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CBS News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Mets induct David Wright into team Hall of Fame, retire No. 5
The New York Mets inducted David Wright into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 5 on Saturday — nearly 21 years after his big league debut. "I went straight from the airport to the ballpark and I couldn't wait to see what number I was going to be," Wright said at a press conference Saturday. "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." Wright, who debuted against the Montreal Expos on July 21, 2004, appeared to be on track to join Robinson and Brett as a Hall of Fame third baseman when he hit .301 with 222 homers, 876 RBIs and an .888 OPS through his first 10 seasons. But Wright played just 211 more games while battling chronic back, shoulder and neck injuries as well as a diagnosis of spinal stenosis. He went more than two years between big league appearances before concluding his career with a pair of cameos in September 2018. "There was nothing that I could do to do the thing anymore," Wright said. "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. I certainly wouldn't call mine a storybook ending, but it's better than 99% of what athletes get and I'll forever be thankful for getting that opportunity." Wright, the Mets' most recent captain and the only player in team history to have his number retired after spending his entire career with the club, expressed his gratitude throughout a speech that capped a half-hour ceremony emceed by broadcaster Howie Rose. 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. In an appropriate Mets touch, a plane taking off from nearby LaGuardia ascended into view moments after his No. 5 was unveiled high above the left field seats. The 42-year-old married father of three, praised throughout his career for his ability to connect with stars and everyday people alike as well as his appreciation of Mets history, mentioned late media relations executive Shannon Dalton Forde and late team photographer Marc Levine during his press conference. Near the end of his speech, he also thanked the Wilpon family, who owned the team his entire career. "If you would have told a young David Wright to close his eyes and imagine this day, I would have said you're crazy, no way, impossible," said Wright, a Virginia native who grew up rooting for the Mets while attending their Triple-A games in Tidewater. "And then I would have went out in my backyard in Virginia and hit off a homemade tee with balls that were falling apart at the seams until it got dark outside to prove you right. "Thank you so much for allowing me to live out my dream in front of you each night. I love you so much. Let's go Mets." Wright is the 35th member of the Mets' Hall of Fame and the 11th individual to have his number retired, joining managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges as well as Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden as well as Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball.
Washington Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Mets induct David Wright into team Hall of Fame, retire No. 5
NEW YORK — The New York Mets inducted David Wright into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 5 on Saturday — nearly 21 years after his big league debut. 'I went straight from the airport to the ballpark and I couldn't wait to see what number I was going to be,' Wright said at a press conference Saturday. '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.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets induct David Wright into team Hall of Fame, retire No. 5
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets inducted David Wright into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 5 on Saturday — nearly 21 years after his big league debut. 'I went straight from the airport to the ballpark and I couldn't wait to see what number I was going to be,' Wright said at a press conference Saturday. '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.' Wright, who debuted against the Montreal Expos on July 21, 2004, appeared to be on track to join Robinson and Brett as a Hall of Fame third baseman when he hit .301 with 222 homers, 876 RBIs and an .888 OPS through his first 10 seasons. But Wright played just 211 more games while battling chronic back, shoulder and neck injuries as well as a diagnosis of spinal stenosis. He went more than two years between big league appearances before concluding his career with a pair of cameos in September 2018. 'There was nothing that I could do to do the thing anymore,' Wright said. '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. I certainly wouldn't call mine a storybook ending, but it's better than 99% of what athletes get and I'll forever be thankful for getting that opportunity.' Wright, the Mets' most recent captain and the only player in team history to have his number retired after spending his entire career with the club, expressed his gratitude throughout a speech that capped a half-hour ceremony emceed by broadcaster Howie Rose. 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. In an appropriate Mets touch, a plane taking off from nearby LaGuardia ascended into view moments after his No. 5 was unveiled high above the left field seats. The 42-year-old married father of three, praised throughout his career for his ability to connect with stars and everyday people alike as well as his appreciation of Mets history, mentioned late media relations executive Shannon Dalton Forde and late team photographer Marc Levine during his press conference. Near the end of his speech, he also thanked the Wilpon family, who owned the team his entire career. 'If you would have told a young David Wright to close his eyes and imagine this day, I would have said you're crazy, no way, impossible,' said Wright, a Virginia native who grew up rooting for the Mets while attending their Triple-A games in Tidewater. 'And then I would have went out in my backyard in Virginia and hit off a homemade tee with balls that were falling apart at the seams until it got dark outside to prove you right. 'Thank you so much for allowing me to live out my dream in front of you each night. I love you so much. Let's go Mets.' Wright is the 35th member of the Mets' Hall of Fame and the 11th individual to have his number retired, joining managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges as well as Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden as well as Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Mets induct David Wright into team Hall of Fame, retire No. 5
