David Wright, Mets celebrate ‘unbreakable bond' with number retirement

New York Times

20-07-2025

NEW YORK — As he neared the end of his nine-minute speech Saturday, having watched his No. 5 take up permanent residence on Citi Field's left-field facade, David Wright turned to his three kids on his left.
'My three wonderful kids often use the term 'for real life' when on occasion they're telling the truth,' Wright said. 'To borrow their term, this sure doesn't feel like for real life.'
Advertisement
Wright became the eighth player in team history to have his number retired — and the first who never wore another uniform. Saturday's party for 5 (and of a sellout crowd of 42,605) had been inevitable in these parts for years — dating to before the New York Mets relaxed their standards for retiring numbers, to his unforgettable last night at Citi Field, to before Wright's playing career even neared its end. There was never going to be another No. 5 in blue and orange.
Early in the ceremony, the Citi Field scoreboard presented a video titled 'The Wright Blueprint,' and during his speech, Wright himself outlined the steps it takes to become this kind of professional baseball player — you know, generalizable concepts like being born to Rhon and Elisa Wright and growing up with three ultracompetitive younger brothers consistently pushing you to get better at everything you do.
But indeed, Wright is a blueprint for the Mets — the model for what this franchise could be at its best. How do you build a baseball superstar? Start with a kid who grew up rooting for your team even though he lived five states and 350 miles away. Instill in him a work ethic and a preternatural professionalism, one that permitted a person who still says (as Wright did Saturday) he's uncomfortable in the spotlight to never once come across that way in New York City. Promote a genuine humility that fuels self-improvement, season after season, and sets an example for all to follow. Oh, and make sure he's really good at baseball.
Wright comprehensively checked those boxes over 14 big-league seasons. For anyone who entered the Mets organization after Wright, he was the archetype.
'He was The Guy you wanted to be like,' said Brandon Nimmo, the only active Met who played with Wright. 'To be able to have that relationship in this game with the fans is something special.'
Advertisement
That relationship is hard-earned. These are fans who challenge you, their affection not given easily or unconditionally. That much was clear when a 55-43 team earned their ire on multiple occasions in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, its defensive miscues and offensive shortcomings inspiring plenty of booing from hometown faithful.
To earn their love — and that indeed is what Wright accomplished over his career with the Mets — takes daily devotion to the craft. Wright began forging that relationship before he even knew it.
From his youth in southeastern Virginia, a short drive from the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk at the time, Wright embraced all that the Mets were and are — and all that they could be. (Who else would dare thank the Wilpons the way Wright did in front of a sellout crowd?) The Mets were never second fiddle, never the younger brother. (The oldest of four would never.)
And so for a generation of Mets fans, Wright will forever be the standard — the player who sparked their appreciation of, their devotion to, their obsession with the Mets. No players may wear No. 5 ever again, but spend a summer weeknight at Citi Field, and you'll see a hundred of those jerseys, in plain white or pinstripes, in black or blue.
He could spark that fandom because he understood its heart.
'I view this as an incredible, organic relationship between me and my family and the city, the organization, the fan base,' he said Saturday. 'To me, the Mets' fan base is a blue-collar, bring-your-lunch-pail-to-work kind of fan base. That's how I tried to approach the game each day. I think that's why the relationship with the Mets fan base has become so special.'
Thank you, Captain. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/K1hRvmiI2X
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 19, 2025
Back when he played his last game for the Mets in 2018, Wright struggled with the finality of it.
'I can't sit here and tell you that I'm good with where I'm at right now,' he said seven years ago. 'I'm at peace with the work and the time and the effort and dedication I put into this. But I'm certainly not at peace with the end result.'
Advertisement
He's found that peace since, he said Saturday, his heart and his brain coming to terms with what his body had dictated. And a large part of that process was understanding what that last game signified.
'To me, that meant the world,' Wright said to the crowd Saturday. 'That night, I fully realized the extent of the relationship I'd developed with the city of New York and particularly this fan base.
'We have truly formed something extraordinary in this game — an 18-year-old kid from Virginia having the privilege of being a lifelong Met and developing an unbreakable bond with the best fan base in baseball.'
An unbreakable bond and an immortal legacy. He said that last game felt like yesterday. And Saturday? 'Like the feeling you get when you come home from a long trip.'
Earlier in the day, Wright talked about conclusions.
'Very few athletes get the ending they want — that storybook ending,' he said. 'I certainly wouldn't call mine a storybook ending, but it's better than 99 percent of athletes get.'
Storybook? Not quite.
This was for real life.