In a 45-minute exclusive interview that premieres Tuesday – the same day his new book comes out – David Wright spoke with Mets radio play-by-play man Howie Rose about a multitude of topics spanning his career, post-baseball life, and the making of the book.
Perhaps one of the most poignant excerpts, though, was a four-minute discussion about two of the biggest home runs Wright ever hit, both coming in the 2015 season – one on August 24 in Philadelphia, in his first at-bat in over four months, and one in the World Series at Citi Field.
“I can count on one hand the number of calls I’ve made over the years where I could feel the goosebumps,” Rose told Wright, “and one of them was that homer at Citizens Bank Park.”
“Philly is a comfortable place for me, so it worked out well that’s where I came back, and I was horrendous on my rehab assignment – so bad that the kids in A-ball probably thought they were going to be seven-time all-stars at that point,” Wright said. “I had trouble in the field, and I think all my hits were cheap singles. I was questioning myself at that point, so it was kind of like here goes nothing.”
Wright hadn’t played in the Mets’ previous 115 games due to injury at that point, but a lot of Mets fans made the short trip to Philadelphia to see his return, and David was feeling the pressure.
“To stroll up to the plate and hear the ovation from the Mets fans there, and the welcome back from opposing players – it put my mind at ease a little, but I still wanted to prove that I deserved to be hitting fourth, and prove Terry (Collins) right, and let these guys I’m out here with know that I’m earning this playing time,” Wright said.
It didn’t take long to crush that pressure, though, as in his first at-bat of the night, with the Mets already facing a 3-0 deficit in the second inning, Wright took a 1-1 pitch from Adam Morgan and drilled it down the left field line for a mammoth solo home run.
“When the ball came off the bat, it was like this dreamy feeling; in BP I was trying to swing like 200 MPH, but that one was just nice and smooth,” Wright said. “When the middle of the bat hits the ball, it’s an effortless feeling and a sound you dream about. When the ball took off, this weight felt like it melted away. Not only did I make it back, I hit a home run in my first at-bat. So now, let’s go win a pennant.”
A special moment for Wright, one he shared as quickly as possible with someone behind the scenes who was invaluable to his comeback.
“I was giving high fives and probably taking guys’ hands off in the dugout because I was so amped up,” Wright remembered, “but I immediately went into our training room and gave our physical therapist, John Zajac a big hug, because he put so much time and effort into helping me get back.”
The Mets did win the pennant and go on to play in their only World Series of Wright’s career, and David had one more Hollywood moment in that Fall Classic: a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning of Game 3, the only game the Mets would win against the Royals in that series.
No question, in Wright’s mind, which one meant more.
“The World Series, for sure,” he said. “As a kid, I grew up pretending to be in Game 7, facing a 3-2 pitch, and hitting a homer. It wasn’t Game 7, but that was playing through my mind the entire time running around the bases.”
And it gave Wright a chance to do something out of character, but necessary in the moment.
“I don’t do this often, but I allowed myself to look around, see the fans and my family and friends, and soak in the moment,” he said. “As I crossed home plate and went into the dugout, I looked up, and seeing that place rocking to this day sends chills up my spine. I allowed myself to just enjoy the moment.”
Stay tuned to WFAN this week for more from Wright’s interview with Howie, and be sure to like WFAN’s Facebook page (facebook.com/wfan660) to watch the premiere of his full interview Tuesday night at 8 p.m.!
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