David Wright was honored by the New York Mets with an induction into their Hall of Fame and the retirement of his No. 5 jersey. His journey in Major League Baseball began on July 21, 2004. After impressive early seasons with a batting average of .301, 222 home runs, and 876 RBIs, injuries limited his play significantly. He reflected on his career, acknowledging it was not the storybook ending many desire but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play. The ceremony concluded with a crowd celebration at Citi Field.
I went straight from the airport to the ballpark and I couldn't wait to see what number I was going to be. That spring I was 72, and I would have been perfectly happy with 72. But later on I found out that Charlie Samuels, the old equipment guy, gave me 5 because of Brooks Robinson and George Brett.
There was nothing that I could do to do the thing anymore. It took a while for my brain and my heart to kind of match up with that. But I think that very, very few athletes get the ending that they want -- that storybook ending.
It's better than 99% of what athletes get and I'll forever be thankful for getting that opportunity.
Wright, emerging from the third base side of Citi Field, walked to a gold-plated third base, stood atop the bag and blew kisses to the sellout crowd.
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