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NEW YORK – Midnight approaching after 13 scoreless baseball heats, David Wright received the mic in front of a full hall at Citi Field.
"Everyone stayed, which is incredible," he said later. "It's crazy."
Like the last years of his truncated career, Wright's finale was not a fairy tale.
Adoration, appreciation, respect. These were the tokens that he took home.
Wright had a long standing ovation in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday night in his farewell game for the New York Mets.
"It was surreal," he said. "It touched my heart when I first played on the pitch and I heard the fans cheering, it's something I will always remember."
The captain of the team found himself 0-in-1 with a run against the Miami Marlins in the 1-0 win over New York in 13 innings. He was withdrawn after two appearances, as planned, and on the defensive, he managed a single jump to the third goal without problem.
When the match finally ended, Wright joined his teammates while they were trying to join Austin Jackson, the double winner. Then they all watched together from the canoe, some holding their own children, while the Mets paid tribute to Wright on the baseball video board. After that, he addressed the crowd in a speech that lasted about 2 minutes 20 seconds.
"I think I'm out of tears, so I think we can continue with that," he said. "It's the love."
Wright, who made a mistake in the first round, took his place before the fifth inning. Mets manager Mickey Callaway then came out of the dugout to make a line-up change and Wright began his slow exit from the field.
As fans chanted his name and applauded for about 3 minutes 15 seconds, Wright greeted them by touching the beak of his cap and tapping his chest several times. He went to the end of the line and hugged all his teammates just in front of the Mets canoe, the Marlins players standing and applauding on the other side of the field.
"David deserved this day, it's safe," Callaway said.
With tearful eyes, Wright bowed, kissed the crowd of 43,928 people and exited the canoe for a curtain call before heading to the pavilion, followed by several teammates.
Once out of sight, the fans chanted "Thank you, David!"
"I should thank them for all that they've allowed me to live in these last 14 or 15 years," Wright said later.
His remarkable career was broken by injuries to the neck, back and shoulders that required surgery. Wright, 35, has made a hard comeback by returning to the majors this week for the first time since May 27, 2016.
Unable to overcome his physical setbacks, he said he expects Saturday to be his last major league appearance, although his contract is in effect until 2020.
"I can not sit here and tell you that I'm fine with where I am right now, it would be a lie and it would be wrong because, you know, you love something so much and you want to continue" Wright said. "But tonight was special."
Wright was reinstated from the list of disabled players on Tuesday and finally returned to a big league match Friday night as a claw hitter. He was stranded on the only pitch he saw during his first appearance on a plate in almost two and a half years, then took third place on a ceremonial start on Saturday which was in the works for weeks.
With his family and friends, the All-Star seven times squatted behind his plate to win a first honor ball from the eldest of his two daughters, 2-year-old Olivia, wearing a Lil Wright sweater. with his No 5 on the back.
The highlights of Wright's career were seen on the board just before the first pitch He joined the third goal alone, followed by his long-time teammate and buddy Jose Reyes, who started alongside Wright in a short stopover for the first time since September 28, 2011.
The two men kissed each other several times on the pitch and were applauded during their 878th start together, mostly by two players in the team's history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"It brought back a lot of memories," Wright said.
The Mets, shooting in the middle of the night, accompanied a video montage of Wright in his finale with music of "The Natural" a few sleeves later.
Reyes doubled before the first and reached third place after Jeff McNeil's sacrifice, setting an opportunity for RBI. While the Marlins were playing in their infield, Wright blocked a fastball at 91 mph and pulled the match out of rookie Trevor Richards.
"I would have liked to have a shot or find a hole or something, but at least I have a base percentage this year," Wright said laughing loudly.
Wright was immediately cleared on a double play. He committed a foul in the second race he saw at the beginning of the fourth inning, with first-baseman Peter O 'Brien making a not-so-easy decision near the retaining wall that turned it into a target of loud noises all night long.
"I'm hated here, I agree with that," said O & # 39; Brien.
Still smiling, Wright, disappointed, slowly returned to the canoe.
"I feel bad for the guy – but I do not feel bad for the guy," Wright said, causing more laughter.
The great evening of Wright was a big news in New York, where Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a tweet of the morning, proclaimed David Wright Day, "In the honor of #OurCaptain".
SNY, the television house of the Mets, has programmed highlights, interviews and reports from Wright that began the day at 10 am.
Even the American rival, Yankees, published Friday at the New York Post a one-page ad, congratulating Wright on "his brilliant career".
"It's a pretty amazing evening," said Mets operations manager Jeff Wilpon, who presented Wright with the framed proclamation after the game. "It's one of those things you will never forget – there are not many people like David Wright in this world."
The doors of Citi Field were opened early at 16:30. so that fans can watch Wright and the Mets practice batting. The star of the show hit a few balls over the fence, greeted the crowd and signed autographs.
Leader of the club in terms of hits, points produced, innings and many other categories, Wright was recruited by the Mets and spent his entire career with them. For years, he has been the face of the franchise – and sometimes his most visible spokesperson – for a team that often needed the positive image that it still represented.
If there ever was a Mr. Met without the big head, it's David Wright.
"It's just incredible – just to get back to this place – and most people would not," Callaway said before the game. "We are doing something special for David, not because of the numbers he has published, but because of the person he is."
FINAL SCENE
Jackson doubled the house Michael Conforto with the winning race on the first throw of the reliever Javy Guerra. Conforto chooses Jarlin Garcia (3-3) to leave on the 13th and advance when Jack Reinheimer walks.
Daniel Zamora (1-0) had a clear round for his first league win.
TRAINER ROOM
Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo grabbed the back of his right leg after skirting the first goal on a single header at seventh and was removed from the match with obvious discomfort. He said that he would have an MRI on his tense hamstring on Tuesday.
FOLLOWING
Marlins: star receiver J.T. Realmuto will lead the team on Sunday in his season finale, according to Mattingly. RHP rookie Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 4.00) starts.
Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (12-4, 3:22) is on the mound for New York.
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