KANSAS CITY -- It was late in Spring Training when third baseman David Wright looked up, saw the looks in his teammates' eyes and said to himself: "Enough with the practices. Enough with the Spring Training games. Let's get under the lights."
Wright should know the feeling well. His appearance on Sunday night at Kauffman Stadium, a 4-3 Mets loss, marked his 12th consecutive Opening Day start with the Mets, passing Bud Harrelson and Tom Seaver for the most in franchise history.
Every year since 2005, Wright has started at third base on Opening Day. But this one may be among the most impactful for Wright, who played in merely 38 regular-season games last season after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis last May. This spring he eased his way into game action, refraining from playing at all until mid-March.
Once the plate appearances starting coming, they came consistently, allowing him to break a franchise record that stood for 39 years. Seaver started 10 consecutive Opening Days on the mound from 1968 to 1977, then another in 1983. (He went on to start 16 total Opening Days for the Mets, Reds and White Sox.) Harrelson started 11 Opening Days (1967 to 1977) at shortstop during his 13-year run.
Now Wright stands alone.
"You get to this point, you just want to get the season started," he said. "I think guys are excited just to get into a routine."