David Wright: He's a Swell One, You Betcha

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Yancy Street Gang wrote: I'd ask myself, "What would Paul Shaffer do?" and go with a play on his name. Actually, the question shouldn't be what would Paul Shaffer do, but what did Paul Shaffer do? Does anyone remember what song David Wright entered to during his appearance on Late Show with David Letterman?

Youtube probably remembers.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

[Willets Point]

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Gary Carter pretty much got away with it, but not without a lot of people rolling their eyes at him. Maybe it's because Carter acted like a phony but he had enough goofiness to him that it was possible that he was sincere in his phoniness. (Meaning he acted like a phony, but he really was the person that phonies pretend to be, so he was therefore sincere.)

Carter also got away with it, well especially where he played, because he played like a grinder behind the plate and he was always playing through something

True it does come with the territory of being a catcher and all, but still, he got the perception of being a "Gamer"

Not to mention a little bloop single Carter had this one time in October of 1986

[stevejrogers]

seawolf17 wrote: Yeah, good point. I just wonder if Wright will eventually engender the anti-NY animosity that Cap'n Intangibles gets? Hopefully not until he wins four rings as a Met, in which case I don't give a rat's ass how much non-NY animosity he gets.

You know, why can't Wright be our "Normal" Yankee Captain Template?

The Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, hell even Graig Nettles, Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry were all THAT Captain type. You know, that soft spoken but gruff leader in the clubhouse, or the guy everyone looks to in the sea of chaos and the guy you KNOW has his teamates back. Something lacking in Cap'n Intangibles, but what 5 of the aforementioned fellows did have. (Lou was way too icy to Babe, even more so than Thurman was to Reggie, hell, maybe THAT part of Lou's template Jeter IS following)

Donnie Baseball WAS the King of New York, he DID commericals, but you know what, HE WASNT OUT ON THE FREAKING TOWN! He went home to his wife and kids every night. Oh sure he was everywhere, but he never let it affect what mattered most. HITTING and playing baseball and being on a winning team. THATS what a superstar in this town SHOULD be. Notice also that the MFY decline actually ALSO coincided with Mattingly's back problems? Hmmm. Oh sure the pitching was pure crap and the managers in-and-out sure didn't help, but an 84-88 Mattingly on the 90-92 Yankees? Maybe they wouldn't have enough to hang with the Bluejays, but they wouldn't be as hiddeous as they were.

Mattingly also doesn't have that anti-ness that Jeter has, that I am worried about Wright having. No one has ever called into question Mattingly's man-hood, or even suggested that he puts alittle mustard for the TV cameras. THATS the star Wright SHOULD emulate. Not Jeter.

Not Jeter, not the Tiger Woods/Michael Jordan post 80's athlete. Not this manby-pamby cookie cutter "rock-star" with the quotes that give just enough to say nothing but to make the reporter think you are giving them something.

Woods is so bad at this, he's become a joke on a national radio show where they air "soundbites" that sound so automated that they came from a broken record: "The golf course looks good, my golf swing feels good, I like my chances." Thats pretty much par the course for the modern "celbrity-athlete" these days, ala Mr. Jeter.

What truely does amaze me, is that the MFY fan that grew up loving Thurman, Mattingly, Nettles, Randolph, ect, hell even Mantle's fans should HATE a guy like Derek Sanderson Jeter with every freaking fiber of their being, but they don't, and not because they've drunken the Kool-Aid, but its because there isn't the Anti-Jeter on that Yankee team now.

There are no more Paul O'Neills or Tino Martinez to glom the old Munson/Mattingly love, now they've pretty much tried to make a team of all Derek Jeters. Oh sure they've tried with Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Gary Sheffield, but Giambi and Damon "converted" and Sheffield was so much of a liability he had to be traded!

If there ever comes a time in the next couple of years where a MFY comes up and is alot like a Munson/Mattingly type and actually challenges that jerkwad at shortstop's reign, I'd love to see the war in that locker room!

In short, yeah I'm worried that Wright is going to be Jeter-esque. Hell Ripken had his share of detractors as well, especially the fights he had about moving back to third and the fact that the streak consumed everything about him. Can he just BE!

