It was an emotional night for Mets legend David Wright, who took the field on Saturday for what may well be his last career appearance in the majors. With a sold-out crowd already on their feet, Wright walked out to the field before the rest of the team and took a moment to salute the fans. He was followed by Jose Reyes, who also took a moment to himself before the rest of the team joined the pair on the field. According to Elias Sports, it marked the 878th time Wright and Reyes shared the field together, the most by any two players in franchise history.
After receiving the ceremonial first pitch from his two-year-old daughter, Olivia Shea, Wright made it through the first inning without a single ball hit in his direction. In the bottom of the inning, Jose Reyes led off with a double to right, and Jeff McNeill bunted him over to third to give Wright a one-out, man-on-third opportunity for his first at-bat of the night. Wright worked a full count against Marlins right-hander Trevor Richards before taking a walk, but was quickly removed from the basepaths after Michael Conforto grounded into an inning-ending double play.
In the second, Wright finally got a chance to show off his glovework as Bryan Holaday grounded out to third to bring the top of the inning to a close. His final at-bat didn’t arrive until the fourth inning, however, and he inked his last line in the Mets’ history books after skying a pop-up into foul territory on a 1-0 pitch from Richards. He returned to the field in the fifth for a ceremonial farewell to his teammates and fans, all of whom appeared to be standing and chanting as he tipped his cap one final time.
It was a moment — an evening — that had the captain in tears.
After battling multiple back, shoulder, and neck injuries over the last several years, the veteran third baseman is expected to cap his 14-season career with seven All-Star nominations, two Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, and a lifetime .296/.376/.491 batting line, 970 home runs, .867 OPS, and 52.2 fWAR. Wright won’t take the field again when the Mets play their last game of the season on Sunday, but suffice to say, there was no better way to send off one of the most decorated players in team history.