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153-565: David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets . Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 MLB draft , he made his MLB debut on July 21, 2004 at Shea Stadium . Wright was nicknamed " Captain America " after his performance in the 2013 World Baseball Classic where he led

306-425: A sacrifice fly . In order to increase the chance of advancing a batter to first base via a walk, the manager will sometimes signal a batter who is ahead in the count (i.e., has more balls than strikes) to take , or not swing at, the next pitch. The batter's potential reward of reaching base (via a walk) exceeds the disadvantage if the next pitch is a strike. The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games

459-430: A second baseman to the right of second base, a shortstop to the left of second base, and a third baseman to the right of third base. The basic outfield positions are left fielder , center fielder , and right fielder . With the exception of the catcher, all fielders are required to be in fair territory when the pitch is delivered. A neutral umpire sets up behind the catcher. Other umpires will be distributed around

612-593: A .296 career batting average, 242 home runs, and 970 runs batted in. Upon completion of his playing career, Wright was named a special advisor in the Mets front office. Wright was born in Norfolk, Virginia , the oldest of four sons of Rhon, a police officer in the Norfolk Police Department , and Elisa Wright. Wright grew up a Mets fan due to his proximity to the Class AAA Norfolk Tides , whose stadium

765-447: A ball that results in the team's third out, even if it is recorded against a teammate. On rare occasions, a batter may be at the plate when, without the batter's hitting the ball, a third out is recorded against a teammate—for instance, a runner getting caught stealing (tagged out attempting to steal a base). A batter with this sort of incomplete plate appearance starts off the team's next turn batting; any balls or strikes recorded against

918-450: A base at any given time; the same applies for other runners if they are on a base that a teammate is forced to advance to. If a ball hit into play rolls foul before passing through the infield, it becomes dead and any runners must return to the base they occupied when the play began. If the ball is hit in the air and caught before it lands, the batter has flied out and any runners on base may attempt to advance only if they tag up (contact

1071-419: A bases-loaded single off of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Michael Blazek to break a 4–4 tie in the bottom of the 9th inning and give the Mets the victory. On June 3, Wright was placed on the disabled list due to a herniated disc in his neck. On June 16, he underwent neck surgery to repair the herniated disc. He missed the remainder of the 2016 season, having played a career-low 37 games and batted .226/.350/.438,

1224-454: A club option for $ 16 million that the club picked up for the 2013 season). The contract became official on December 4 after Wright passed a physical. Wright was represented in negotiations by Seth Levinson and Sam Levinson of ACES Inc. Wright's $ 138 million deal was contrary to the Mets budget-conscious policy of not giving huge contracts to players in their 30s; nonetheless general manager Sandy Alderson made an exception as he viewed Wright as

1377-610: A club option for 2013 worth $ 16 million. Wright has already announced that he will donate $ 1.5 million to the Mets Foundation throughout the course of this contract. The Mets captured the NL East title in 2006 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Wright struggled in his first postseason, going 4–25 (.160) in the Mets' NLCS loss to the St. Louis Cardinals , and batting a mere .216 in 10 postseason games. Wright participated in

1530-571: A diving tag on the Astros' Carlos Lee) forced him to spend more than two months on the disabled list . Wright was activated from the DL on July 22, 2011. That day, he went 2-for-5 and had two RBIs and scored two runs against the Florida Marlins . In his first series coming back from the DL, Wright hit 6-for-14, with one home run, three doubles and six RBIs. Wright enjoyed a career first on August 7, 2011, against

1683-511: A following in much of the world was a factor, more important was MLB's reluctance to allow its players to participate during the major league season. MLB initiated the World Baseball Classic , scheduled to precede its season, partly as a replacement, high-profile international tournament. The inaugural Classic , held in March 2006, was the first tournament involving national teams to feature

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1836-416: A football or soccer field does not affect play the way foul territory in baseball does, so variations in that regard are largely insignificant. These physical variations create a distinctive set of playing conditions at each ballpark. Other local factors, such as altitude and climate, can also significantly affect play. A given stadium may acquire a reputation as a pitcher's park or a hitter's park, if one or

1989-435: A game, involves an individual, one-on-one contest: "the pitcher and the batter in a battle of wits". Pitcher, batter, and fielder all act essentially independent of each other. While coaching staffs can signal pitcher or batter to pursue certain tactics, the execution of the play itself is a series of solitary acts. If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder is solely responsible for deciding to try to catch it or play it on

2142-467: A high school senior, he had a .538 batting average . The New York Mets selected Wright in the 2001 MLB draft during the supplemental round as compensation for the Mets' loss of Mike Hampton to the Colorado Rockies in free agency. Wright was selected after future teammate Aaron Heilman who had been selected in the first round. According to then-Mets manager Bobby Valentine , Wright had caught

2295-479: A home run at another. A team that plays in a park with a relatively short right field, such as the New York Yankees , will tend to stock its roster with left-handed pull hitters , who can best exploit it. On the individual level, a player who spends most of his career with a team that plays in a hitter's park will gain an advantage in batting statistics over time—even more so if his talents are especially suited to

2448-495: A lead , the pitcher may attempt a pickoff , a quick throw to a fielder covering the base to keep the runner's lead in check or, optimally, effect a tag out. Pickoff attempts, however, are subject to rules that severely restrict the pitcher's movements before and during the pickoff attempt. Violation of any one of these rules could result in the umpire calling a balk against the pitcher, which permits any runners on base to advance one base with impunity. If an attempted stolen base

2601-555: A leader and role model, both on and off the field. At the same time, many agents and front-office executives suggested that had Wright waited a year and became a free agent, he could have received a deal close to $ 200 million. Although it had been six years since the Mets' last playoff appearance and four years since their last winning season, Alderson managed to persuade Wright to stay as the Mets' farm system had young talented pitchers. Wright's contract had deferments which would be paid out through 2025. The Mets obtained injury insurance on

2754-407: A left rotator cuff contusion which slowed his offensive production and hurt his defense. Wright finished the year playing in 134 games with a career-low eight home runs and committed 15 errors, tied for most on the team. On April 14, 2015, Wright suffered a strained right hamstring while stealing second base. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He was later diagnosed with spinal stenosis , and

2907-478: A new rule officially banning the spitball and other pitches that depended on the ball being treated or roughed-up with foreign substances, resulted in a ball that traveled farther when hit. The rise of the legendary player Babe Ruth , the first great power hitter of the new era, helped permanently alter the nature of the game. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey invested in several minor league clubs and developed

