NewsWright grinding through to season's end
Third baseman won't evaluate campaign while Mets still play
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
09/24/09 5:51 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Starting a season's worth of games can be a drain, even for players on winning teams. It's only more difficult for those who lose.So imagine the mental state of David Wright, who missed time due to a concussion, but has still played in 137 of the team's first 153 games.
The offseason, for Wright, will be a welcome one.
"It's obviously been a disappointing season for us as a team, and it's tough to really look at things individually when the team's going through such a tough season," Wright said. "But at the end of the year, I'll look back. I'll try to make some improvements this offseason. I'll just try to clear my mind and get ready for next year."
Playing perhaps a bit more regularly than he envisioned since returning from the disabled list, Wright has just two hits -- both singles -- over his past 15 at-bats. Four times during that span, he has struck out, and his average -- well into the .360s back in June -- has plummeted to .310.
His numbers have taken a hit, due in part to the dimensions of Citi Field and in part due to the lack of sluggers around him in the lineup. Even despite missing two weeks in August with his concussion, Wright ranks second on the team in games played behind Daniel Murphy, and first in at-bats, with 507. The 1,172 innings he has played in the field are also the highest total on the club.
"It's obviously been a grind," Wright said. "It's been a tough year. There's no other way to explain it. But at the end of the day, when you look back on it, you can try to take a few things from this year, as disappointing as it is, and work on them this offseason."
Perhaps it's no surprise that in the waning days of September, the Mets have hit a new rut. Some are still injured. Others are worn out from the burden of carrying the team all season long.
They could all use a rest -- both a physical and mental break. Mike Pelfrey, for example, acknowledged as much after Wednesday night's game, and he's certainly not alone.
"There are probably a few guys in that mode right now," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "There are probably a few guys running on empty, so to speak. But we'll try to see what we can do these next couple series and see if we can at least play some crisp baseball."
Perhaps if they do that, they can end this year on a high note. Any minor victories in this season will do.
"You take a lot of pride in your at-bats," Wright said. "You take a lot of pride in the pitches that you take. The games that are left, we're going to go out there and play to win the game. Nobody's packing it in. There's too much fight and there's too much competitiveness in this room to do that. We're going to go out there and finish as strong as we can."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
