With the start of the regular season just a week away, All-Star Mets third baseman David Wright took a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What have you learned about this Mets team this spring?
A: I think that there’s been very few times where I’ve read the hype, or kinda listened to what people from outside the organization say about our young prospects or our young players, and this is the first time that I can remember making it a point to go to the back fields to watch these young players play, and look at it, and say to myself, “You know what? The hype matches how good these players are. I’m not sure that fully answers the question, but … excitement. Just a crazy amount of energy, and a lot of optimism.
Q: Tell me what you’ve observed about Noah Syndergaard.
A: I love his work ethic. … He’s built like an innings-eater. And I think the mentality, and just I think his desire for excellence, the short period of time that I got to know him was fairly impressive.
Q: How does his stuff compare to Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler or both?
A: It’s kinda like comparing apples to oranges. I think that each one of those guys is different in their own way. … He obviously throws really hard. And I think that he’s got a really big curveball. I think with him, it’s just getting ahead in the count, being able to throw his offspeed pitches for strikes, and that’s something that makes Harvey, Harvey, is that he can blow you away with a 97 mph fastball, but also, he gets 2-0 in the count, he can drop the slider, an offspeed there for a strike when you’re not expecting it. That’s kinda what separates him — Harvey — from everybody else.
Q: What have you observed about Wheeler that’s different from a year ago?
A: The confidence. I think the attitude that he knows he belongs. It’s more of a preparation to get ready to get ready for the season rather than trying to open up people’s eyes. He knows what it takes, he’s had a little bit of experience and now this year’s a buildup to get ready for the season, not so much, “I have to go out there and try to impress every bullpen, every start.”
Q: What do you remember about the day you learned Harvey would need surgery, and how big of an emotional blow was it?
A: Obviously, you felt for Matt. … Selfishly, you feel for kinda the team because you know that’s usually a 12-month recovery. But it’s not the first time you have an injury in baseball. I mean it’s just part of the game, so you can kinda treat it one of two ways — you either hang your head and mope around, or you get past it, and you realize that Matt’s gonna do everything he can to rehab and get back. And you look at the pieces that we do have. I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for some of these young pitchers that we talked about that have to step up and not necessarily be Matt Harvey, but to try to take a few steps to fill those shoes.
Q: Do you have to caution Harvey about rushing back this season?
A: Matt’s smart enough to know what’s at stake, both for him personally and us as a team. You want that competitive spirit for him to do whatever he can to get back. At the same time, he’s gonna have to lean on our rehab guys and our physical therapists to make sure that you pump the brakes every now and then. You want the competitive side to try to make it a challenge and to try to progress, but you have to do it the right way, the smart way, and I think that we have plenty of people surrounding Matt that are gonna help him get to that conclusion.
Q: Describe Curtis Granderson.
A: As soon as the offseason started, I was telling my brothers and my friends, “This would be a great sign for us.” The back of the baseball card speaks for itself. There’s not too many players in this game that have multiple 40-home run seasons. On top of that, [look at] some of those monster years he had in Detroit. But what has impressed me in the past, what continues to impress me now, is just the presence. He walks in the door, and our young outfielders kinda gravitate towards him — to see how he prepares, to see the way he works, to kinda emulate him in his routine. And that comes along with being a winner, having those successful individual years, being on winning teams, thriving in New York. So he’s been as good as advertised, and even better.
Q: Talk about him protecting you in the lineup.
A: You want a good lineup from top to bottom, no question. It’s a lot more fun when you’re hitting in a good lineup. But I think a lot of times, if you start worrying about who’s hitting behind you, who’s hitting in front of you, you kinda lose focus on what your job is and what’s your task at hand. If I go up there for an at-bat, and I say, “You know what? I think this pitcher might try to pitch around me.” Then I’m not prepared to hit if he [doesn’t] pitched around me, or if he does a make a mistake and throws one down the middle, I’m not ready to hit. Once I start worrying about that, I lose focus at the task at hand for me when I’m in the batter’s box.
Q: Chris Young.
A: He’s a couple of years removed from having All-Star-caliber seasons. Him and Curtis have forged a pretty strong bond already in camp, where they’re kinda working out together, they’re going over things. … Our athleticism in the outfield, I’ll put our defense in the outfield up against anybody in the league. We got four legitimate center fielders vying for three outfield spots, so that’s gonna play well in our big outfield, and those guys are gonna be able to run it down and go get it.
