Carroll’s Column: No. 5’s Day in Queens

Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

NEW YORK, NY — Saturday, July 19th, 2025, marked a historic day for the Mets and their Amazin’ fan base as the organization honored franchise icon, the Captain, No. 5, David Wright. 

One of the most anticipated days on the 2025 Mets calendar, the induction of David Wright into the Mets Hall of Fame along with the retirement of his #5 uniform, lived up to billing.

Wright played fourteen seasons in Flushing and was a Shea Stadium and Citi Field favorite, not just because he was one of the best players to ever don a Mets uniform, but because he was a terrific person. He had a way of making each person seeking his attention feel important, be it an excited Mets fan taking a photo with him, or a reporter interacting with him. 

A variety of injuries over his career, culminating with a spinal stenosis diagnosis in 2016, conspired to deny Wright a chance for Cooperstown immortality. In his Citi Field speech Saturday, Wright did not dwell on what might have been. He used his speech to express his appreciation to the Flushing faithful who always cheered him, and to teammates, coaches, and managers who served as mentors to him. 

It never got maudlin, much to the relief of Mets emcee, and Cardozo High School alum, Howie Rose, who joked before handing David the microphone that he did not have any Kleenex, so please don’t pull a Mark Messier! Rangers fans will remember how Messier bawled when his uniform number went up to the rafters at Madison Square Garden.

The Mets held a press conference for him before the on-field ceremony. Wright reminisced about his career, and he also gave an update on his health. “I had surgery about a year-and-a-half ago to correct a neck issue. I can manage most days fairly well. There are some days I feel pain even if I have been doing exercises and everything else correctly,” he said. 

The Mets cable home, SNY, commissioned a two-hour documentary which debuted last Thursday titled “The Wright Way.” It did a superb job capturing the memorable moments in his career, as well as offering insights on David from his family members, teammates, baseball scouts, and executives. 

What was most surprising was hearing the testimonies of admiration from longtime Philadelphia Phillies rivals Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. I had forgotten that these longtime National League East competitors played together for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. 

In the documentary, Wright, as has long been his custom, expressed his distaste for the City of Brotherly Love in a manner which would have pleased W.C. Fields. I asked him if the Don Rickles stuff hurled at Philadelphia was just shtick. 

After flashing a long smile, he replied “Philadelphia was my favorite place to play. I loved the atmosphere, the competitiveness, and the rivalry. That doesn’t mean I necessarily love the city of its people, however!”

David Wright’s teammates in attendance for No. 5’s Day

Many of Wright’s teammates returned to Flushing to honor him with the best-known being José Reyes, Cliff Floyd, Howard Johnson, and Daniel Murphy.

Former Mets infielder Josh Satin returned to his hometown of Los Angeles after his playing days ended where he started investing in residential real estate. He told me he finds it rewarding and was very thankful none of his properties were impacted by the recent fires in Southern California. 

Wright’s longtime agent is former Mets infielder Keith Miller. I asked him if he thought about becoming an agent for athletes when he was a Met. “Absolutely not. It was not until the two agents who represented me asked me if I would be interested in joining them. The Major League Baseball Players Association offers business classes for players who want to become agents. 

I then asked Miller if being a player agent is the cutthroat industry that was portrayed in the 1996 Tom Cruise film, “Jerry Maguire.” “It is exactly like that!” Miller immediately replied. He added that he crosses paths with another agent, former Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, quite often. 

Francisco Álvarez recalled from Syracuse

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza held his traditional pregame press conference just before David Wright addressed the media. He said there was no timetable for catcher Francisco Alvarez’s return from the minors. Mendoza said Mets executives are satisfied with how he has been hitting in Syracuse, but added they need to see more consistency in his defense and pitch-framing. 

Things quickly changed. The Mets’ lack of offense in their series with the Cincinnati Reds, may have forced Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns, to forget about Francisco Alaverez’s defense in the hopes that his bat will reignite the team’s somnambulant offense.

Alvarez was recalled from the Syracuse Mets on Sunday. 

Respected Dr. David Altchek passes away at 68

Dr. David Altchek, who performed more surgeries on injured Mets players (including David Wright) than any other physician, passed away last Friday from brain cancer. He was sixty-eight. 

Association of Volleyball Professionals makes return to New York City

The Association of Volleyball Professionals returned to New York City last weekend with a tournament at Wollman Rink in Central Park. It was the AVP’s first appearance in the Big Apple since 2019. 