3060-660: A number of competitions between clubs from different countries. Other competitions between national teams, such as the Baseball World Cup and the Olympic baseball tournament , were administered by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) from its formation in 1938 until its 2013 merger with the International Softball Federation to create the current joint governing body for both sports,

3213-408: A park with little space between the foul lines and the stands, but a foulout in a park with more expansive foul ground. A fence in foul territory that is close to the outfield line will tend to direct balls that strike it back toward the fielders, while one that is farther away may actually prompt more collisions, as outfielders run full speed to field balls deep in the corner. These variations can make

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3366-539: A permanent fixture of the post-season. Regular-season interleague play was introduced in 1997 and the second-highest attendance mark for a full season was set. In 2000, the National and American Leagues were dissolved as legal entities. While their identities were maintained for scheduling purposes (and the designated hitter distinction), the regulations and other functions—such as player discipline and umpire supervision—they had administered separately were consolidated under

3519-427: A pitcher's park when the strong winds off Lake Michigan are blowing in, it becomes more of a hitter's park when they are blowing out. The absence of a standardized field affects not only how particular games play out, but the nature of team rosters and players' statistical records. For example, hitting a fly ball 330 feet (100 m) into right field might result in an easy catch on the warning track at one park, and

3672-411: A player has been removed for a substitute, that player may not reenter the game. Children's games often have more lenient rules, such as Little League rules, which allow players to be substituted back into the same game. If the designated hitter (DH) rule is in effect, each team has a tenth player whose sole responsibility is to bat (and run). The DH takes the place of another player—almost invariably

3825-480: A run. The team in the field attempts to prevent runs from scoring by recording outs , which remove opposing players from offensive action until their next turn at bat comes up again. When three outs are recorded, the teams switch roles for the next half-inning. If the score of the game is tied after nine innings, extra innings are played to resolve the contest. Many amateur games, particularly unorganized ones, involve different numbers of players and innings. The game

3978-441: A significant effect on how ground balls behave and are fielded as well as on baserunning. Similarly, the presence of a roof (seven major league teams play in stadiums with permanent or retractable roofs) can greatly affect how fly balls are played. While football and soccer players deal with similar variations of field surface and stadium covering, the size and shape of their fields are much more standardized. The area out-of-bounds on

4131-629: A significant number of MLB participants. The Baseball World Cup was discontinued after its 2011 edition in favor of an expanded World Baseball Classic. Baseball has certain attributes that set it apart from the other popular team sports in the countries where it has a following. All of these sports use a clock, play is less individual, and the variation between playing fields is not as substantial or important. The comparison between cricket and baseball demonstrates that many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with its cousin sports. In clock-limited sports, games often end with

4284-409: A skillful contact hitter , the runner takes off with the pitch, drawing the shortstop or second baseman over to second base, creating a gap in the infield for the batter to poke the ball through. The sacrifice bunt , calls for the batter to focus on making soft contact with the ball, so that it rolls a short distance into the infield, allowing the runner to advance into scoring position as the batter

4437-422: A team that holds the lead killing the clock rather than competing aggressively against the opposing team. In contrast, baseball has no clock, thus a team cannot win without getting the last batter out and rallies are not constrained by time. At almost any turn in any baseball game, the most advantageous strategy is some form of aggressive strategy. Whereas, in the case of multi-day Test and first-class cricket ,

4590-458: A two-run home run in a 5–1 victory against the Miami Marlins , giving him 735 career RBIs, passing Darryl Strawberry for the most in Mets franchise history. Wright broke another franchise record on June 5, when he hit a solo-shot off of Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann , driving himself in and reaching 736 runs. The previous record-holder was José Reyes at 735 runs. On July 1, it

4743-472: A vote of fans , MLB alumni , each team's front-office personnel, members of the media , and SABR. Fans cast their votes via the online-voting system on MLB.com , the official website of Major League Baseball. Over thirteen million fans voted in 2010. In the first year, there were six categories of awards: Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year (including starters and closers, but not setup men), Setup Man of

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4896-402: Is anticipated, the catcher may call for a pitchout , a ball thrown deliberately off the plate, allowing the catcher to catch it while standing and throw quickly to a base. Facing a batter with a strong tendency to hit to one side of the field, the fielding team may employ a shift , with most or all of the fielders moving to the left or right of their usual positions. With a runner on third base,

5049-441: Is awarded a base on balls or walk, a free advance to first base. (A batter may also freely advance to first base if the batter's body or uniform is struck by a pitch outside the strike zone, provided the batter does not swing and attempts to avoid being hit.) Crucial to determining balls and strikes is the umpire's judgment as to whether a pitch has passed through the strike zone , a conceptual area above home plate extending from

5202-424: Is called a grand slam . A player who reaches base due to a fielding mistake is not credited with a hit—instead, the responsible fielder is charged with an error . Any runners already on base may attempt to advance on batted balls that land, or contact the ground, in fair territory, before or after the ball lands. A runner on first base must attempt to advance if a ball lands in play, as only one runner may occupy

5355-414: Is called. While the team at bat is trying to score runs, the team in the field is attempting to record outs. In addition to the strikeout and flyout, common ways a member of the batting team may be put out include the ground out , force out , and tag out . These occur either when a runner is forced to advance to a base, and a fielder with possession of the ball reaches that base before the runner does, or

5508-558: Is difficult to trace with precision. Consensus once held that today's baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders , popular among children in Great Britain and Ireland . American baseball historian David Block suggests that the game originated in England ; recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that

5661-411: Is one), or if the batter-runner otherwise safely circles all the bases, it is a home run : the batter and any runners on base may all freely circle the bases, each scoring a run. This is the most desirable result for the batter. The ultimate and most desirable result possible for a batter would be to hit a home run while all three bases are occupied or "loaded", thus scoring four runs on a single hit. This

5814-405: Is played on a field whose primary boundaries, the foul lines, extend forward from home plate at 45-degree angles. The 90-degree area within the foul lines is referred to as fair territory; the 270-degree area outside them is foul territory. The part of the field enclosed by the bases and several yards beyond them is the infield ; the area farther beyond the infield is the outfield . In the middle of

5967-474: Is thrown out at first. A batter, particularly one who is a fast runner, may also attempt to bunt for a hit. A sacrifice bunt employed with a runner on third base, aimed at bringing that runner home, is known as a squeeze play . With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, a batter may instead concentrate on hitting a fly ball that, even if it is caught, will be deep enough to allow the runner to tag up and score—a successful batter, in this case, gets credit for

6120-495: Is usually composed of nine innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. Most games end after the ninth inning, but if scores are tied at that point, extra innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, though some competitions feature pace-of-play regulations such as the pitch clock to shorten game time. Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by