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I was thinking he meant Alex Rodriguez. And maybe that's the fate of anyone who tries to be a wholesome and handsome icon in New York City these days. Can David Wright continue his gee-whiz personna without being exposed as a phony like Rodriguez has?

You know, the more I think about it, the better that old "24 and 1 Guy" cop-out by the Wilpons SHOULD be put in that "Best moves are the ones you DONT make" category. Despite all the BS about Boras saying all that garbarge was just a negotiation ploy (none of it materialized in Texas, or in New York) or any sort of conspiracy theory you want to use (Fred's partners backing out of buying out Nelson's share and no ARod means cheaper Mets, ect) can you IMAGINE how bad it would be if HE was a Met starting in 2001?

It would probably be worse than it is with him as a Yankee because the image would be that he was brought in TO win, never mind that Hampton would have left anyway therefore leaving us with no viable ace (Leiter was never an ace lets be fair) and a closer who still was undependable in October. Saying nothing if we sent Reyes somewhere and he performed well while we got back, oh say Roberto Alomar circa 2002. The poor guy would have been crushed.

Can you imagine if HE hit the famous first game back after 9-11 game homer instead of Piazza? Somehow he would have mucked it up with some comment afterwards that would come off sounding self-agrandizing. Ah hell, what IF he did nothing in terms of HRs and Piazza STILL hit that homer. This was still Piazza's city and this was still his team, ARod would have been considered an afterthought, or at least thought of as less than Mike Piazza.

There is no doubt that if he actually did sign, much like Bobby Bonilla he'd be long gone after only a few years.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Steve, you're too all over the place and hard to respond to here. Your argument is built on arguments.

[stevejrogers]

Fine, Derek Jeter is Joe DiMaggio's personae with Mickey Mantle's and Don Mattingly's teflon popularity

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was just reading this again:

http://cybermessageboard.ehost.com/getalife/viewtopic.php?t=4071

Be warned, I mention Cal Ripken somewhere in there.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Joe DiMaggio has more than one persona?

Meanwhile...

Everything all Wright with HoJo

BY ADAM RUBIN

DAILY NEWS

SPORTS WRITER

David Wright catches break for 2007 as rising star will be reunited with mentor Howard Johnson.

PORT ST. LUCIE - David Wright still vividly recalls the message waiting for him when he turned on his cell phone after landing at LaGuardia Airport on July 21, 2004.

"Just go up there and break all my records," Howard Johnson had said on the recording. "Go for it. If somebody is going to do it, I want it to be you."

Two and a half years later, Wright is on his way to doing just that. Only now, he'll have the man he refers to as his "baseball father" in the dugout as a firsthand observer. HoJo, who served as hitting coach on Wright's Class-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton teams during consecutive years in the minors, joined the major-league staff in December as first base coach. He replaces new Nationals manager Manny Acta. Wright's endorsements to Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph helped HoJo land the position.

"Some of the messages he left me after I got the job, I had to sit down. I was struck by it, how sincere he was," Johnson said. "It's nice. You work in this game to promote guys and to help them reach their max. When they appreciate that on the reverse end, it's kind of fun."

Said Wright: "I wanted to do everything I could - not only for selfish reasons. During spring training, the guys loved working with him. It wasn't just me. It was a number of players that I know who made phone calls to recommend HoJo."

The two became acquainted five years ago, during the fall instructional league at the Mets' complex here. HoJo took an instant liking to the 19-year-old Wright, even before Wright's agent and ex-Met Keith Miller - also a close friend of HoJo's - checked in on their budding relationship.

"Hey, does he remind you of anybody?" Miller asked during a call to Johnson.

"Well, he does kind of remind me of me a little bit," HoJo replied.

"He does?" Miller said with a laugh. "That's exactly right."

"You know what?" HoJo said. "I like this kid a lot."

Said Johnson: "I love the way he approaches his work and his whole attitude. He's one of those people you gravitate toward. He's very respectful. He's open. We just had a good connection."

During the next several springs, and during the '03 season Wright played with St. Lucie, the minor leaguer frequently visited HoJo's home a half-hour south of the complex. Wright would play Ping-Pong with HoJo's son Glen, watch college basketball on their television and consume steaks cooked by HoJo's wife Kim. HoJo bought a Ping-Pong table for the Florida State League team's clubhouse during that '03 season. He then set up a tournament with seedings. Wright won, and received a trophy handmade by HoJo, which included a pair of racquets and a ball glued to a base.

"I hope he still has that trophy," HoJo said. "We could put that on eBay and make a few bucks."

The two have since shifted their dinners to a nearby

Benihana (!)

, with Wright picking up the check. But their relationship has never been stronger. When Wright - a devout Mets fan as a youth in Norfolk, Va. - grew a beard two winters ago, he referred to it as his '86 HoJo look.

Said Wright: "It's going to be a great addition having him here, because he's done what I want to do - being a consistent base stealer, hitting for power, hitting for average, winning. He played the game hard. He played the game scrappy. That's what I would hope and envision the way I would play the game. You're talking about one of the first 30-30 guys. That's what you want to do in this game - be an all-around good player."

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

David obviously didn;t attract enough attention to himself thru the Daily News, so now he's whoring his identity to the broader audience of mlb.com.

Could you imagine having your own "theme song" play when you walk into a room? And if so would you let some kid choose it for you?

]Mets fans take swing for David Wright's at-bat songs at Shea 03/22/2007 10:25 AM ET MLB.com PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., -- The New York Mets and Mets third baseman David Wright today announced the launch of an online fan vote at Mets.com to select the All-Star's at-bat song selections at Shea Stadium in 2007. The two-phase fan vote begins today and concludes Friday, April 6. Fans can log on to Mets.com and select from the 50 songs listed below whose genres range from classic rock, to hip hop, to alternative. The first round of voting will conclude Wednesday, March 28 at 5 p.m. when the top votes will be pared down to 20. Fans will have the opportunity to vote April 2-6 to determine the final four songs that will be played throughout the season when Wright comes to bat at Shea. Last season, in 76 games at Shea, Wright batted .313, with 16 home runs and 61 RBI behind such hits as "Brass Monkey" by the Beastie Boys, "We Right Here" by DMX, and "Bounce to the Ounce" by Zap. What Song Should David Wright Swing To in 2007? • A Day In The Life, The Beatles • All These Things That I've Done, The Killers • Better Man, Pearl Jam • Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen • Brown Sugar, Rolling Stones • Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol • Clocks, Coldplay • Crackerman, Stone Temple Pilots • Crazy, Gnarls Barkley • Drop It Like It's Hot, Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell • Fame, by David Bowie • Feel Good, Inc., Gorillaz • Frontin', Pharrell featuring Jay-Z • Galang, M.I.A. • Gold Digger, Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx • Holiday, Green Day • I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Panic! At the Disco • Jesus Walks, Kanye West • Lean Back, Terror Squad • Ice Box, Omarion • Me and You, by Cassie • Move Along, All American Rejects • My Generation, The Who • Mysterious Ways, U2 • N.Y. State of Mind, Nas • Paradise City, Guns N' Roses • Pump It, Black Eyed Peas • Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix • Seven Nation Army, White Stripes • Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana • Song Remains the Same, Led Zeppelin • Soul Meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie • Steady As She Goes, The Raconteurs • Sugar, We're Goin' Down, Fall Out Boy • Superstition, Stevie Wonder • Sympathy For The Devil, Rolling Stones • Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, Bruce Springsteen • That Was A Crazy Game of Poker, O.A.R. • The Second Coming, by Juelz Santana • Theme to the A-Team • Throwing Stones, Grateful Dead • Welcome to the Black Parade, My Chemical Romance • What'd I Say, Ray Charles • Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin • Wild Thing, The Troggs • Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who • Yeah!, Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris • Yellow Ledbetter, Pearl Jam • You Really Got Me, The Kinks • Zoo Station, U2 • Fan selection ________________________ This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. (right)

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Dammit David, people give you great songs like "Scenario", and you wind up with a list full of Panic! At The Disco and Lil John.

Screw your stupid batting song contest.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think we should stuff the ballot box for "Brown Sugar."

Then he'd have to explain why they play a song about raping slaves every time he comes to the plate.

[metirish]

Theme to the A-Team ?...sweet jesus....

[Guest Kid Carsey]

You guys aren't gonna rest 'til Wright bangs a 16 year crack whore with 2/3's
of a bottle of Wild Turkey in him in a van under the Grand Central Parkway
and gets busted by five-o. Are ya.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Kid Carsey wrote: You guys aren't gonna rest 'til Wright bangs a 16 year crack whore with 2/3's of a bottle of Wild Turkey in him in a van under the Grand Central Parkway and gets busted by five-o. Are ya.

I don't care if he spends all his free time petting puppies in churches and filming infomericals, but Panic! At The Disco is fucking atrocious.

[Guest iramets]

]a van under the Grand Central Parkway

Is this some kind of "Batman" thing? Is there a secret bat-cave under the GCP that I don't know about? Sounds spooky.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

OO: >>>but Panic! At The Disco is fucking atrocious.<<<

Not familiar with it.

[nymr83]

you're not missing anything.

but there are good songs on that list.

i love the a-team, but thats not a good walkup.

[G-Fafif]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Could you imagine having your own "theme song" play when you walk into a room? And if so would you let some kid choose it for you?

I'd be grateful if it weren't "The Baby Elephant Walk".

[Farmer Ted]

Just caught our lovely third sacker on an ESPN commercial.

[Gwreck]

To David's credit, there are a *lot* of good walk-up (remember, it's the first 10-20 seconds of the song that matter here, not the whole thing) songs on this list.

I agree with David that "Fame" is probably the best of the choices here.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I'm sure they can devise a formula to play each of those songs 3 or 4 times during the course of the year. That would accomplish Wright's goal of pleasing everyone.

He's a swell egg!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Monster.

The Young Master : David Wright

Age: 24 Infielder, New York Mets

http://www.menshealth.com/media/MH_Static/2007/03/1173133546374/0704_nscover_200x200.jpg

My Breakout Moment "The first time I dove into the stands for a foul ball. That made me feel like I could go out and play the game the right way."

David Wright has modest wants: "I want to hit for power, hit for average, steal bases, play good defense, make throws." In short, to excel in every aspect of the game. "Modest" is the key word, though. "There are so many players out there who are better than me talentwise," he says. "But I like to think I'll outwork all of them."

Seems he already has. In 2006, Wright hit .311, drove in 116 runs, and stole 20 bases--all career highs. He's also young and good-looking, and that makes him a breakout star in the Big Apple as well. Which means no one would be surprised if he became unbearable.

Wright laughs at that: "There's a fine line between cocky and confident." And he uses every humbling moment--hitting .216 in the playoffs--to carve that line deeper. "There's so much failing in baseball," says Wright. "You never feel like you're good enough. "

Wright's Insights

Embrace Self-Doubt

Despite his stats, Wright doesn't see himself as having had a major breakout--and that fuels his motivation. "You drive in 116, but in the off-season you're thinking about the 20 RBIs that you left out there when you didn't get the job done. That's what pushes you."

Build The Illusion Of Great Speed

"I take pride in the fact that I can steal bases, or go from first to third on a single," he says. "But I take bigger pride in knowing I can do it even though I don't have great speed." So how does he do it? He studies the competition so that he knows which pitchers he can take a big lead on and which outfielders won't be able to throw him out at third. Start taking note of the tendencies of your boss, coworkers, and clients. Then cheat a step in the right direction yourself.

Macromanage Your Skill Set

"I want to be known as a guy who can do everything above average," he says. His secret: the 4-day-a-week practice formula at right, which you can apply to your job skills--by reading related material, taking a class, or focusing your efforts on specific tasks. Fifteen minutes each day is all it takes to raise your performance.

Day 1: Basics

Your task: Organize your office, and make a plan to manage the week's workload.

Day 2: Scoring Skills

Your task: Improve your public speaking.

Day 3: Defensive Skills

Your task: Upgrade your leadership and organizational abilities.

Day 4: Extremes

Your task: Work on your biggest weakness and then your greatest strength.

[Vic Sage]

Wright could end up the best player in Mets history, before he's done. He seems to work hard and take the game seriously, but has fun with life.

He doesn't want to offend or say no, there are no photos of him drunk with a hooker, nor has he been seen with a needle of HGH hanging out of his veins.

Yet there are 3 pages here of nastiness. what the hell is the matter with you people? He's SOULLESS? Why, because the Mets and his management team are promoting the hell out of him, and using him to promote the Mets? so fucking what? geez. Maybe if he'd had a better finish last season, i wouldn't have to be exposed to this bullshit.

JD, if you want an acronym for your anti-Wright group, let me suggest one:
Fans AGainst Our Top guyS.... not that there is anything wrong with that.

[nymr83]

]Fans AGainst Our Top guyS

i got yelled at by the liberal pc police last time i used that word.

[Vic Sage]

What word? I didn't use any word...

[Gwreck]

1. You spelled it wrong, there are two Gs.

2. You'd probably want to reconsider using that word. I believe it to be offensive, and I wouldn't be surprised if others agreed.

3. Being "politically correct" is ideology-neutral.

[Vic Sage]

Gwreck wrote: 1. You spelled it wrong, there are two Gs. 2. You'd probably want to reconsider using that word. I believe it to be offensive, and I wouldn't be surprised if others agreed. 3. Being "politically correct" is ideology-neutral.

1. spelling it with one "g" is a perfectly acceptable spelling according to the American Heritage Dictionary, when referring to a bundle of sticks tied together... as, of course, i certainly was, since any bunch of woodenheads tied together by a hate on david wright could certainly be referred to by that term.

2. No, i don't think i want to reconsider using that word... or any word. I put alot of consideration into all the words i use, so 1 consideration is generally enough for me. And as for your beliefs, they are of absolutely no interest to me. Some people appreciate my sense of humor, others don't. Of course, if you found my joke personally offensive, then i'm sorry you chose to take offense. But feel free to stop speaking for others.

3. Yes, "politically correct" is an ideology-neutral term... there are, in fact, overzealous, humorless arbiters of appropriate conduct and speech on both ends of the spectrum. So whose... i mean, WHAT end do you emerge from?

[stevejrogers]

="Vic Sage"]Wright could end up the best player in Mets history, before he's done. He seems to work hard and take the game seriously, but has fun with life. He doesn't want to offend or say no, there are no photos of him drunk with a hooker, nor has he been seen with a needle of HGH hanging out of his veins. Yet there are 3 pages here of nastiness. what the hell is the matter with you people? He's SOULLESS? Why, because the Mets and his management team are promoting the hell out of him, and using him to promote the Mets? so fucking what? geez. Maybe if he'd had a better finish last season, i wouldn't have to be exposed to this bullshit.

Lets use Player A for a comparision Vic:
Best player in his team's history? Nope, not even close, though on many, including the Mets, he would be. Probably will end up in the Top 10 though when all is said and done, heck he probably actually is in the top ten now.

Works hard, check. Takes the game seriously, check. Has fun with life, definite check.

Doesn't want to offend or say no, generally, not as bad as Wright is but he is everywhere and does speak in the same Jordan/Woods modern athlete way of saying nothing but making it seem like something.

There are no photos of him drunk with a hooker (then again you never know with the types he has dated through the years) and there has been no suspicion of him juicing.

Yet I'm describing one of the most hated individuals in sports today, someone who if he read the blogs and message boards of his team's most bitter rivals (and even those who aren't so bitter) he will find countless of slanderous statements, questions about his sexuality, venomous accuastions about his actions both on and off the field and worse of all people saying he is nothing but an overated bum.

You know, I could also be talking about David Wright as well, but this is the fellow I am referring to:



So if any Met fan thinks hating on David Wright is okay, just imagine the crap you give Derek Jeter, cause thats exactly the same stuff you are dishing out.

BTW, yes that image is from the ONLY reason why he should be Derek Bleeping Jeter in Flushing, well that and other things he has done to the Mets during his career. If it's not the fact that he does that sort of thing in the big spot against your team, is there any reason to hate on him? To question his manhood? To consider him a souless piece of crap?

Sure he comes off as a selfish prick, sure he hasn't won a damn thing since Tino, Paulie and Brosius left following the 2001 World Series, but is he any better on or off the field than David Wright?