David Wright, who is set to enter the Mets Hall of Fame and have his No. 5 retired by the franchise Saturday, sat down for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: That moment when (then-manager) Mickey Callaway removed you before the fifth inning of your farewell game.
A: I think the first thing that came to my mind was: This’ll be the last time I ever put on a baseball uniform as a baseball player. And that hit me hard because, to that point, it’s what I loved to do. When people ask, “What are your hobbies?” mine were simple: play baseball, practice baseball. So I think, at the moment, 30 years of baseball memories start just flashing in your mind as you’re walking off the field for the last time. I’m not an emotional person to begin with; it hit me like a ton of bricks, in that you lived your life a certain way to try to become the best baseball player possible, and it comes to an end instantaneously. And, for me, it was just the reality of the situation of I’m no longer going to be a baseball player. And that was difficult for me.