6273-475: The 2006 WBC . Wright finished seventh in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award after finishing the season with a .302 batting average with 33 home runs and 124 RBI. Wright hit the first Mets home run in Citi Field history on Monday, April 13, 2009, Citi Field's Opening Day. The three-run home run was hit off San Diego Padres pitcher Walter Silva in the 5th inning. In mid-August, when 10 Mets players were on

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6426-552: The American League , which evolved from the minor Western League , was established in 1893, and virtually all of the modern baseball rules were in place by then. The National Agreement of 1903 formalized relations both between the two major leagues and between them and the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, representing most of the country's minor professional leagues . The World Series , pitting

6579-462: The Atlanta Braves , playing shortstop for the first time in his professional career due to injuries to José Reyes (hamstring) and Daniel Murphy (MCL). In only 102 games, Wright finished the season with a .254 batting average, .345 on-base percentage, 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, 52 walks, and 13 stolen bases. On April 5, Wright went 2-for-3 with a walk on as the Mets' Opening Day third-baseman against

6732-697: The Montreal Expos . The next day, on July 22, Wright picked up his first career hit, a double, off of the Montreal Expos ' pitcher Zach Day . Wright finished his rookie season with a .293 batting average, 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 263 at-bats in 69 games, and was voted as the This Year in Baseball Awards Rookie of the Year. In 2005, the 22 {\displaystyle } -year-old Wright played in 160 games and batted .306 with 27 home runs, 102 RBIs, 99 runs scored, 42 doubles, and 17 stolen bases, leading

6885-487: The National Association of Base Ball Players , was formed. In 1867, it barred participation by African Americans . The more formally structured National League was founded in 1876. Professional Negro leagues formed, but quickly folded. In 1887, softball , under the name of indoor baseball or indoor-outdoor, was invented as a winter version of the parent game. The National League's first successful counterpart,

7038-535: The Pittsburgh Pirates . Then on September 26, 2012, Wright surpassed Kranepool as Mets all-time hit record holder with an infield single also at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wright finished 6th in the voting for the 2012 NL MVP Award. On November 30, 2012, Ed Coleman and WFAN reported that Wright and the Mets agreed to a 7-year contract extension worth $ 138 million (7 years for $ 122 million plus

7191-750: The West League and East League . The World Baseball Classic , organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation , is the major international competition of the sport and attracts the top national teams from around the world. Baseball was played at the Olympic Games from 1992 to 2008, and was reinstated on a one-off basis in 2020. A baseball game is played between two teams, each usually composed of nine players, that take turns playing offense (batting and baserunning) and defense (pitching and fielding). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in

7344-456: The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). Women's baseball is played on an organized amateur basis in numerous countries. After being admitted to the Olympics as a medal sport beginning with the 1992 Games , baseball was dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games at the 2005 International Olympic Committee meeting . It remained part of the 2008 Games . While the sport's lack of

7497-455: The ball , the bat , and the glove or mitt : Protective helmets are also standard equipment for all batters. At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine players of the fielding team arrange themselves around the field. One of them, the pitcher , stands on the pitcher's mound. The pitcher begins the pitching delivery with one foot on the rubber, pushing off it to gain velocity when throwing toward home plate. Another fielding team player,

7650-461: The batter , tries to hit with a bat . The objective of the offensive team (batting team) is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run the bases , having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called " runs ". The objective of the defensive team (referred to as the fielding team) is to prevent batters from becoming runners , and to prevent runners advancing around

7803-408: The catcher , squats on the far side of home plate, facing the pitcher. The rest of the fielding team faces home plate, typically arranged as four infielders—who set up along or within a few yards outside the imaginary lines (basepaths) between first, second, and third base—and three outfielders. In the standard arrangement , there is a first baseman positioned several steps to the left of first base,

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7956-753: The national sport of the United States , though in modern times is considered less popular than other sports , such as American football . In addition to North America , baseball spread throughout the rest of the Americas and the Asia–Pacific in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now considered the most popular sport in parts of Central and South America , the Caribbean , and East Asia , particularly in Japan , South Korea , and Taiwan . In Major League Baseball (MLB),

8109-410: The slider . Pitchers have different repertoires of pitches they are skillful at throwing. Conventionally, before each pitch, the catcher signals the pitcher what type of pitch to throw, as well as its general vertical or horizontal location. If there is disagreement on the selection, the pitcher may shake off the sign and the catcher will call for a different pitch. With a runner on base and taking

8262-423: The wicket for an hour or much more. There is no statistical equivalent in cricket for the fielding error and thus less emphasis on personal responsibility in this area of play. Unlike those of most sports, baseball playing fields can vary significantly in size and shape. While the dimensions of the infield are specifically regulated, the only constraint on outfield size and shape for professional teams, following

8415-662: The 14th inning that led to the winning run as the Royals took a 5–4 victory in Game 1. In Game 3, he went 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs, including his only World Series home run, a two-run home run, off Yordano Ventura as part of the Mets' 9–3 victory in their only win of the series. Wright played in only 38 games. As a result of his spinal stenosis, Wright had to complete an extensive pre-game workout routine consisting of physical therapy, exercise, and some minimal batting and fielding drills. The entire process takes about 4–5 hours. On May 21, 2016, Wright hit

8568-474: The 1920s, it was joined by the Eastern Colored League . Compared with the present, professional baseball in the early 20th century was lower-scoring, and pitchers were more dominant. This so-called " dead-ball era " ended in the early 1920s with several changes in rule and circumstance that were advantageous to hitters. Strict new regulations governed the ball's size, shape and composition, along with

8721-489: The 2006 Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series along with teammates José Reyes, Julio Franco , and John Maine . As of April 21, 2007, Wright had a hitting streak of 26 regular-season games; the previous team record was 24, held by Mike Piazza and Hubie Brooks . He had a hit in the 12 final regular-season games of the 2006 season, and had a hit in all of the first 14 games of the 2007 season. Wright's hit streak of 26 regular-season games ended on April 21, 2007, against

8874-463: The 2006 season. His first game-winning hit occurred on May 5 with a 2-out double just out of the reach of a chasing Andruw Jones in the bottom of the 14th inning off Jorge Sosa to defeat the Atlanta Braves , 8–7. Two weeks later on May 19, he hit a walk-off single off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera that just sailed over the head of center fielder Johnny Damon as the Mets rallied to beat the Yankees in

9027-568: The 2007 season with a .325 batting average, 30 home runs, 107 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. Wright was awarded the 2007 Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award at third base. He also was fourth in the NL MVP voting receiving 182 votes. Wright began the year with two doubles, including a bases-clearing double, in finishing 2–4 with three RBIs in the Mets' Opening Day victory over the Marlins, 7–2. With

