Former New York Mets third baseman David Wright just had his No. 5 jersey retired by the franchise, and one legendary skipper believes there could be an even greater honor coming down the road.
During an appearance on Amazin’ Conversations with Jay Horwitz, former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre recently said that he thinks Wright could find his way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Torre specifically stated that the seven-time All-Star could benefit from the Era Committee that considers players who are not eligible for the annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.
“It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if down the road, with the veterans Committee, that he gets a lot of consideration..,” Torre said. “If you look at his numbers and add a couple more years to it, then he would have been an automatic.”
While Torre and Wright were on opposing ends of New York’s crosstown rivalry, Torre managed Wright on Team USA during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and was well-acquainted with his skill set and character.
Wright played 14 seasons in MLB as a member of the New York Mets. Across 1,585 games, he posted a .296 batting average and an .867 OPS. The Norfolk native also totaled 242 home runs and 970 RBIs.
Both Back and neck issues shortened Wright’s career significantly. Between 2015 and 2018, he played in just 77 games.
Torre compared Wright to another baseball icon who dealt with similar health struggles and is still waiting for a call from Cooperstown, former Yankees first baseman, Don Mattingly.
“There was nothing showy about him. All he did was put on the uniform and play hard,” Torre said. “To me, there was a similarity to Don Mattingly to him. He was the right-hand hitting Don Mattingly.”
Unlike Mattingly, Wright is still on the traditional Hall of Fame ballot after receiving 32 votes of the 394 ballots in January.
Wright’s shortened career might keep from being viewed as a Hall of Famer in the eyes of writers, but the respect he’s garnered from baseball lifers such as Torre could ultimately help the former Mets captain reach Cooperstown.
