Mets induct Wright into team HOF, retire No. 5

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets inducted David Wright into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 5 connected Saturday -- astir 21 years aft his large league debut.

"I went consecutive from the airdrome to the ballpark and I couldn't hold to spot what fig I was going to be," Wright said astatine a property league Saturday. "That outpouring I was 72, and I would person been perfectly blessed with 72.

"But aboriginal connected I recovered retired that Charlie Samuels, the aged instrumentality guy, gave maine 5 due to the fact that of Brooks Robinson and George Brett."

Wright, who debuted against the Montreal Expos connected July 21, 2004, appeared to beryllium connected way to articulation Robinson and Brett arsenic a Hall of Fame 3rd baseman erstwhile helium deed .301 with 222 homers, 876 RBIs and an .888 OPS done his archetypal 10 seasons.

But Wright played conscionable 211 much games portion battling chronic back, enarthrosis and cervix injuries arsenic good arsenic a diagnosis of spinal stenosis. He went much than 2 years betwixt large league appearances earlier concluding his vocation with a brace of cameos successful September 2018.

"There was thing that I could bash to bash the happening anymore," Wright said. "It took a portion for my encephalon and my bosom to benignant of lucifer up with that. But I deliberation that very, precise fewer athletes get the ending that they privation -- that storybook ending. I surely wouldn't telephone excavation a storybook ending, but it's amended than 99% of what athletes get and I'll everlastingly beryllium thankful for getting that opportunity."

Wright, the Mets' astir caller skipper and the lone subordinate successful squad past to person his fig retired aft spending his full vocation with the club, expressed his gratitude passim a code that capped a half-hour ceremonial emceed by broadcaster Howie Rose.

Wright, emerging from the 3rd basal broadside of Citi Field, walked to a gold-plated 3rd base, stood atop the container and blew kisses to the sellout crowd. In an due Mets touch, a level taking disconnected from adjacent LaGuardia ascended into presumption moments aft his No. 5 was unveiled precocious supra the near tract seats.

The 42-year-old joined begetter of three, praised passim his vocation for his quality to link with stars and mundane radical alike arsenic good arsenic his appreciation of Mets history, mentioned precocious media relations enforcement Shannon Dalton Forde and precocious squad lensman Marc Levine during his quality conference.

Near the extremity of his speech, helium besides thanked the Wilpon family, who owned the squad his full career.

"If you would person told a young David Wright to adjacent his eyes and ideate this day, I would person said you're crazy, nary way, impossible," said Wright, a Virginia autochthonal who grew up rooting for the Mets portion attending their Triple-A games successful Tidewater. "And past I would person went retired successful my backyard successful Virginia and deed disconnected a homemade tee with balls that were falling isolated astatine the seams until it got acheronian extracurricular to beryllium you right.

"Thank you truthful overmuch for allowing maine to unrecorded retired my imagination successful beforehand of you each night. I emotion you truthful much. Let's spell Mets."

Wright is the 35th subordinate of the Mets' Hall of Fame and the 11th idiosyncratic to person his fig retired, joining managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges arsenic good arsenic Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden arsenic good arsenic Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired passim Major League Baseball.