9180-494: The 2010 season with a .283 batting average, .354 on-base percentage, 29 home runs, 103 RBIs, 69 walks, and 19 stolen bases. On April 5, 2011, Wright singled against the Phillies' Cole Hamels for his 90th career game-winning RBI, surpassing Mike Piazza for the most in Mets history. Then on May 16, 2011, after undergoing examination by team doctors, it was announced Wright had a stress fracture in his lower back. The injury (caused by

9333-581: The All-Star break, the Mets had their worst stretch to that point in the season, losing six straight, but on July 19, Wright hit two home runs and had five RBIs to help the Mets end their losing streak. He hit his 200th career home run in a loss on August 24 to the Houston Astros . On September 25, 2012, Wright tied the all time hit record with the Mets Ed Kranepool with 1,418 hits in a game at home against

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9486-568: The Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. On September 16, 2007, Wright became the 29th player in baseball history to join the 30–30 club , after hitting a 7th inning solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium. He is only the third player to reach this milestone before his 25th birthday, and only the third Met to reach this milestone in club history, the other two being Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry. Wright finished

9639-567: The Braves, where Wright drove in Andrés Torres with a single for the game-winning run in the 6th inning off of Tommy Hanson , giving the Mets the 1–0 win. Less than a week later, on April 11, Wright fractured his right pinkie while diving into first base on a pick-off attempt. After missing just three games, Wright returned to the lineup, going 3-for-5 against the Phillies . Then on April 25, Wright hit

9792-445: The DH rule, including MLB, Japan's Pacific League , and Caribbean professional leagues, along with major American amateur organizations. The Central League in Japan does not have the rule and high-level minor league clubs connected to National League teams are not required to field a DH. In leagues that apply the designated hitter rule, a typical team has nine offensive regulars (including

9945-681: The DH), five starting pitchers, seven or eight relievers, a backup catcher, and two or three other reserve players. The manager , or head coach, oversees the team's major strategic decisions, such as establishing the starting rotation, setting the lineup, or batting order, before each game, and making substitutions during games—in particular, bringing in relief pitchers. Managers are typically assisted by two or more coaches ; they may have specialized responsibilities, such as working with players on hitting, fielding, pitching, or strength and conditioning. At most levels of organized play, two coaches are stationed on

10098-509: The Dodgers. Latin-American players, largely overlooked before, also started entering the majors in greater numbers. In 1951, two Chicago White Sox, Venezuelan-born Chico Carrasquel and black Cuban-born Minnie Miñoso , became the first Hispanic All-Stars . Integration proceeded slowly: by 1953, only six of the 16 major league teams had a black player on the roster. In 1975, the union's power—and players' salaries—began to increase greatly when

10251-694: The Gotham Club. While there are reports that the New York Knickerbockers played games in 1845, the contest long recognized as the first officially recorded baseball game in U.S. history took place on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey : the "New York Nine" defeated the Knickerbockers, 23–1, in four innings. With the Knickerbocker code as the basis, the rules of modern baseball continued to evolve over

10404-534: The Mets a 10–3 lead at the time. The Mets won the game 10–5. On May 20, he hit a three-run double after Mets manager Jerry Manuel gave Wright a day off. By June 25, Wright had 12 home runs, which led the team, and was batting .294 with 57 RBIs to lead the N.L. On July 4, 2010, Wright was named the starting third baseman for the National League in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, making it Wright's fifth consecutive All-Star Game appearance. On July 6, Wright

10557-584: The Mets had previously only trailed Utley's 1,551 games with the Phillies. Wright returned from his injury for the Mets' August 24 game in Philadelphia. In his first at-bat, he hit a home run off Phillies pitcher Adam Morgan , the first of a club record eight home runs the Mets would hit in a 16–7 victory. His return helped propel the Mets to the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals . In his only World Series appearance, he committed an error in

10710-586: The Mets in 2013, becoming the fourth captain in the team's history. Wright is the third player to play in at least 10 MLB seasons and play his entire MLB career with the Mets. Throughout the latter half of Wright's career, he was plagued by injuries, most notably spinal stenosis , as well as additional ailments in his neck and shoulder. After missing significant time from 2015 to 2018 and receiving word from doctors that his spinal stenosis would not improve, Wright announced that 2018 would be his final season as an active player. Wright finished his major league career with

10863-457: The RBIs, Wright already halfway matched his RBI production from the preceding April. In the final game of the series, Wright went 3–5 with a 3-run home run. On April 13, Wright hit his 100th career home run, a solo shot off of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan . Wright hit the first walk-off home run of his career on August 7, 2008. On November 5, 2008, Wright was announced as the recipient of

11016-478: The Rawlings' Gold Glove Award for third basemen. It was the second consecutive year in which Wright won the award. His teammate, Carlos Beltrán, also won the award for center fielders. He also won his second Silver Slugger Award . On December 22, 2008, Wright was announced as a member of Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March 2009. The third base position was taken by Alex Rodriguez in

11169-616: The United States and Canada was founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains a rich baseball tradition. The Dominican Republic held its first islandwide championship tournament in 1912. Professional baseball tournaments and leagues began to form in other countries between the world wars, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), Japan (1936), Mexico (1937), and Puerto Rico (1938). The Japanese major leagues have long been considered

11322-778: The United States. While baseball is widely played in Canada and many minor league teams have been based in the country, the American major leagues did not include a Canadian club until 1969, when the Montreal Expos joined the National League as an expansion team. In 1977, the expansion Toronto Blue Jays joined the American League. In 1847, American soldiers played what may have been the first baseball game in Mexico at Parque Los Berros in Xalapa , Veracruz . The first formal baseball league outside of

11475-503: The Year (formerly X-Factor Player of the Year) and Walk-Off of the Year (formerly Game of the Year). In 2012, two new categories were added: MLB MVP and Storyline of the Year. Two categories were dropped: Wow Factor of the Year and Moment of the Year. Two categories were divided into four (for a total of 21): Breakout Hitter and Breakout Pitcher (from Breakout Player of the Year) and Hitting Performance and Pitching Performance (from Performance of

11628-472: The Year was renamed Single-Game Performance of the Year. In 2009, a 14th category was added: Unsung Star of the Year. The Single-Game Performance of the Year was changed back to Performance of the Year. In 2010, the name of the awards was changed to the "GIBBY Awards" (for "Greatness in Baseball Yearly"). Five new categories were added (for a total of 19): Breakout Player of the Year, Dependable Player of

