    
Since the season I can’t wait to begin forgetting is coming to a end, I think it is time to address the future of this ball club. There will be plenty of time to discuss the trades and free agent signings. It is time to examine the role of David Wright.Â
    This weekend, Carlos Delgado had another setback. His return to the Mets this season is gone and who knows about next year.  His presence in the clubhouse and on the field has been missed by everyone,  including  Jerry Manuel, who admits Delgado’s plays an important role of the “Leadership core”. But let’s be honest, since Delgado, Beltran, Reyes and countless others, have gone on the DL, there has been only one constant, David Wright.  Now don’t think I don’t know what your thinking.
    David Wright has not been Mr. Clutch at the plate, his home runs and RBI’s have been the lowest of his career.  Even though he is a base hitting machine, he had not been the power hitter of the past.   He’s having a roller coaster year at best.
    This is not the issue here.
    If this organization is to make any moves in the off-season, the first one it should do is make David Wright the Captain.
     You read that correctly.
    David Wright has lead this team throught one of it’s toughest years. Day in and day out, David has been a front and center, begging his way into the lineup, being vocal on the field, talking to the press, and never, never making excuses for the team or himself.Â
    You tell me, can you find any other player like this? I can, he is the Captain for the team across town.Â
    Is David ready for this?  I can’t answer that.  In my eyes, he has already been the Captain, just not officially. But I think it is time that the Mets make it so.
    It is time to pull him in the office and shut the door.
    It time to open the books and make him a Made Man.
    The last day of the season will be one of relief for all Met fans. It has been a very frustrating year for everyone.Â
    Let’s go into this winter with a clear cut direction, give David the reins of this team and let him put his own stamp on it. Put a C on his chest and let him lead the team out on the field in 2010.
    Hey, he earned it.
43 comments
Mr North Jersey
9/20/2009-10:55pm at 10:55 pm (UTC -4)
Welcome Gonzo, I think making Wright Captain is a good idea but I don’t know what is the protocol for doing so? Is it the players that decide or upper management? I am sure most Mets fans will agree it should be done.
stickguy
9/20/2009-11:20pm at 11:20 pm (UTC -4)
welcome. congratulationson your 1st piece for the “for the people, by the people” blog.
With that out of the way, I completely disagree. Not that DW shouldn’t take a “leadership” role, but that they should make him the captain. Captain in BB is a nonsense idea, and citing Jeter doesn’t help your case any.
If you are going to lead, it needs to be by example. And the only way anybody is going to “follow” a guy is if they respect him, and the way he plays the game (or I suppose they are afraid of him!) Putting a “C” on his chest (does even Jeter do this?) isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.
I believe that the clubhouse aspect (chemistry or leaders) is overrated. They need more talent, not a captain. Losing Delgado’s offensive production hurt and cost them wins, but I really doubt that removing his presence from the clubhouse added any. And even if it did (guys relaxed, or whatever the reason, without the godfather around), how is DW being captain going to help? If Delgado comes back, willit make him check his ego at the door, and become a follower?
anyway, other than this minor quibble, interesting peice.
Mr North Jersey
9/20/2009-11:40pm at 11:40 pm (UTC -4)
I agree we need more talent that being said giving Wright a C on his jersey is not a negative either is it?
If Wright is given a C would it be deserved?
I admit that the idea of making someone a captain is something that I am not familiar with at all. I know Jeter is the Captain but do not recall the chain of events that made him captain and do not know what is the protocol in doing so.
I would appreciate if anyone knows how a player is given the title of captain in the past to share here their knowledge.
I think Wright is the captain already but the ceremony if done right and not as a publicity stunt to give him a C would be something that looking back could be a special thing.
Does making Wright a captain improve the team? No of course not.
Again I believe a Leader leads by example and that is what Wright has tried to do in 2009 giving him a C to me as a fan is an honor and a privilege that few people in MLB history have ever had the honor to enjoy.
Does Wright deserve such an honor bestowed upon him? I do not know but if anyone ever did Wright would surely would be one of them.
stickguy
9/21/2009-12:03am at 12:03 am (UTC -4)
I guess it wouldn’t hurt. heck, make santana and K rod co-captains for the pen and SPs too.
But, do you really have any faith that the Mets wouldn’t screw this up and end up lampooned for it?
That, and I really can’t say that DW earned it, since I also have no idea what the criteria was supposed to be.
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2009-12:34am at 12:34 am (UTC -4)
You see but when you say “heck, make santana and K rod co-captains for the pen and SPs too” are you making light of the honor of being named a captain is?
