All winter, I’ve almost made an assumption David Wright’s 2014 campaign was a fluke. As a fan, I am banking on that assumption.
So is the team. In fact, they’re desperately hoping it was a fluke.
By his own admission, it was an awful year for the now 10-year major league veteran. He saw a reduction in production, his power get zapped by what was claimed to be the result of a shoulder injury.
It was sad watching him go through these doldrums last year.
He was clearly frustrated and angry with the way his season was unfolding, and he made no bones about how badly things were going for him. Yet, he made no excuses whatsoever, even if he firmly believed in his gut that the shoulder had been the culprit for his miserable season.
Though in watching, talking to and listening to him during spring training, it seems as though he’s refreshed and rejuvinated. pent the bulk of his winter at Barwis Methods in Port St. Lucie and now insists his shoulder problems are in the past. While it’s early in spring, the proof has been in the pudding during his at-bats.
On Saturday, Wright hit a long, three-run home run to centerfield. That homer has followed a consistent theme for Wright all spring, as he’s featured those classic quick hands with a short swing with batted balls going consistently the other way.
Just like old times.
He seems like the David Wright of old, toting the swagger, demeanor and sense of humor which has defined him in recent years. He’s got fans all over the place. Whether it’s in the stands, the clubhouse he commands, or even his own manager. In fact, it’s more than fandom – he has an allegiance which has a deep respect for what he’s accomplished, and all that is hoped as he heads into the second phase of his career.
Look, I have no shame in admitting my vision could be skewed. After all, I am a die-hard David Wright fan – I haven’t been afraid to admit that. But, I can’t ignore who he is and what he has done in his career when I put faith in the fluke I believe his 2014 was.
Fan or not, all I can do is bet on all that was prior to 2014, including the person, when I put faith into his future.
Just Mets 