Report: Wright Confronts Syndergaard For Not Being On Bench During Game
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- David Wright might be a laid-back captain, but he's in no mood for nonsense this spring.
And he showed that on Tuesday.
According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, Wright was very upset with top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday when the latter was eating lunch in the Mets' clubhouse during the team's intrasquad game.
Syndergaard didn't participate in the game. When Wright spotted Syndergaard, the third baseman quietly said "bench" to the 22-year-old, according to the newspaper.
The minor leaguer got the message. After Wright laid down the law, the 6-foot-6 right-hander went to the dugout and watched the remainder of the game.
"It was a miscommunication," Syndergaard said, according to the New York Daily News.
Wright didn't address the issue specifically when speaking to reporters, but he wasn't shy about voicing his opinion regarding young players in camp.
"If there is a young player that is here there is a reason," Wright said, according to the newspaper. "They have talent and potential. I would encourage them to use this chance to take every opportunity to learn from it.
"If you are a young pitcher, you can learn from sitting in with meetings with Dan (Warthen) or watching a Zack Wheeler, who I know is young, but he has experience. That's what I think all young players should be doing. That's all."
Terry Collins was proud of his captain, and fully supported the veteran's decision to take action.
"You better believe it," Collins said, according to the New York Daily News. "We have preached it amongst the players; we are in this together. If they felt someone was violating that trust it needs to be addressed, and it sounds like it was addressed.
"...It's gonna spread and again, Noah may never do it again. He made a mistake, he might have seen a veteran pitcher do it once before. He might not have known. He'll learn, that's how they all learn. Guys make mistakes, the good ones never make them again."
Syndergaard said that he respected where Wright was coming from, and took the experience as a positive.