11781-440: The Year" to "Best," as in "Best Rookie." One category was added: Best Outfield Throw. One category was dropped: Lifetime Achievement. Another category (Postseason Moment of the Year) was replaced by three new categories (for a total of 25): Best Postseason Play, Best Postseason Walk-Off, and Best Postseason Storyline. Four categories were renamed: Most Valuable Major Leaguer (formerly MLB MVP), Best Everyday Player (formerly Hitter of

11934-757: The Year), Best Breakout Everyday Player (formerly Breakout Hitter of the Year), and Best Bounceback Player (formerly Comeback Player of the Year). In 2015, the name of the awards was again changed, to the "Esurance MLB Awards," with each winner still receiving a GIBBY trophy. Eight categories were added: Social Media Personality, Social Media Post, Celebrity Fan, MLB Interview, Call (TV), Call (Radio), Video Board Moment, and Trending Topic. Nine categories were dropped: Closer, Setup Man, Outfield Throw, Storyline, Oddity, Walk-Off, Postseason Play, Postseason Walk-Off, and Postseason Storyline. Two categories were divided into four: Play (Offense) and Play (Defense) (from Play) and Fan Catch and Player–Fan Interaction (from Cut4 Topic, which

12087-422: The Year). Two categories were renamed: Hitter of the Year (formerly Player of the Year) and Blooper of the Year (its original name, instead of Bizarre Play of the Year). In 2007, two new categories were added (for a total of 12): Moment of the Year and Postseason Moment of the Year. In 2008, a 13th category was added: Executive of the Year. The Blooper of the Year was renamed Oddity of the Year. The Performance of

12240-530: The Year). Two categories were renamed: Hitter of the Year (its former name—from 2004 to 2009—instead of its original name, Player of the Year—in 2002, 2003, 2010, and 2011) and Cut4 (formerly Fan Moment of the Year). In 2013, two categories were added (for a total of 23): Moment of the Year (first added in 2007 but dropped in 2012) and Lifetime Achievement. In 2014, the name of every award—except two (Most Valuable Major Leaguer and Postseason MVP)—was changed from "of

12393-423: The Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Play of the Year, and Blooper of the Year. In 2003 , three new awards were added (for a total of 9): Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Individual Performance of the Year. The Blooper of the Year was renamed Bizarre Play of the Year. In 2004 , one category was divided into two (for a total of 10): Starting Pitcher of the Year and Closer of the Year (from Pitcher of

12546-404: The Year, Postseason MVP, Game of the Year, and Fan Moment of the Year. Two categories were renamed: Player of the Year (its original name, instead of Hitter of the Year) and X-Factor Player of the Year (formerly Unsung Star of the Year). In 2011, a new category was added: Comeback Player of the Year. One category was dropped: Dependable Player of the Year. Two categories were renamed: Wow Factor of

12699-656: The attention of coach Tom Robson who had actually been sent "down to Virginia to scout someone else." Wright progressed steadily in his first three years of minor league play, winning the Sterling award for best player on the class A St. Lucie Mets in 2003 . In 2004 , he quickly rose from the Double-A Binghamton Mets to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to the major leagues. On July 21, 2004, Wright made his major league debut starting at third base against

12852-486: The average major league game has increased steadily through the years. At the turn of the 20th century, games typically took an hour and a half to play. In the 1920s, they averaged just less than two hours, which eventually ballooned to 2:38 in 1960. By 1997, the average American League game lasted 2:57 (National League games were about 10 minutes shorter—pitchers at the plate making for quicker outs than designated hitters). In 2004, Major League Baseball declared that its goal

13005-440: The base they occupied when the play began, as or after the ball is caught). Runners may also attempt to advance to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering the ball to home plate; a successful effort is a stolen base . A pitch that is not hit into the field of play is called either a strike or a ball. A batter against whom three strikes are recorded strikes out . A batter against whom four balls are recorded

13158-413: The baseball in a certain manner, and by throwing it at a certain speed, pitchers can cause the baseball to break to either side, or downward, as it approaches the batter, thus creating differing pitches that can be selected. Among the resulting wide variety of pitches that may be thrown, the four basic types are the fastball , the changeup (or off-speed pitch), and two breaking balls —the curveball and

13311-401: The bases . A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where the player started as a batter). The initial objective of the batting team is to have a player reach first base safely ; this generally occurs either when the batter hits the ball and reaches first base before an opponent retrieves the ball and touches the base, or when

13464-481: The batter out by throwing three pitches which result in strikes , while fielders can get the batter out by catching a batted ball before it touches the ground, and can get a runner out by tagging them with the ball while the runner is not touching a base. The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding; the batting team's turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for each team constitutes an inning . A game

13617-454: The batter the previous inning are erased. A runner may circle the bases only once per plate appearance and thus can score at most a single run per batting turn. Once a player has completed a plate appearance, that player may not bat again until the eight other members of the player's team have all taken their turn at bat in the batting order . The batting order is set before the game begins, and may not be altered except for substitutions . Once

13770-450: The bottom, or second half, of every inning. The goal of the game is to score more points ( runs ) than the other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by touching all four bases, in order, set at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond . A player bats at home plate and must attempt to safely reach a base before proceeding, counterclockwise , from first base, to second base, third base, and back home to score

13923-413: The bounce and for succeeding or failing. The statistical precision of baseball is both facilitated by this isolation and reinforces it. Cricket is more similar to baseball than many other team sports in this regard: while the individual focus in cricket is mitigated by the importance of the batting partnership and the practicalities of tandem running, it is enhanced by the fact that a batsman may occupy

14076-662: The contest, including 16 in the first round, the third-highest total in any one round in the history of the Home Run Derby. The following night, he hit a home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat off American League starting pitcher Kenny Rogers . Wright ranked among the club's top three hitters in all offensive categories for the 2006 Mets, who were the second most run-scoring team in the National League. Fans at Shea Stadium have routinely greeted Wright's performances with chants of "M-V-P, M-V-P." According to then-teammate Tom Glavine , "He's probably been our most clutch hitter over

14229-432: The contract which kicked in after he missed 60 days, allowing the team to recoup 75 percent of his salary while he is unable to play. After a spring training game on March 21, the Mets announced that Wright had been named the fourth team captain in Mets history, joining Keith Hernandez , Gary Carter , and John Franco . Wright got his 1,500th career hit on June 18 against the Atlanta Braves off of Cory Gearrin . Wright

14382-473: The difference between a double and a triple or inside-the-park home run . The surface of the field is also unregulated. While the adjacent image shows a traditional field surfacing arrangement (and the one used by virtually all MLB teams with naturally surfaced fields), teams are free to decide what areas will be grassed or bare. Some fields—including several in MLB—use artificial turf . Surface variations can have