DW earned it? Good question that is what needs to be asked. What is the criteria for being named captain?
Again if you ask me Wright is already the Leader/Captain of the NY Mets this team is his to lead and it is just a question does he want it or not.
2009 will be known for many bad things but one of the good things to me will be the maturity of Wright to take all the adversity and deal with it and fight through it every day and lead by example.
Captain is a title few can say they ever had and is not something to be taken lightly if Wright is not ready for that C and all it represents then he definitely should decline any idea of it.
One day we Mets fans may be privileged enough to have a player come along that embodies many of the same qualities Jeter has that made him a captain and he can be the captain of our team.
I think and hope Wright might be that man and would love to see if he has what it takes to wear that C on his jersey.
stickguy
9/21/2009-12:05am at 12:05 am (UTC -4)
How about this. Instead of captain, make him player manager!
anything to get rid of Jerry.
Oh yeah, one other point. It seems that DW has a tendancy to press, and try to do to much when the team needs him (trying too hard). If that is true, can you imagine what being the captain might do to him?
darknova306
9/21/2009-6:13am at 6:13 am (UTC -4)
This is going to be harsh and may not sit well with some, but the only “C” I see when I look at our core guys is the one that stands for Choke. Until they’ve wiped away the stain of ’07, no one deserves a Captain’s C on this team. Maybe that’s how Wright can earn it: lead us back to the postseason by picking up the team in September when it starts its usual tank-job.
trs86
9/21/2009-7:41am at 7:41 am (UTC -4)
Well if you look at Wright’s September’s in 2007 and 2008 he certainly did TRY and carry the team on his back. His stats were incredible both times. Of course then there will be some that throw that all away because of one boneheaded ab.
darknova306
9/21/2009-8:45am at 8:45 am (UTC -4)
2007:
August – 394/516/657 6HR 21RBI
Sept – 352/432/602 6HR 20RBI
C’mon, now, that’s EASILY wiped out by one AB.
darknova306
9/21/2009-9:22am at 9:22 am (UTC -4)
Forgot to mention that that’s sarcasm, in case it’s not obvious.
trs86
9/21/2009-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
I would hope all would know that. LOL.
trs86
9/21/2009-7:49am at 7:49 am (UTC -4)
I think like it or not David Wright IS the face of the franchise. I am not sure he ask for it at all but because of his age, ability, face, and relationship with the media he will be for years to come. I will venture to say that to the Wilpons the only 100% untouchable is David Wright.
trs86
9/21/2009-7:53am at 7:53 am (UTC -4)
Oh and by the way, nice first post there Gonzo.
metsfan4decades
9/21/2009-8:10am at 8:10 am (UTC -4)
Welcome and nice piece.
Anyone know how old, or how long Jeter was up before they made him Captain?
I have to agree with TRS: probably one of the only untouchables, if not the only one, is DWright. I’d like nothing more than to see him end his career as a NY Met.
I don’t agree with dnova that no one deserves to be Captain until the ‘stain of ’07′ is erased. First of all, what’s the criteria for erasing that anyway? Just getting to the Post season or winning it all? And naming an individual as a Captain has nothing to do with a team making it to post season. Any one player can’t get the team there all by himself, it’s a team effort.
As to whether or not DWright should be made Captain? I really don’t feel that strongly one way or another. To me, he is the face of the franchise and already is the unofficial Captain of this team.
wannybackstra
9/21/2009-8:16am at 8:16 am (UTC -4)
It seems every year someone wants to knock Wright’s “clutch hitting” ability. Now the argument is made because of his lack of power this season. I don’t think Derek Jeter is thought of as a clutch hitter because of his power.
Anyway, David has hit .331 .400 .471 w/ RISP, .275 .414 .420 late and close, .352 .430 .519 in high leverage, .336 .412 .496 with men on base.
The only area he has struggled are with 2 outs and RISP: .217 .319 .333 (60 at bats). Of course, the alexes of the world will claim that is the only clutch situation…
trs86
9/21/2009-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
That is unless of course those numbers were good and then they would go back to “I have seen it, Every time I watch he chokes, I see the look in his eye. That AB made him a choker”…. Well if that’s the truth then the main problem we have is you watching. Obviously based on stats the only time he does not come through is when you are watching. So for the good of the team, stop watching.
wannybackstra
9/21/2009-10:38am at 10:38 am (UTC -4)
LOL.
