For the third straight year, Mets legend David Wright hosted the “Battle of the Badges” baseball game at Citi Field between the NYPD and FDNY to raise money for charities of each organization’s choosing.
“This is a date that I circle on my calendar each year,” Wright said. “The Mets are gracious enough to have us. The fact that I grew up in a first responder household, my father was a police officer, I learned at a very young age that these are the real heroes in the community, especially here in New York.”
With his experience, Wright has long been a supporter of their efforts in the community. Every year surrounding the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he visits firehouses and precincts in the city to thank the heroes for their efforts. Last year, he visited Engine Company 39/Ladder Company 16 in Manhattan two days before the anniversary of the attacks, the 23rd straight year a Mets player has personally thanked first responders for their work.
Wright echoed that sentiment again during the afternoon. It marked his first time back at Citi Field since his number retirement on July 19, but Sunday was all about the first responders.
“The biggest compliment, honor that I can receive is when the true heroes of the community come up to me and want to shake my hand. It should be vice versa, it should be baseball players or athletes in general that are held on this pedestal or in this high regard, thanking the men and women that put their lives on the line on a daily basis,” Wright added.
The game itself was a rain-shortened contest, with the FDNY taking a 3-1 final in seven innings. After the contest turned into a pitchers’ duel, a two-run single for New York’s Bravest proved to be the difference. Despite the two coming together for a good cause, it was a renewal of a rivalry that can get feisty between the baselines.
Wright highlights visiting each dugout as a highlight of hosting the game. He recalled visiting a dugout when a batter was hit by a pitch a few years back, with talks of potential retaliation emerging. However, it’s the trash talk and spirit of competition that he enjoys with the event.
“For these three hours, they want to beat each other’s brains in, and I just love the competition,” he said. “I love the trash talk, I love the quality of baseball, and, more important than anything, I love the support and the graciousness that the city has for its first responders.”
The support translated into the energy in the stands for the contest. Much of the support was friends, family, and those from the same precincts of ladders coming to support their teammates on the front lines.
Despite the competition, at the end of the day, it’s another way both organizations give back to the communities they serve.
“Just walking through the city this morning before I came here, you see the support for the firefighters and police officers walking around the city,” Wright said. “It’s unfortunate that, whether it’s today or whether it’s 9/11, we only celebrate these men and women one or two times a year. I think on a daily basis, more people should consider or go up and just shake the hands of these great men and women to just say thank you for what they do on a daily basis.”
