David Wright not interested in full-time baseball job
Former Mets player David Wright misses baseball but does not want to work in it, even when his kids get older. Credit: Newsday/Timothy Healey
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright admits that he misses baseball — playing it, talking it, living it. But he is not interested in getting back in the game in any formal or time-consuming capacity, even when his young children grow up.
“I don’t think so. I guess never say never, but I enjoy doing less,” Wright said Thursday after arriving at Mets spring training, where he will spend several days as their latest guest instructor. “I’m excited to be around the game again and kind of get my fill. But I don’t see it becoming more of a full-time thing. I kind of like coming in for a few days, getting a taste and going back and doing the whole dad thing.”
And the whole dad thing, to be clear, keeps Wright busy in his post-playing life in Southern California. He and his wife Molly have three young kids: Olivia (turning 6 this year), Madison (turning 4) and Brooks (turning 2).
Olivia hasn’t shown much interest in baseball, Wright said. But he is trying to organize an all-girls team for Madison, and Brooks apparently is obsessed with the sport as much as any toddler can be.
“I think he's a lefty though, which is going to be a little challenging for me,” Wright said. “Every father gushes about their kids, but all the kid wants to do is play baseball and throw the ball and try to hit the ball. Got him working off a tee.”
With that keeping him busy, Wright is content with cameos at spring training and select series during the season (usually out west). He said he won’t be at Old-Timers’ Day in August — “I don’t consider myself old,” Wright, 39, noted — and had planned to attend the Tom Seaver statue unveiling but can’t make the new date (April 15).
One occasion that would inspire a Citi Field visit: The official retirement of his No. 5, which seems inevitable. Wright joked that he “should probably go start lobbying.”
“If it happens, great,” Wright said. “If not, I’ve never been one to go out there and search for or look for awards or accolades or any of that stuff.”
Pitching plans
Taijuan Walker threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings (54 pitches) against the Nationals on Thursday, sneaking in an extra partial inning when the pregame plan called for three because he had the pitches to spare.
He is aiming for five innings/75 pitches in his first regular-season start after being slowed by January right knee surgery.
"I might be a little ahead of that now," he said.
The final camp outing for Max Scherzer (scrimmage on Saturday) is threatened by rain. The Mets will use the mounds recently installed in the batting cages if necessary, manager Buck Showalter said.
Righthander Tylor Megill and lefthander David Peterson each threw five innings in a scrimmage against mostly Mets minor-leaguers Thursday.
Extra bases
When the Nationals scratched their righthander (Erick Fedde) for a lefthander (Josh Rogers), the Mets responded with a tweaked lineup, highlighted by J.D. Davis replacing Dominic Smith at DH . . . Robinson Cano appeared sound while playing first base against the Nationals, making a pretty play in corralling third baseman Eduardo Escobar’s wide throw and applying a tag to runner Lane Thomas . . . Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha each lost a fly ball in the twilight/bright stadium lights. “If you can’t see them, you can’t catch them,” Showalter said. “It’s a really helpless feeling.” . . . The Mets sent reliever Stephen Nogosek to the minors.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
