a part of this team, and I’ve been watching and I want to help.’
“And I said, ‘Well, you’re going to help tonight because you’re going to hit [fourth].’ And what does he do? Hits a homer his first time up. And that personifies who he is. It’s always been about the team, never been about just David Wright.”
Wright told the same story in SNY’s “The Wright Way” documentary that premiered Thursday night. He will become the 10th Met to have his number retired and the first to have spent his entire career with the organization.
Collins added that Wright’s home run upon his return and his homer in Game 3 of the 2015 World Series — the first World Series homer at Citi Field — gave him a feeling that he had never had before in which “goose bumps just ran up your arms about how excited you were for a guy.”
If not for the injuries that took a toll on Wright’s career, he could have been on a Hall of Fame path. Collins recognized that.
“I talked to him yesterday and I said, ‘You don’t get hurt, we’re going to be talking about [Cooperstown],’ ” Collins said. “ . . . He was just happy to do what he could do as long as he could do it.”
Current Mets manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned a buzz in the air as it relates to Wright.
“You could feel it walking to the ballpark, seeing some familiar faces,” Mendoza said. “We got two former managers sitting here. This is a pretty special weekend for us as a team, as an organization, to celebrate an incredible person, incredible player, a guy that means so much to this organization.”
Calendars have been marked since the Mets announced Saturday’s festivities on Jan. 6. In just hours, No. 5 will officially be cemented in Mets lore.
“Enjoy tomorrow,” Collins said before walking away. “It’s going to be a special day.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