Q: Bartolo Colon.
A: I mean, he’s just a bulldog, strike thrower. Had a chance to face him in a couple live BPs, and I mean just in, out, up, down. You put the glove there and he’s gonna hit the glove. It’s very, very impressive to watch. Travis d’Arnaud puts the glove up, and that ball’s gonna hit the mitt. Just kinda that control, that mentality where, “Here it is, come get it,” that a lot of our pitchers can learn from that where you don’t have to necessarily make the perfect pitch, or go out there and waste a lot of pitches. Bartolo comes right after you, he hits his spots, he works hard, and those are the types of guys you love playing defense behind, the guys that challenge hitters and want the hitters to put the ball in play.
Q: d’Arnaud.
A: This year, it’s his pitching staff. It’s his job to prepare our starting pitchers with the game plans. I think that he enjoys that role, that he’s thrived in that role so far. And I think that knowing that this is his job, allows him to kinda take a deep breath, relax a little bit, and he’ll feel more comfortable as well.
Q: Is that true he’s very good at framing pitches?
A: One of the best. Henry Blanco, who I think’s one of the best receivers that I’ve ever played with, and I hate to throw out a Yadier Molina, but kinda the same thing, the way he receives the ball is very impressive.
Q: What kind of a catcher are the Yankees getting in Brian McCann?
A: Tremendous. One of my favorites in the game. If you gave me a short list of players that I’m a fan of, Brian McCann would be on that list.
Q: Why?
A: First of all, the approach that he brings to a game. I mean, he singlehandedly beat us for years, so I’m glad to see him go from the division. But just the presence again. He’s a guy that could change the game offensively, and then the passion that he has for calling a game for his pitching staff. There’s not too many catchers that are as well-rounded as Brian. So I think a combination of what he kinda brings to the table both on the field and in the clubhouse, puts him on that list as one of my favorite players.
Q: What would your advice be to Carmelo Anthony as to whether he should stay in New York?
A: I feel very passionate about this organization. And for me, could I have gone to an organization that might be … a little closer to winning? Of course. Would it mean nearly as much to me? Of course not. For me, I think the loyalty, the challenge of, at the end of my career, I want to give these New York Met fans teams that they can be proud of, and for me, it would mean the world to me to go through everything that I’ve gone through, the little taste of the playoffs in 2006, some pretty big steps backwards, some ugly times … and get this thing turned around in the direction that I think we’re going, would mean the world to me, and that would satisfy that competitive side of me. … That’s what would make me ultimately the most proud.
Q: And there’s no better place to do it better than in New York.
A: In my eyes, this is the greatest sports stage in the world. There’s no greater atmosphere, there’s no bigger stage than doing it in New York, no question.
Q: So how bright is that light at the end of the tunnel?
A: That’s what you play for. When I’m in November, December, January, when I’m ready for a workout … that’s what I imagine. … And I think that’s kind of the force that continues to drive me is that I had a little taste of it and it’s so addicting. I maybe took it for granted after 2006 that, “Hey, this is gonna be a yearly thing,” Well, you fast-forward seven years or eight years, however long it’s been, and I haven’t had that taste again. And to experience it the one time and then haven’t gone back is obviously frustrating, but it drives you, it lights that fire under you to do everything you can to get back there.
Q: You don’t think it’s an improbable, faraway dream, do you?
A: No, absolutely not. I think that’s well within our reach. We as an organization, from top to bottom, are gonna have to take that next step. ’Cause it’s one thing to kinda get it turned around and take baby steps in that direction that we’ve discussed, but to take that next big step, everybody’s gonna have to improve from top to bottom.
Q: You’re not on Twitter.
A: For me, I just never got too much into the social media thing. It’s never been something that really interests me too much, to be honest.
Q: How much do you enjoy being Captain?
A: Love it. Love it. It’s probably, up to this point, the single biggest individual honor in my career, to be named Captain of this franchise. I grew up a Mets fan, it’s well-documented I was drafted by this team, developed by this team, made a name for myself with this team, and now to be Captain of this team, it means the world to me.
Q: What do you recall about your first Opening Day?