14535-501: The disabled list, Wright was added to the list after sustaining an injury on August 15. Wright suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head with a 93 mph (150 km/h) fastball by San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain . He was admitted to the Hospital for Special Surgery , where he underwent a precautionary CT scan , which turned out negative. The following day he left the hospital diagnosed with post-concussion symptoms. He

14688-613: The early 1830s, there were reports of a variety of uncodified bat-and-ball games recognizable as early forms of baseball being played around North America. The first officially recorded baseball game in North America was played in Beachville, Ontario , Canada, on June 4, 1838. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright , a member of New York City's Knickerbocker Club , led the codification of the so-called Knickerbocker Rules , which in turn were based on rules developed in 1837 by William R. Wheaton of

14841-418: The effect of shortening 2023 regular season games by 24 minutes on average. Although baseball is a team sport, individual players are often placed under scrutiny and pressure. While rewarding, it has sometimes been described as "ruthless" due to the pressure on the individual player. In 1915, a baseball instructional manual pointed out that every single pitch, of which there are often more than two hundred in

14994-431: The field as well. Play starts with a member of the batting team, the batter, standing in either of the two batter's boxes next to home plate, holding a bat. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw a pitch (the ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit—as a result of either electing not to swing or failing to connect—and returns them to

15147-476: The field to confer with players during a game. Any baseball game involves one or more umpires , who make rulings on the outcome of each play. At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call balls and strikes. Additional umpires may be stationed near the other bases, thus making it easier to judge plays such as attempted force outs and tag outs. In MLB, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. In

15300-467: The field when the team is at bat: the first base coach and third base coach, who occupy designated coaches' boxes, just outside the foul lines. These coaches assist in the direction of baserunners, when the ball is in play, and relay tactical signals from the manager to batters and runners, during pauses in play. In contrast to many other team sports, baseball managers and coaches generally wear their team's uniforms; coaches must be in uniform to be allowed on

15453-473: The field, by each team constitutes an inning . A game consists of nine innings (seven innings at the high school level and in doubleheaders in college, Minor League Baseball and, since the 2020 season , Major League Baseball ; and six innings at the Little League level). One team—customarily the visiting team—bats in the top, or first half, of every inning. The other team—customarily the home team—bats in

15606-410: The field, returning to their team's dugout or bench. A runner may be stranded on base when a third out is recorded against another player on the team. Stranded runners do not benefit the team in its next turn at bat as every half-inning begins with the bases empty. An individual player's turn batting or plate appearance is complete when the player reaches base, hits a home run, makes an out, or hits

15759-687: The first British baseball champions winning the 1890 National League of Baseball of Great Britain . The 2020 National Champions were the London Mets . Other European countries have seen professional leagues; the most successful, other than the Dutch league , is the Italian league , founded in 1948. In 2004, Australia won a surprise silver medal at the Olympic Games . The Confédération Européene de Baseball (European Baseball Confederation), founded in 1953, organizes

15912-447: The first game of the 2006 Subway Series , 7–6. He capped off the month on Memorial Day, May 29, with a single to the wall in left-center field off Arizona Diamondbacks closer José Valverde scoring José Reyes from first base as the Mets defeated Arizona, 8–7. Wright also made a game-saving stop at third base of a would-be game-tying single by Mike Lieberthal for the final out of a 4–3 Mets victory over Philadelphia on August 5. Wright

16065-445: The first half of the season and he's certainly thrown his hat into the MVP talks." On August 6, 2006, Wright signed a 6-year contract extension with the Mets worth $ 55 million, as well as a $ 1.5 million signing bonus. The contract paid him $ 1 million in 2007, $ 5 million in 2008, $ 7.5 million in 2009, $ 10 million in 2010, $ 14 million in 2011, and $ 15 million in 2012. The contract also contained

16218-604: The first modern farm system . A new Negro National League was organized in 1933; four years later, it was joined by the Negro American League . The first elections to the National Baseball Hall of Fame took place in 1936. In 1939, Little League Baseball was founded in Pennsylvania. Many minor league teams disbanded when World War II led to a player shortage. Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley led

16371-581: The formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to help keep the game in the public eye. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred in 1945: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal . In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with

16524-596: The game's most direct antecedents are the English games of stoolball and "tut-ball". The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book , by John Newbery . Block discovered that the first recorded game of "Bass-Ball" took place in 1749 in Surrey , and featured the Prince of Wales as a player. This early form of the game was apparently brought to Canada by English immigrants. By

16677-490: The height of fences or other structures at the edge of the outfield. The most famously idiosyncratic outfield boundary is the left-field wall at Boston's Fenway Park , in use since 1912: the Green Monster is 310 feet (94 m) from home plate down the line and 37 feet (11 m) tall. Similarly, there are no regulations at all concerning the dimensions of foul territory. Thus a foul fly ball may be entirely out of play in

16830-406: The helmet uncomfortable. "It's the last thing I need to be worrying about in the box is trying to shove it on my head. So I wanted to go back to the old one and just wait to see if there's going to be any adjustments made." Wright experienced a decline in production after a potent campaign in 2008. His home run total dropped to 10, while his RBI total fell to 72, after hitting 33 home runs and 124 RBIs

16983-612: The highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL), each with three divisions: East, West, and Central. The MLB champion is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series . The top level of play is similarly split in Japan between the Central and Pacific Leagues and in Cuba between

17136-821: The highest quality professional circuits outside of the United States. After World War II, professional leagues were founded in many Latin American countries, most prominently Venezuela (1946) and the Dominican Republic (1955). Since the early 1970s, the annual Caribbean Series has matched the championship clubs from the four leading Latin American winter leagues: the Dominican Professional Baseball League , Mexican Pacific League , Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League , and Venezuelan Professional Baseball League . In Asia, South Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990) and China (2003) all have professional leagues. The English football club, Aston Villa , were

17289-425: The infield is a raised pitcher's mound, with a rectangular rubber plate (the rubber) at its center. The outer boundary of the outfield is typically demarcated by a raised fence, which may be of any material and height. The fair territory between home plate and the outfield boundary is baseball's field of play, though significant events can take place in foul territory, as well. There are three basic tools of baseball:

17442-410: The infielders may play in , moving closer to home plate to improve the odds of throwing out the runner on a ground ball , though a sharply hit grounder is more likely to carry through a drawn-in infield. Several basic offensive tactics come into play with a runner on first base, including the fundamental choice of whether to attempt a steal of second base. The hit and run is sometimes employed, with

