First off let me just say that today’s column is purely speculative and to paraphrase most investment sites “prior results are not indicative of future outcomes.”
With David Wright signing this past week to an eight year extension which may possibly bring him to his retirement as a Met I began to wonder if he could be a serious candidate to enter Cooperstown once he hangs up his cleats.
Here are David’s numbers from his first eight professional seasons. He has a lifetime batting average of .301 with 1426 hits, 204 home runs and 818 RBI. His on base percentage is .381 and his slugging percentage is a gaudy .506. If you could predict that his next eight seasons are anywhere close to his first eight it is possible that he will finish with a batting average over .300, close to – if not more than – 3,000 hits, around 400-450 homers, and somewhere in the range of 1,600-1,700 RBI.
Obviously many things can happen in the next eight seasons. Wright can suffer from severe injuries or he may lose a step due to age, but it is quite possible that his numbers may improve. Two of the last three seasons Wright suffered from injuries which limited his playing time and in return stifled some of his statistics. It is possible that if he is as healthy as he was this past season and management is able to supply him protection in the batting order like he had earlier in his career his numbers may improve. But like I said there are many X factors that can happen between now and 2020 when this contract is set to expire. Wright might hold almost every Met offensive record by that time, and it is quite possible he will be closer to setting foot into the Hall Of Fame as the only player in Cooperstown to exclusively wear a Mets uniform.
I just hope that I am proved right .
And with that said …. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Middle reliever from the ’65 and ’66 seasons Dave Eilers is 76 (1936).
Mets third baseman from ’69-’76 Wayne Garrett is 65 (1947).
Reserve outfielder from the ’83 season Mark Bradley is 56 (1956).
Outfielder from ’99-’01 Darryl Hamilton is 48 (1964).
Reserve third baseman from the ’97 season Kevin Morgan is 43 (1969).
Middle reliever from ’95-’96 Paul Byrd is 42 (1970).
Middle reliever from ’09-’10 Tobi Stoner is 28 (1984).
Sadly on this date the Mets lost two members of their extended family.
Spot starter/middle reliever from 1962-1965 Bob Moorhead in 1986.
Middle reliever from the ’62 season Herb Moford passed away in 2005.
The New York Mets trade outfielder Amos Otis and Bob Johnson to the Kansas City Royals for third baseman Joe Foy on December 3, 1969.This ranks up there as one of the worst Mets trades ever!
The New York Mets traded minor league prospects Arsenio Diaz, Don Koonce, Billy Carthal, and Curtis Brown to the Montreal Expos for reserve outfielder Jim Gosgeron on December 3, 1971.
The New York Mets traded closer Tug McGraw and reserve outfielders Don Hahn and Dave Sceneck to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher John Stearn , outfielder Del Unser and reliever Mac Scarce on December 3, 1974. Although we got Stearns in return this trade haunted the Mets for years.
The New York Mets signed free agent second baseman Kelvin Chapman on December 3, 1975.
The Toronto Blue Jays drafted reserve outfielder Lou Thornton from the Mets on December 3, 1984.
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Junior Ortiz from the Mets on December 3, 1984.
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted second baseman Brian Giles from the Mets on December 3, 1984.
The Mets drafted middle reliever Doug Simons from the Minnesota Twins on December 3, 1990.
The New York Mets signed free agent middle reliever Satoru Komiyama on December 3, 2001.
The New York Mets traded middle reliever Mike Stanton to the New York Yankees for middle reliever Felix Heredia on December 3, 2004.
The New York Mets signed free agent reserve first baseman Mike Hessman on December 3, 2009.
Mo Vaughn likes to do it Gangam style !!!!
7 comments
srt
12/3/2012-7:52am at 7:52 am (UTC -4)
I’d love to see this happen. But I think it’s just too early to predict, for most of the reasons you’ve pointed out. If he stays healthy enough and doesn’t pull a Jason Bay, he’s certainly got a shot.
Read an article once that the HOF committee only votes in X amount of positions players per position, in any given decade. It went on to cite Keith as an example of that and why he was never voted in. Something about there already being X amount of first basemen on the ballet and/or voted in during the era he played in. That and his low HR total for a first baseman.
Kind of a dumb argument, if you ask me. Shouldn’t matter – you should just be judged on your body of work – position be damned.
Stickguy
12/3/2012-8:19am at 8:19 am (UTC -4)
certainly too early to say, but I just hope that 8 years from now, we are having a serious discussion about it. And they can cite his 2 WS rings as another selling point!
gategem
12/3/2012-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
“And they can cite his 2 WS rings as another selling point!”
So you’re saying that Wright will be traded.
Mr North Jersey
12/3/2012-12:55pm at 12:55 pm (UTC -4)
LOL
TX
12/3/2012-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
Well, the Yanks now have a need at the hot corner…
srt
12/3/2012-1:11pm at 1:11 pm (UTC -4)
Works for me!
darknova306
12/3/2012-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
Only if they add a wing in Cooperstown for the “Hall of Unclutch”, which would just be a room dedicated to Wright.