I promise I won’t write about Johan’s sore arm.
I promise I won’t write about Johan’s sore arm.
I promise I won’t write about Johan’s sore arm.
OK, now that that’s over with, I have a confession to make. Every so often - after a dismal Met loss, or when I’m cold and achy from shoveling all day, or when I get tired of hearing the governor talk about raising the state gas tax - I dig into my Internet Explorer links and pull up My Favorite Catch.
My Favorite Catch, of course, is the one-handed - one BARE hand mind you, over-the-shoulder, miracle of a catch David Wright pulled off against the Padres back in 2005. With all due respect to Mr. Swoboda, it could be the greatest catch in Mets history. Personally, I rank it up there as one of the top catches in the history of baseball. It may not be one of the greatest plays in baseball history, but as a defensive play, it’s up there.
It’s not a great ‘play’ because it didn’t take place in the playoffs (think Kirby Puckett, or even Endy Chavez), or in a no-hitter, or some other type of memorable game. It was a warm summer night in San Diego - August 9th. The Mets lost by a final of 8-3. Pedro Martinez gave up 9 hits and 5 earned runs in just 5 innings, losing just his 4th decision of the year against his 12 wins (yeah, I know what you’re saying, ‘remember when Pedro was still good?’). And the loss dropped the Mets to 57-55, dead last in the NL East. But 41,977 fans at Petco Park (they must have been giving away cash to get that many people into the stadium on a Tuesday night) witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime grab.
It was the 7th inning, and the Mets were trailing 6-3. Southpaw Dae-Sung Koo retired Ryan Klesko to start the inning. The next batter - lefty Brian Giles - broke his bat on a 2-2 pitch, sending a soft flare toward left field. Cliff Floyd raced in, while David Wright turned and sprinted straight back. At the last minute, Wright dove, lunging and snaring the ball with his bare right hand. On the MSG broadcast, one of the announcers exclaimed “Are you KIDDING?!”
If you watch the end of the replay, Wright gets up and looks back toward the infield, at… what? The bases were empty! The look on his face says it all - even Wright can’t believe what he’s just done.
Copyright Major League Baseball
If you’ve never seen My Favorite Catch, watch it now! If you’ve seen it before, watch it anyway. No matter how many times I see the play, I’m left in awe.
Share your thoughts - or your favorite catch - with us. Scott can be reached via email at… scott@citifieldblog.com
Tags: Citi Field, David Wright, David Wright catch, Mets, New York Mets, NYM