A: The funny thing is this is, pretty much every Opening Day, not just my first Opening Day but … it’s a sleepless night the night before. You wake up … it’s like Christmas morning for baseball for me — those anxious, nervous butterflies that you get.
Q: Now that you’re a married man, might you consider double-dating with Derek Jeter?
A: (Laugh) I don’t think Derek needs any help.
Q: What kind of season do you think he’ll go out with?
A: Nothing short of spectacular. There’s some people that you obviously root for, even though they wear a different uniform. And there’s some people, it just seems like they have the flair for the dramatic, that they’re able to kinda write their own story, and Derek’s at the top of that list. Whatever he wants to do this year, he’s probably gonna be able to do.
Q: What do you expect it to be like being a married man for the first time as you start a new season?
A: For me, it’s kind of the same old for me. I’m so kinda routine-oriented that my routine kinda stays the same. Nothing really changes as far as the baseball aspect of it.
Q: Describe Molly for me.
A: A calming influence. I think that it helps me as far as in the baseball world, because I do have that influence from the outside that’s helping me out.
Q: What is it about her that made you want to make her Mrs. Wright?
A: For me it was just, when you know, you know. And I knew.
Q: How did you propose?
A: I’m not the most romantic person in the world, but I came up with a little something that I’ll keep between me and her (chuckle). I get accused often for not being the most romantic, but I think I did a pretty good job.
Q: Do you think it will easy for you to juggle? Jeter never married because he wanted to solely devote himself to baseball.
A: Yeah. For me, I think it’ll even help me out. I’ve had problems in the past of kinda taking baseball home with me. And I think that this will help me out in the fact that I’ll be able to separate the two, and I think ultimately that’ll make me a better player because I won’t dwell so much on, especially when I’m struggling, when the team’s struggling, I have a tendency to just constantly think about it. And I think kinda having the completion, will allow me to kinda separate things and thus, I think, become a better player.
Q: You don’t feel guilty about breaking all those teeny boppers’ hearts?
A: (Laugh) I’m 31 now. … I’m into my 30s, which is difficult for me to say. Like I said, when you know you know, and I know.
Q: What do you mean when you talk about the perks of winning in New York?
A: I’ve gotten to have dinner at the White House with President Bush. … I’ve been very fortunate to do some partnership deals with some really cool companies. … I’ve had the opportunity to just do a ridiculous amount of cool things that I’d never have the opportunity to do without baseball, and I don’t lose sight of that.
Q: Would not winning a World Series be unfulfilling for your career?
A: Yes. No question.
Q: And how driven are you to win one?
A: This organization is excellent at kind of cherishing the tradition. A lot of my minor league coaches were ’86 Mets. I’ve had a tremendous relationship with Tom Seaver. I was having conversations with Gary Carter up until he passed. Howard Johnson … now you have Tim Teufel, Keith Hernandez in the booth, Ron Darling in the booth, Straw stops by, Doc stops by — these are the icons of New York Mets baseball. And, they were great players, but even more importantly, they were winners. And that’s what New York remembers, is winners. Ultimately, that’s what I want to be remembered for, is winning in New York. There’ve been plenty of great individual seasons, but quite frankly, Mets fans don’t really care. They want winners, and that’s what is cherished and remembered. And I see it firsthand, the way that people yell at Teuf, and the way that they yell at these guys. That’s the way I want to be remembered.
Q: Your 2014 goals: stay healthy and improve?
A: The biggest quote that stays with me to this day is: If what you did yesterday still looks big today, you haven’t done much today. I think that’s baseball in a nutshell.
Q: What would your message be to Mets fans who are as starving to win as you are?
A: Exactly that. That I’m in the same boat as you. I’m one of you. It’s been very difficult. Obviously, being responsible for some of the bad seasons that we’ve had these last few years. And as a baseball fan, as a player that has this connection for this organization and to these fans, I feel you. I want to do everything in my power to give them a team that they feel proud of. And I feel like that’s my responsibility, and that’s something that I want to give to these fans that have been with us through thick and thin.
Q: And you feel like you’re close to giving it to them.
A: Yes, I feel like we’re a lot closer than the expectations from the outside. … We’re a lot closer than I think people think.
Q: So you think this team is ready to shock the world.
A: Yeah. I mean, that’s the attitude in this clubhouse. And if there’s anybody in the clubhouse that doesn’t believe that, then we don’t want ’em here.