Francoeur was almost the new goat. Afterall, Dan Murphy lead off a September inning with a triple and Frenchy struck out! Lucky for him, his teammates picked him up. And because of that, Frenchy won’t pick up a ridiculous stigma.
prismo
9/21/2009-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
Welcome Gonzo! Now let’s see you post in the comments section, so I know you’re not a ROBOT.
trs86
9/21/2009-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
LOL, he may be one of those guys unlike us. He may in fact either A have a job that cares or B have a life.
metro
9/21/2009-10:29am at 10:29 am (UTC -4)
I don’t really agree that Wright has “earned” it. I’m not saying he isn’t a great player (down year or not) but that doesn’t make one a leader. As much as the Mets (and their fans) want to shoehorn Wright into this “leadership” role I have yet to see anything that suggests that is really part of his personality. Now maybe when Delgado (seen by most in the clubhouse to be the leader of the team) leaves we will see something different from David Wright but as of right now I see no reason to put a “C” on a player who may retire the best (or one of the top 2) best offensive players we have ever had yet still may not be a “leader”.
trs86
9/21/2009-10:35am at 10:35 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm, I think before this year I would have agreed. This year, I think both on the field and off the field and from what we can tell in the clubhouse he has taken that leadership role. Now that’s not to say that a team only needs one leader so lets put him captain but I have seen him mature into a more vocal leader.
metro
9/21/2009-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
Tough to be a leader of veteran players when you haven’t won anything yourself. I love Wright don’t get me wrong, I just don’t think he is what you would call a “natural” leader. To be perfectly honest even ON the field when the team needed him most he didn’t step up. Obviously this season has NOTHING to do with David Wright’s “poor” year but when the Mets were still ” in it” Wright struggled. I don’t recall too many instances of younger players citing Wright as an influence or someone they come to for advice while we have heard this regarding players such as Delgado and Beltran (I remember Beltran seeking out Wright and Reyes to workout with him). I hate to sound “anti” Wright, I just think putting a C on his chest coming off his worst season and a pathetic season for the franchise seems like your “putting lipstick on a pig” and would ring hollow. Could Wright one day be the captain of the Mets? Sure, who else is more deserving other than possibly Carlos Beltran but right now, I don’t think the timing is right.
trs86
9/21/2009-11:10am at 11:10 am (UTC -4)
Did you look back on what Wright’s stats were when we were still in it?
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2009-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
I don’t understand “As much as the Mets (and their fans) want to shoehorn Wright into this “leadership†role I have yet to see anything that suggests that is really part of his personality” what has Wright not done that a leader does since the day he broke into the majors?
If we have to discuss if Wright is the leader of the Mets then I guess it is probably not time for him to be appointed the Captain but since you can never get everyone to see eye to eye on anything here are some descriptions of what is a leader.
A leader by its meaning is one who goes first and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him.
To be a leader, a person must have a deep-rooted commitment to the goal that he will strive to achieve it even if nobody follows him!
A requirement for leadership is personal vision – the ability to visualize your goal as an accomplished fact; a thing already achieved and the realization that the goal cannot be achieved alone, without the help of others.
A leader is someone who people choose to follow
A leader influences others to do things that they may not otherwise do.
Ideally, the effective leader is a person of integrity.
Does Wright embody these characteristics?
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
the definition of a “leader” is subjective by nature. Everyone has their definition of it. I agree kinda with metro here. The met fans already hail wright as the next jeter but he really hasnt shown that winner trait just yet. He is still finding himself imo and until wright is comfortable with himself and knows his ability…we will not know what we can expect from him
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2009-11:10am at 11:10 am (UTC -4)
I see that angle also and like I said b4 if we have to discuss it then probably Wright is not ready plus I still do not know what is the protocol to make a player the Captain of a team.
Sounds like the biggest reason people have for Wright not being a Capt is not coming thru enough in big spots consistently or being a winner.
I agree if that is that part of the criteria then Wright is not ready to be Capt.
I just would like to know how many players have had the title of Capt in the last 25 years so I could compare Wright to them to get a better sense of things.
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
i dont know if people were named officially captian but i know definatly jeter was named captian…john franco was captian of the mets for a while
metro
9/21/2009-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Again, as I pointed out in my original response, David Wright is a GREAT player. But this team has been said to be “splintered” for the past 2+ seasons now, if Wright is this supposed “leader” does this not reflect poorly on his leadership skills? I hate to keep harping on Jeter but often we hear other Yankees rave about Jeter’s leadership skills and how cool and calm he is under pressure. I have never read similar comments from other Mets from Wright. We never heard Wright working with or pulling Murphy aside. Does David Wright a person of integrity? Absolutely but I have never seen or heard anything regarding Wright as a teammate that makes him stand out over other players. Why is Wright the leader of Beltran? What separates those two players? As a matter of fact at least with Beltran we have read in in the papers that he has a strong effect on Jose Reyes, where are such examples with Wright? Seems to be when Floyd left, Delgado took over the leadership role and when Delgado leaves we shall see who steps up as the next team leader.
