2/18/14

The LTJ Editorial: “David Is Always Doing The Wright Thing”

Make sure to take vitamins too, David!

The LTJ Editorial: “David is always doing the Wright thing”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

As a New York Mets fan, who doesn't love the impact Third Baseman David Wright has had on the team this past decade or so? Not only our team captain, Wright continues to be the face of the franchise being one of the bright spots on the team. He contributes as much on the field as he does off the field, always making sure to be another role model in the big apple everyone can look up to. However, one thing we all learn in life, especially in the sports world, is you can't control time. Eventually, you start to decline in skill, injuries start becoming more frequent, and next thing you know is you are fighting for longevity. Over the course of time, you need to start playing smarter, not harder. Entering his eleventh season, Wright has already had a few significant injuries that not only cost him playing time, but also put more wear on his body. The severe hamstring injury sticks out the most since it was a scary moment for all of us and definitely for him too. It was at that moment he probably realized, it's about time to work on something different for the future to prevent these injuries from creeping up on him again.

So far this offseason, Wright has decided to change his regimen when it comes to preparation for this upcoming MLB season. His main goal is to stay healthy and have a complete season without missing so much as a single game. Besides his usual diet and exercise, Wright is working on flexibility while focusing on durability with the usual wear and tear that comes with holding down third base. Being 31 years old does make you wonder just how fast time goes by. In a blink of an eye you turned from rookie to veteran and unfortunately, in Wright's case, he doesn't have much to show for it with the Mets. With only one playoff run in his career, it's easy to understand his frustration with how the team has done so far with him in the lineup. Bad organizational decisions really, but in the end, it starts from the top down. No, not just the Wilpons, it's about the people who make the personnel acquisitions for the team. You know, the main person responsible for upgrading, cultivating, and signing talent. I'm talking about General Manager Sandy Alderson.

If you think about it, Alderson has done a good job these past four years he has spent rebuilding the Mets. After the entire Omar Minaya debacle, he came in and went right to work on building a future winner from within. Yeah, it hasn't come to fruition yet, but the foundation is set and almost ready for takeoff. Currently, the Mets have the sixth best farm system in all of professional baseball, have gotten much more respect across the league, and have spent serious money in an offseason for once! That's right, the tight wallets of the Wilpons have been opened to reveal a golden aura. This light, brighter than a thousand suns, was the guiding force to bring in some fantastic upgrades to build around Wright. It's about time since well, Captain America can't do it all! Now with some pretty solid upgrades to our outfield, starting rotation, and top prospects waiting for the big call to the majors, the Mets are in a good position going into this season. Sounds like a broken record every year, however, the Mets should be competitive this season and hopefully be able to play some baseball in October.

Someone with the caliber of Wright should be enjoying postseason baseball to bring a championship to his team and city. With a better supporting cast this season, his longevity will be one of the big keys to success for the Mets this year. This new offseason regimen will benefit him for the long-term since Wright will most likely see his career begin with the Mets and end with them. Let's have #5 be in that starting lineup until 2020. The Mets will need him healthy more than anything for any hopes of making the postseason again since most of us want to forget about 2006 and actually remember another year instead.

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