Daniel Murphy was just trying to leave an impression on Mets brass when he arrived for a minicamp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., before the start of spring training in 2008.
The weather was unseasonably chilly, but players wore shorts as they worked out and a nervous Murphy — just happy he was invited to participate — played catch with David Wright, already an established major league star.
It was the beginning of a relationship that eventually became a close friendship. Murphy and Wright spent eight seasons as teammates, highlighted by the Mets’ unlikely run to the World Series in 2015.
The Mets officially announced this week that Wright’s No. 5 will be retired and the former third baseman will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Citi Field on July 19. Murphy could envision such honors for Wright even before the two were teammates, but it became clearer as their respective careers progressed.
