It’s no secret that David Wright‘s career may be coming to an end in the near future. The diagnosis of chronic spinal stenosis highlighted a slew of injuries over the past few seasons. However, things began to look up. After Wright returned towards the end of the 2015 season and participated in the postseason, it seemed that The Captain would be able to manage his condition and salvage his career.
With the New York Mets on the brink of contending, Wright was nowhere to be found through the early part of the 2016 season, posting a .226/.350/.438 slash line. When it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse for the 33-year-old Virginia-native, Wright was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his neck and opted to have potentially season-ending surgery. The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Watkins, an orthopedic spine surgeon based in California, who also famously performed neck surgery on Peyton Manning.
August 7, 2008: New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres
In the wake of his most recent ailment, it’s time to forget Wright’s cloudy future and embrace the best moments of his career. The third baseman is arguably the best player in Mets franchise history, and is a borderline Hall of Famer. Over the next few weeks, we will look back on ten of the best moments of David Wright’s career, starting with his first career walk-off home-run against the San Diego Padres.
Wright Walks Off Against the Padres
Flash back to the 2008 season. David Wright was a 25-year-old emerging superstar. Fresh off the collapse of 2007, the Mets were a troubled team that needed any signs of life they could get. The night before, Wright had made a costly base-running blunder that prompted Mets manager Jerry Manuel to rest him the following day. Haing played in 112 of the last 113 games, Wright quietly talked Manuel out of benching him.
After another spoiled Johan Santana outing, the Mets were tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. With Endy Chavez on first base, Wright came up to face a former Met in Heath Bell. After taking a first-pitch slider outside the zone, Wright cracked the second consecutive slider over the left field fence. The Mets would win the game 5-3 on Wright’s first game-ending home run at any level. Wright rounded the bases with a relieved smile on his face and was mobbed at home plate by his teammates. The win was a major pick-me-up for the struggling Mets, who sat in third place at the time, three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
Following the winning effort, you would think David Wright would have taken a moment to relax, considering how emotionally draining this moment was. Instead, the future Captain hit the weight room, treating this game no differently than any other, despite the outcome. This was easily one of the brightest moments of David Wright’s career. Hitting a walk-off home run is one of the most adrenaline-filled moments in all of sports. Unfortunately, the Mets would go on to collapse once more, blowing a division lead and failing to force a one game playoff with the Milwaukee Brewers for the wildcard, on the last day of the season. However, this moment will forever remain a bright-spot during a dark time for the Mets.
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