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets inducted David Wright into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 5 on Saturday — nearly 21 years after his big league debut. 'I went straight from the airport to the ballpark and I couldn't wait to see what number I was going to be,' Wright said at a press conference Saturday. '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.' Wright, who debuted against the Montreal Expos on July 21, 2004, appeared to be on track to join Robinson and Brett as a Hall of Fame third baseman when he hit .301 with 222 homers, 876 RBIs and an .888 OPS through his first 10 seasons. But Wright played just 211 more games while battling chronic back, shoulder and neck injuries as well as a diagnosis of spinal stenosis. He went more than two years between big league appearances before concluding his career with a pair of cameos in September 2018. 'There was nothing that I could do to do the thing anymore,' Wright said. '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. I certainly wouldn't call mine a storybook ending, but it's better than 99% of what athletes get and I'll forever be thankful for getting that opportunity.' Wright, the Mets' most recent captain and the only player in team history to have his number retired after spending his entire career with the club, expressed his gratitude throughout a speech that capped a half-hour ceremony emceed by broadcaster Howie Rose. 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. In an appropriate Mets touch, a plane taking off from nearby LaGuardia ascended into view moments after his No. 5 was unveiled high above the left field seats. The 42-year-old married father of three, praised throughout his career for his ability to connect with stars and everyday people alike as well as his appreciation of Mets history, mentioned late media relations executive Shannon Dalton Forde and late team photographer Marc Levine during his press conference. Near the end of his speech, he also thanked the Wilpon family, who owned the team his entire career. 'If you would have told a young David Wright to close his eyes and imagine this day, I would have said you're crazy, no way, impossible,' said Wright, a Virginia native who grew up rooting for the Mets while attending their Triple-A games in Tidewater. 'And then I would have went out in my backyard in Virginia and hit off a homemade tee with balls that were falling apart at the seams until it got dark outside to prove you right. 'Thank you so much for allowing me to live out my dream in front of you each night. I love you so much. Let's go Mets.' Wright is the 35th member of the Mets' Hall of Fame and the 11th individual to have his number retired, joining managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges as well as Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden as well as Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
17-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the MLB Tokyo Series, baseball's international opener for the Cubs and Dodgers
It's time to set our alarms, fantasy lineups and metaphysical expectations … because Major League Baseball is back in our lives. The season opener in Japan, showcasing the starry Chicago Cubs and even starrier Los Angeles Dodgers, catches American audiences early in the morning Tuesday (5 a.m. local time in Chicago and 3 a.m. in L.A.). Thus begins what Brooks Robinson called 'passion to the point of obsession,' and what Ebby LaLoosh realized to be 'a very simple game.' Advertisement Three of the four scheduled starters hail from Japan. Tuesday's matchup will be between Chicago's Shota Imanaga and LA's Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while fellow Dodger Roki Sasaki takes the bump Wednesday against Cubs southpaw Justin Steele. Before this year, the only Japanese players to throw an MLB pitch at the Tokyo Dome were Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima and Yusei Kikuchi. On the other side, at the plate, Japanese national and Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki is taking batting practice swings with a samurai sword. The defending champion Dodgers harbor colossal expectations for 2025. Not every World Series winner gets the chance to run it back with the same roster (our apologies, Marlins). Seldom few give it a go with a new ace pitcher added to the staff … let alone two. The Japanese phenom Sasaki and two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell both chose the blue and white this winter. They join an absolutely stacked squad with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and so many other solid contributors. The Cubs' offseason was headlined by the Kyle Tucker acquisition. It was one of the franchise's most aggressive moves in years. Tucker, who just turned 28, averaged 30 home runs, 104 RBI and 23 steals in his last three healthy seasons in Houston. He had 23 long balls across just 78 games in 2024, missing half the campaign with a shin fracture. Chicago also bolstered its pitching with fiery closer Ryan Pressly and veteran lefty Matt Boyd. The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts that both teams will win their respective divisions. Cubs beat writer Sahadev Sharma on Chicago's pitching: 'The Cubs continue to keep tabs on free-agent pitchers, checking in on Lance Lynn and others, but they're happy with their depth and don't appear to be on the verge of adding anyone to a major-league deal just yet. 'I think we're in a good place,' Counsell said of his pitching staff. 'Essentially because we're healthy. But we have nine games until (domestic) Opening Day. A lot can change between now and then. Something will happen, I'm sure.'' Last year's series: The Cubs won four of six meetings with the eventual World Series champs. They averaged a full seven runs per game. Last year's rankings: The Dodgers were second in runs, third in homers and fourth in batting average. They finished 13th in team ERA. The Cubs were 10th in ERA but fell below league averages in slugging and OPS. Advertisement Most win shares for both franchises (via Baseball Reference): Last five MLB All-Stars to wear both jerseys: Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki: Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images)