17595-409: The lowest batting average of his major league career. Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding . The game occurs over the course of several plays , with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team , called the pitcher , throws a ball that a player on the batting team , called

17748-439: The manager of the batting team trying to arrange opposite-handed matchups. With a team that has the lead in the late innings, a manager may remove a starting position player—especially one whose turn at bat is not likely to come up again—for a more skillful fielder (known as a defensive substitution ). The tactical decision that precedes almost every play in a baseball game involves pitch selection. By gripping and then releasing

17901-550: The mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed . Baseball's American origins, as well as its reputation as a source of escapism during troubled points in American history such as the American Civil War and the Great Depression , have led the sport to receive the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been unofficially recognized as

18054-407: The midpoint between the batter's shoulders and belt down to the hollow of the knee. Any pitch which does not pass through the strike zone is called a ball, unless the batter either swings and misses at the pitch, or hits the pitch into foul territory; an exception generally occurs if the ball is hit into foul territory when the batter already has two strikes, in which case neither a ball nor a strike

18207-503: The next half-century. The game then went on to spread throughout the Pacific Rim and the Americas, with Americans backing the sport as a way to spread American values. In the mid-1850s, a baseball craze hit the New York metropolitan area , and by 1856, local journals were referring to baseball as the "national pastime" or "national game". A year later, the sport's first governing body,

18360-478: The other discipline notably benefits from its unique mix of elements. The most exceptional park in this regard is Coors Field , home of the Colorado Rockies . Its high altitude—5,282 feet (1,610 m) above sea level—is partly responsible for giving it the strongest hitter's park effect in the major leagues due to the low air pressure. Wrigley Field , home of the Chicago Cubs, is known for its fickle disposition:

18513-543: The outfield grass. The sellout crowd at Petco Park acknowledged the splendor of the catch with a standing ovation lasting several minutes. This play was voted the "This Year in Baseball Play of the Year." In 2006, Wright was named National League Co-Player of the Week for June 12–18 along with teammate José Reyes . For the month, Wright batted .327 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Wright also provided his share of heroics throughout

18666-530: The park. This Year in Baseball Awards In 2010, MLB began referring to the awards as the "GIBBY Awards." (GIBBY is a backronym for Greatness in BaseBall Yearly.) In 2015, the awards were renamed by MLB as the "Esurance MLB Awards." The winners continue to receive a GIBBY trophy. Several new awards were added, including some that are based on social media. Each winner is selected by

18819-414: The pitcher persists in throwing the ball out of the batter's reach . Players on the batting team who reach first base without being called " out " can attempt to advance to subsequent bases as a runner, either immediately or during teammates' turns batting. The fielding team tries to prevent runs by using the ball to get batters or runners "out", which forces them out of the field of play. The pitcher can get

18972-441: The pitcher. A batter who hits the ball into the field of play must drop the bat and begin running toward first base, at which point the player is referred to as a runner (or, until the play is over, a batter-runner ). A batter-runner who reaches first base without being put out is said to be safe and is on base. A batter-runner may choose to remain at first base or attempt to advance to second base or even beyond—however far

19125-461: The pitcher—in the batting order, but does not field. Thus, even with the DH, each team still has a batting order of nine players and a fielding arrangement of nine players. The number of players on a baseball roster, or squad , varies by league and by the level of organized play. A Major League Baseball (MLB) team has a roster of 26 players with specific roles. A typical roster features the following players: Most baseball leagues worldwide have

19278-424: The player believes can be reached safely. A player who reaches base despite proper play by the fielders has recorded a hit . A player who reaches first base safely on a hit is credited with a single . If a player makes it to second base safely as a direct result of a hit, it is a double ; third base, a triple . If the ball is hit in the air within the foul lines over the entire outfield (and outfield fence, if there

19431-447: The playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along the foul lines. Many of the pre-game and in-game strategic decisions in baseball revolve around a fundamental fact: in general, right-handed batters tend to be more successful against left-handed pitchers and, to an even greater degree, left-handed batters tend to be more successful against right-handed pitchers. A manager with several left-handed batters in

19584-404: The possibility of a draw (which occurs because of the restrictions on time, which like in baseball, originally did not exist ) often encourages a team that is batting last and well behind, to bat defensively and run out the clock, giving up any faint chance at a win, to avoid an overall loss. While nine innings has been the standard since the beginning of professional baseball, the duration of

19737-456: The preceding decade's average of 3:18. In 2016, the average nine-inning playoff game in Major League baseball was 3 hours and 35 minutes. This was up 10 minutes from 2015 and 21 minutes from 2014. In response to the lengthening of the game, MLB decided from the 2023 season onward to institute a pitch clock rule to penalize batters and pitchers who take too much time between pitches; this had

19890-472: The previous season. Wright, along with José Reyes , arrived at the Mets' spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida two weeks early to get a head start on preparing themselves after a disappointing 2009 campaign. Wright came into camp heavier than he was in previous seasons, adding more muscle to his body. On Opening Day, Wright hit a two-run home run off of the Marlins' Josh Johnson in his first at-bat of

20043-463: The regular lineup, who knows the team will be facing a left-handed starting pitcher, may respond by starting one or more of the right-handed backups on the team's roster. During the late innings of a game, as relief pitchers and pinch hitters are brought in, the opposing managers will often go back and forth trying to create favorable matchups with their substitutions. The manager of the fielding team trying to arrange same-handed pitcher-batter matchups and

20196-527: The reserve clause was effectively struck down , leading to the free agency system . Significant work stoppages occurred in 1981 and 1994 , the latter forcing the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. Attendance had been growing steadily since the mid-1970s and in 1994, before the stoppage, the majors were setting their all-time record for per-game attendance. After play resumed in 1995, non-division-winning wild card teams became

20349-413: The rubric of MLB. In 2001, Barry Bonds established the current record of 73 home runs in a single season. There had long been suspicions that the dramatic increase in power hitting was fueled in large part by the abuse of illegal steroids (as well as by the dilution of pitching talent due to expansion), but the issue only began attracting significant media attention in 2002 and there was no penalty for

20502-560: The rules of MLB and Minor League Baseball , is that fields built or remodeled since June 1, 1958, must have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field and 400 feet (122 m) to center. Major league teams often skirt even this rule. For example, at Minute Maid Park , which became the home of the Houston Astros in 2000, the Crawford Boxes in left field are only 315 feet (96 m) from home plate. There are no rules at all that address

20655-449: The runner is touched by the ball, held in a fielder's hand, while not on a base. (The batter-runner is always forced to advance to first base, and any other runners must advance to the next base if a teammate is forced to advance to their base.) It is possible to record two outs in the course of the same play. This is called a double play . Three outs in one play, a triple play , is possible, though rare. Players put out or retired must leave

