David Wright immortalized: Mets retire #5 and induct him into the Hall

In an emotional ceremony, the New York Mets immortalized David Wright in their Hall of Fame and retired his number 5, almost two decades after his debut in the Major Leagues.

A legendary number

Wright, visibly emotional, recalled the moment he found out he would wear the number 5. “I went straight from the airport to the stadium and couldn’t wait to see what number I was going to have,” Wright commented. “That spring I had 72, and I would have been perfectly happy with 72. But then I found out that Charlie Samuels, the former equipment manager, gave me the 5 for Brooks Robinson and George Brett,” he added. The third baseman, who debuted against the Montreal Expos on July 21, 2004, seemed poised to join Robinson and Brett in the Hall of Fame. In his first 10 seasons, he batted .301 with 222 home runs, 876 RBIs, and an OPS of .888. However, chronic injuries to his back, shoulder, and neck, in addition to a diagnosis of spinal stenosis, limited his participation to only 211 more games.

There was nothing I could do to keep playing.

David Wright

Wright, the most recent captain of the Mets and the only player in team history to have his number retired after spending his entire career with the club, expressed his gratitude during a speech that capped a half-hour ceremony.

Wright, emerging from the third base side of Citi Field, walked towards a gold-plated third base, stood on the pad, and blew kisses to the crowd. A plane taking off from nearby LaGuardia Airport ascended into view moments after his number 5 was revealed above the left field seats. The 42-year-old father of three, praised throughout his career for his ability to connect with stars and ordinary people, as well as for his appreciation for Mets history, mentioned the late media relations executive Shannon Dalton Forde and the 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 throughout his career.

If you had told a young David Wright to close his eyes and imagine this day, he would have said you’re crazy, no way, impossible.

David Wright

Wright is the 35th member of the Mets Hall of Fame and the eleventh person 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 number 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball.