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Before Doubleheader, Debating Wright’s Return
By TIM ROHAN
Published: September 14, 2013
Hours before the Mets played the Miami Marlins in a doubleheader Saturday, David Wright played a simulated game in an empty Citi Field. He took grounders. He ran the bases. He batted against Ricky Bones, the Mets’ bullpen coach. A group that included Travis d’Arnaud gathered to watch. Manager Terry Collins looked on, arms crossed.
Bats
These practice at-bats, these grounders, were arguably more important than any taken in the two games later. The health of Wright, who is recovering from a strained right hamstring, would seem to supersede anything the Mets do in games that are essentially auditions for spots on the 2014 team.
Then why bring Wright back this season, Collins was asked.
“Why not?” Collins answered.
Reporters then peppered him with questions about whether he was unnecessarily risking the health of Wright, who is not yet ready to play but could be soon. (A meeting will be held Tuesday to evaluate his progress.)
Facing the barrage of questions, Collins became defensive. He said he would not put Wright in Bubble Wrap. He said injuries were a part of the game. He said: “Hey, look, we’re trying to win baseball games here. And our fans deserve that.”
At his locker, after spending a few hours on the field, Wright insisted he wanted to return this season, for himself, his teammates and the fans. Wright said about the fans, “I want to go out there and try to put on a good show for them.”
But even if the Mets had Wright on Saturday, what kind of show would it be?
The Mets entered the doubleheader 65-81 and in fourth place in the National League East. Their ace, Matt Harvey, was contemplating having an operation that would keep him out for about a year. They were a few weeks removed from trading away two key veterans, Marlon Byrd and John Buck. And the Marlins were supposed to be the worse team.
Considering all that, some might wonder who would attend a doubleheader between these two teams.
About an hour before the first game started, David Dec and his girlfriend, Corrine Cecala, bought matching hats and shirts in the concourse. Dec had surprised Cecala with tickets.
“It’s a great price for two games,” Dec said.
Dec, who said he was a Yankees fan, continued: “It’s not going to be good baseball. It’s the Marlins and the Mets.”
Cecala said, “He’s being a trouper.”
Further down the concourse, Colin Harrison and his son Mark admired the field. They were in New York on a vacation from Bexley, England, and they wanted to experience an American baseball game.
“If the Yankees had been in town, we would have seen the Yankees,” the elder Harrison said. He and his son planned to leave after the first game of the doubleheader, he added. They had other sights to see.
Over at the food court beyond center field, three old friends drank beers and ate food from Shake Shack. Each year, the three, Joe Devine, Mike Simone, and Darren Gutowski, try to get together for an outing.
“We still love our Mets, even though they’ve struggled,” Devine said.
Yet they were still debating whether to stay for the second game, when Daisuke Matsuzaka would be on the mound.
“We’ll see how the first one goes,” Simone said.
The day’s festivities began soon thereafter. It was the final Bark in the Park day of the season, so hundreds of fans paraded their dogs around the warning track and then found their seats. The park was not full, but plenty of spectators dotted the stands.
As the Mets lost the first game, 3-0, some fans had their picture taken with SpongeBob SquarePants, others watched the Texas A&M-Alabama football game on TV in the Caesars Club lounge, and many sat and watched a well-pitched game.
Even though the Mets went on to win the second game, 3-1, the early loss confirmed that they would finish with a losing record for the fifth straight season. By the time Game 2 began, about 40 minutes after the end of the first, the park had mostly emptied.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/sport ... ought.html
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