David’s Arrival
Born and raised in Virginia, David Wright burst into the baseball world with his stellar play for Hickory High School. Wright earned All-State honors in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and was named the Gatorade Virginia High School Player of the Year for the 2001 season. He finished his high school career with a .438 average.
Though Wright planned to continue his career at Georgia Tech University, he was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2001 MLB Draft. Wright chose to pursue professional baseball immediately.
Wright made his Major League debut on July 21st, 2004 against the Montreal Expos. He collected his first career hit the following day, and has been the everyday third baseman for the Mets ever since.
David Makes a Spectacular Catch
By the end of 2005, David Wright had already emerged as a bona fide star in New York. David would finish the campaign batting .306/.388/.523 with twenty-seven home runs and 102 RBI in 160 games- but the highlight of his season was made with the leather.
Can a Catch be Considered a Web Gem Without a Glove?
In the seventh inning of a late-August matchup with the San Diego Padres, Brian Giles hit a weak blooper into short left field. It appeared that the ball would drop gently in front of Cliff Floyd for a base hit, but David Wright did not oblige.
Wright sprinted toward the ball full throttle, making a desperate effort to reel it in. As the ball hurriedly began to descend, it became evident that Wright was not properly positioned to make the play. Again, this would not stop him.
Wright went on to leap toward the action and extend – with this bare hand – for the baseball. Miraculously, he came down with the ball and capped off a phenomenal effort.
David was helped up by his teammates, Floyd and Jose Reyes (time flies), and was met with a chorus of smiles. As always, Wright’s hustle shined through.
Retro GIF: David Wright’s bare-handed catch against the Padres on 8/9/2005 (three different angles). http://t.co/NOKlJG1sfa
— Eric Simon (@AmazinAvenue) June 18, 2013
Wright’s unorthodox snag prompted a raucous round of applause from the sellout crowd at PETCO Park.
Reaction
In an interview with MLB.com, Wright’s teammate Doug Mientkiewicz said he urged the third baseman to “…Go play defense without a glove. You’ll probably do a better job.”
Naturally, Wright stayed nonchalant about the play.
“It was over my right shoulder,” he described. “I couldn’t reach it with my glove, so I took a stab at it.”
Unfortunately, the catch came in an 8-3 loss for the Mets.
“We could have really blown it up if we’d won,” Cliff Floyd told reporters. “Great catch… He’ll probably get an ESPY for it.”
Still, Wright’s grab garnered appropriate attention. The catch went on to be named the MLB.com Play of the Year.
In a career with seven All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, a 30-30 season, and a World Series appearance, David Wright’s legacy can be summed up by one play in San Diego.
Sources: MLB.com, Baseball-Reference
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