metro
9/21/2009-11:10am at 11:10 am (UTC -4)
I also think it is likely not the best timing to name Wright “Captain” coming off such a “up and down” season. We ALL know how hard Wright is on himself and how hard he works (remember them limiting how much pre-game work he could do while with St. Lucie?) why put EXTRA pressure on the guy right now? Let Wright do his thing and if he is meant to be “Captain” it will just happen. I want Wright’s off-season spent relaxing and then focusing on settling on one swing/stance (yes I know Cal Ripken used many)and have a huge 2010 without any extra “created” pressure.
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2009-11:20am at 11:20 am (UTC -4)
I agree if being named captain is something that will be construed as pressure then Wright should not in any way be given such a title.
I feel 2009 was the year Wright crossed that line from standing back in respect to his veteran teammates to taking the reigns and being out in the forefront to lead by example.
If my opinion is correct then we will know soon enough.
The C is nothing but a title that while an honor to receive is something that is not needed to identify a player as a team’s leader.
If Wright is such a player we will all surely know this way before he is ever given a C I suppose.
trs86
9/21/2009-11:15am at 11:15 am (UTC -4)
You make great points. As I said, I am not looking at 2007 or 2008 but 2009 and to me this year he became much closer to a leader or captain.
metro
9/21/2009-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
No problem with Wright becoming captain of the Mets. He is the “obvious” choice. I just don’t think there is any rush to make the move. Jeter was the “captain” without the C, the C was just a formality, sometime soon hopefully Wright is so obviously the captain that the “C” is a formality. But doing it now (to me at least) would simply be a nice honor for Wright and something for the fans to applaud. I think the honor would be somewhat hollow without being the true “leader”. With Delgado likely gone, Schneider likely gone and Wagner gone I think 2010 will give numerous players (including Wright) a chance to emerge as the “leader”
trs86
9/21/2009-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
True.
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-11:16am at 11:16 am (UTC -4)
Wright did pull pelf and talk to him…and unless wright knows spanish lol i dont think he can get through to the other half of the team lol. I do agree that the jeteresque quality is just no present with david…yet. I think he can be the captian of the team but he is just not there yet. He took major strides this season imo. I mean for a guy like jeter to be thought of as the guy the yankees want in a clutch situation on a team that has alex rodriguez, mark texieria and jorge posada….that says alot. David is just not there yet imo and still has a long way to go
stickguy
9/21/2009-10:42am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
Hey TRS, your friend is still looking for you (this was in a comments section to a post with the startling revelation that the Mets need a #2 SP).
alex242 says:
September 21, 2009 at 10:31 am
where r u the real since????????
Log in to Reply
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
lol THE BLACK MAMBA!!!
metsfan4decades
9/21/2009-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
HAHAHA – now it would be an interesting off season in this blog’s comments section of Alex found his way over here, wouldn’t it?
metsfan4decades
9/21/2009-11:00am at 11:00 am (UTC -4)
And somebody please explain to me how Alex passed ‘the audition’…..
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-11:03am at 11:03 am (UTC -4)
ahahahha thats a very good question…i think alex plays more to matts doomsday pov better than real.
trs86
9/21/2009-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
Well, damn, IF I could post I would invite him over. LOL.
dirtysanchez
9/21/2009-10:52am at 10:52 am (UTC -4)
Nice first post gonz and welcome
I think David took major strides toward being the captian of this team. I dont think he is quite there yet but like i said he took a giant leap. Everyone anointed david with being the captain and i think one day he will be but not yet. He needs to be more clutch imo. He had several opportuinites to get the big hit but ended up striking out. I think he could be a mike piazza type captian…never appointed captian but everyone knew he was(sorry franco but you know its true)
Kingman 26
9/21/2009-11:46am at 11:46 am (UTC -4)
Great idea, could not agree more.
From the way Wright has confronted Pelf to calling Jerry and teammates out for their sloppy unpreparedness, Wright has taken the leadership role we all waited for him to take.
Give him the C on his shirt and watch him continue to lead.
wannybackstra
9/21/2009-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see why someone needs to wear a C or to be named the captain. This is not the NFL or the NHL where the captains have at least nominal roles during the games (in the NHL the refs confer with or advise the letter wearers).
C or not, Wright is the guy with the microphones in front of his face (arguably by default in some instances) and is the guy the fans and his teammates rely on to lead the team.