Following in the footsteps of the Big 3 Basketball League and the Professional Bull Riders Camping World Team Series, the AVP has created teams with city names who really do not play “home games,” but rather are part of a weekend traveling troupe. Each team consists of a pair of male and female players. All the teams have an alliterative touch with names such as the Palm Beach Passion, San Diego Smash, the New York Nitro, and the Brooklyn Blaze. 

I spoke with Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, and current Palm Beach Passion player, Phil Dalhausser on the phone a few days before the AVP New York event. Dalhausser is 45 years old, and he recently announced this would be his last season on the pro volleyball tour. “I still feel I can play well. The problem is at my age I cannot cheat nutritionally by enjoying sweets the way I could just a few years ago. Traveling every week takes a toll on my sleep patterns. That is why I am retiring.” A lot of us can identify with everything Phil said. 

San Diego Smash’s Chase Budinger talks transition from NBA to AVP

The San Diego Smash’s Chase Budinger had an eight-year career as a well-traveled NBA bench player. After retiring from pro hoops in 2017, Budinger, who grew up playing volleyball in Moonlight State Park in Encinitas, California, decided to give the AVP Tour a try. 

Budinger knew NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain preferred volleyball to basketball. I asked him if he thought any current NBA players might follow him and join the AVP after their basketball careers end. “I would love to see that, but I don’t think it is going to happen,” he said. 

AVP’s Progress in League’s National Coverage and Publicity 

AVP chief operating officer Bobby Corvino told me he expects New York to be an annual stop on the league’s schedule. He told me he is intrigued at the idea of using Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center for a future New York AVP event. A boxing card sold out at Louis Armstrong Stadium two weeks ago. 

Corvino is also ecstatic over the television coverage the AVP is getting. The CW Network has been devoting two hours every Saturday night during the summer to it. CBS telecast two hours of the New York tournament last Sunday. CBS will also telecast the AVP championships scheduled to take place in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. 

Phillies Poke Fun of Coldplay Kiss Cam Viral Moment 

Leave it to the Phillies to brilliantly satirize the Coldplay Boston concert “Kiss Cam” cause celebre. On Friday Night, the Citizens Bank Park scoreboard showed the Phillie Phanatic cavorting with a female mascot who was not Mrs. Phanatic. Upon being spotted, the two oversized green characters tried to awkwardly hide from the camera the way Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot did.

Hopefully, Mr. Met will think twice about ever cheating on Mrs. Met!

ESPYs hosted by Shane Gillis

Hosting ESPN’s glitzy awards show, the ESPYs, is never easy, but comic Shane Gillis did a solid job. He told jokes in which the political left and right took turns at being the punch line. Gillis knows his sports. While some criticized some of his jokes or halting delivery (we are in the social media world where everything gets scrutinized), I am surprised no one noticed that Gillis, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, slipped into fan mode when he was around Philadelphia Eagles players, and the team’s head coach, Nick Sirianni. The ESPYs took place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, the home of the Academy Awards which are also shown on ABC. 

Comedian Chris Distefano fills in as guest-host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” 

Comedian Chris Distefano, who grew up in Ridgewood and is a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, did an impressive job guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week while the nominal host enjoys his traditional summer vacation. Distefano showed his loyalty to his hometown baseball team by wearing a Mike Piazza jersey during a sketch filmed at Venice Beach. He also mentioned the Mets in his monologue.

CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” ending in May of 2026

Speaking of late-night television, CBS’s cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” effective at the end of May 2026, sent shockwaves. 

Two things can simultaneously be true. Late night television is not the mint it was during the Johnny Carson era, or when Jay Leno and David Letterman were battling it out in the ratings. I would have to look at an internal statement of cash flow to see whether Colbert’s show makes or loses money. There is also no question CBS’s parent corporation, Paramount, has been embarrassingly obsequious to the Trump administration in trying to get its merger with Skydance Media approved. One thing I do know is that if Les Moonves, for all his flaws, were still running CBS, the Colbert cancellation would never have happened. 

Youtube receives first Emmy Awards nomination ever

Youtube, which is owned by Google, just received its first Emmy Awards nominations ever. It will be interesting to see whether YouTube becomes a player in the sports rights game the way streamers as Prime Video, Netflix, and Apple TV Plus have.

You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.