David Wright became captain of the Mets on Tuesday night @ The Fan Hub

May 16th, 2012 9:04 AM

David Wright argues with manager Terry Collins (with back turned) after being taken out of the game. Photo credit: AmazinAvenue.com

The New York Mets were trounced 8-0 by the Brewers on Tuesday night, but the real story for the Amazins was what occurred in the dugout in the bottom of the 7th inning. After reliever D.J. Carrasco drilled Ryan Braun following a home run in the top of the inning and was summarily ejected, Mets manager Terry Collins lifted David Wright for a pinch hitter in the bottom half in anticipation of any retaliation that the Brewers might take for their star player getting hit. But the decision didn’t sit well with Wright, who got into a heated discussion with Collins in the dugout following the decision.

Following the game, Collins explained his reasoning: “I’ve got news for you, in this game there are unwritten rules, and one of them is ‘You Hit My Guy, I’m Hitting Your Guy.’ They’re not hitting my guy tonight. I’m not exposing him to being hit. He said, ‘If anybody gets hit, I want it to be me.’ I said, ‘I'm sorry, it isn’t going to be you.’ They’re not going to hit Jordany Valdespin [Wright’s pinch hitter], but, if they were going to retaliate, they will hit David Wright and that ain’t happening tonight.”

The decision to remove Wright from the game can be debated endlessly, though had he remained in and gotten injured as a result of being hit, there’s no doubt that Collins would be under serious fire from the press and fans. There seems to be no real rift between Collins and Wright after the game; both men expressed appreciation for what the other was trying to accomplish, and Collins said that he loves Wright “like a son.” But what will really stick in the players’ minds is Wright’s emphatic position that he didn’t want anyone going out there to take one in the ribcage for him.

Wright has unquestionably been the team’s best player so far this season by virtue of his MLB-leading .408 average and Gold Glove-caliber defense, but this display might do more to help unify a young team than anything else. Having a star player lead by example like this is by no means a rare occurrence, but that should not diminish its value, particularly for a young and gritty team such as the Mets. Every win is going to continue to be hard-fought for them given the lack of elite talent on the team, but when their few elite players display the same level of intensity and self-sacrifice as the 25th man on the roster, it bodes well for the mental health of the franchise.

Wright is likely going to sign a long-term deal with Mets before long, having had to prove to everyone that he is physically and mentally capable of carrying them for long periods at a time. Last night was simply further proof that he absolutely is. So while he might not officially be the captain (yet), there’s no one else in that locker room better suited for the job.

— Craig Lowell

Terry Collins talked this morning on WFAN and again said that he pulled David Wright from last night's game because he could not afford to let David Wright be possibly hit by a pitch in retaliation for D.J. Carrasco hitting Ryan Braun earlier in the game.

Read the original post from metsblog.com