20808-501: The season. On April 27 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers , Wright reached the 1,000 hit mark against pitcher Ramón Troncoso in the bottom of the 5th inning as he hit a two-out RBI single scoring Center Fielder Ángel Pagán and giving the Mets a 4–3 lead. In the following inning, Wright hit a three-run triple to the right-center field wall, scoring Pagán, Luis Castillo , and José Reyes, and giving

20961-522: The second-most home runs hit by a player in a Mets uniform, behind Darryl Strawberry. Wright played in 112 games in 2013, batting .307 with 18 home runs, 58 RBIs and 17 steals. Wright was chosen as the "Face of MLB" in a contest online in February 2014. He narrowly beat out A's infielder Eric Sogard . Wright finished second in All-Star game voting for third base to the Brewers' Aramis Ramírez , making it only

21114-481: The seventh inning of a game at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres on August 9, 2005. With one out in the inning, Brian Giles hit a broken-bat blooper 20 feet (6.1 m) beyond the edge of the outfield grass. Wright, retreating quickly with his back to home plate, extended his bare right hand and caught the ball cleanly while crashing to the field. Wright maintained control of the ball after landing hard on

21267-456: The starting third baseman for the National League team in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game . In the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, Wright went 1-for-3. Wright also became the fourth Mets player to appear in at least seven All-Star games. On August 3, 2013, Wright was placed on the 15-day disabled list a day after he strained his right hamstring . Upon his return from the disabled list, Wright hit two home runs in his first two games, surpassing Mike Piazza for

21420-423: The team in average, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBI, doubles, and finishing second in home runs to Cliff Floyd (34). Wright was also in the top 10 in the National League for average, hits, total bases, RBI, extra-base hits, and runs. Wright's 24 errors tied him with Troy Glaus for the most errors by a third baseman in the major leagues. Wright made an over-the-shoulder barehanded catch during

21573-404: The third time in 10 seasons he had been left out. Second baseman Daniel Murphy represented the Mets at the 2014 All-Star Game. Wright's 2014 performance declined from previous years. He hit at a .269 clip, his lowest batting average since his 2011 season was shortened due to injury. Wright's .269/.324/.374 slash line was attributed to a recurring shoulder injury. Early in the season, he sustained

21726-412: The tournament with 10 RBI and a .438 batting average. Wright is a seven-time All-Star , a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a member of the 30–30 club . One of the most beloved players in franchise history, Wright is the Mets' all time leader in career plate appearances and holds many other franchise records for position players . He was named captain of

21879-580: The two major league champions against each other, was inaugurated that fall. The Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series led to the formation of the office of the Commissioner of Baseball . The first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis , was elected in 1920. That year also saw the founding of the Negro National League ; the first significant Negro league, it would operate until 1931. For part of

22032-505: The use of performance-enhancing drugs before 2004. In 2007, Bonds became MLB's all-time home run leader, surpassing Hank Aaron , as total major league and minor league attendance both reached all-time highs. Despite having been called "America's national pastime", baseball is well-established in several other countries. As early as 1877, a professional league, the International Association , featured teams from both Canada and

22185-529: Was an average game of 2:45. By 2014, though, the average MLB game took over three hours to complete. The lengthening of games is attributed to longer breaks between half-innings for television commercials, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play, with pitchers taking more time between each delivery, and batters stepping out of the box more frequently. Other leagues have experienced similar issues. In 2008, Nippon Professional Baseball took steps aimed at shortening games by 12 minutes from

22338-411: Was announced that Wright had made his 6th All-Star team, but as a backup to Pablo Sandoval . Wright led the All-Star vote for most of the year but was overtaken in the last week of voting. For the first half of the season, Wright was either atop or close to the top of the league in both batting average and on-base percentage, and led NL third basemen in average, OBP, slugging, hits and runs scored. After

22491-601: Was expected to return towards the end of the season. David Wright was placed on the 60-day DL for his spinal stenosis on July 24, 2015, to clear up space on the 40-man roster. On August 10, the Mets sent Wright on a rehab assignment to the St. Lucie Mets . Following Chase Utley 's August trade from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wright became the longest-tenured active player to have played his entire career with one team. His 1,516 games with

22644-555: Was formerly Fan Moment). Four categories were consolidated into two (for a total of 24): Breakout Player (from Breakout Everyday Player and Breakout Pitcher) and Performance (from Hitting Performance and Pitching Performance). Two categories were renamed: Best Major Leaguer (formerly Most Valuable Major Leaguer) and Best Major Leaguer, Postseason (formerly Postseason MVP). In 2016, five categories were dropped: Breakout Player, Bounceback Player, Celebrity Fan, MLB Interview, and Video Board Moment. Two categories were consolidated into one (for

22797-622: Was named the June 2010 National League Player of the Month after he hit .404 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs, and 29 RBIs. On July 13, 2010, Wright collected 2 hits and a stolen base in the 81st All-Star Game in Anaheim, bringing him to 6-for-13 in All-Star Game at-bats and tying him for fifth all-time in All-Star Game batting average. As of August 20, he more than doubled his home run total from 2009. Wright finished

22950-400: Was named the National League's Home Run Derby team captain for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game . He selected Carlos González , Michael Cuddyer , and Bryce Harper as the other three participants for the National League. Gonzalez, who was injured at the time, was later replaced by Pedro Alvarez. Wright would hit five home runs in the derby , but would not move on. On July 6, Wright was named

23103-521: Was ten minutes from his home. Wright took hitting lessons alongside fellow future Major Leaguer Michael Cuddyer in elementary school and played on teams with Ryan Zimmerman , Mark Reynolds , B.J. Upton and Justin Upton during high school. Wright played baseball at Hickory High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. He committed to play college baseball at Georgia Tech before his senior year of high school. As

23256-639: Was then placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career. Despite the injury to Wright, Mets General Manager Omar Minaya stated that there were no plans to shut him down for the remainder of the season. In fact, Wright was activated from the disabled list on September 1 and started at third base against the Colorado Rockies that evening. In that game, Wright wore a new style of batting helmet (the Rawlings S100). He abandoned that helmet after wearing it in that one game. Wright explained that he found

23409-522: Was voted on to his first MLB All-Star Game as the starting third baseman for the NL. During the 2006 season, Wright collected 74 RBIs before the All-Star Break, breaking the Mets record previously held by Mike Piazza, who had 72 RBIs in 2000. Wright also participated in the 2006 Home Run Derby , reaching the final round but finishing second to Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies . He hit 22 home runs in

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