New York Mets: Hand Gesture Might Turn David Wright's Season Around

Since entering the league, David Wright has been expected to be a leader of a struggling franchise. With this responsibility comes a pressure that needs to be lifted for him to be successful.

Wright has always shown the signs of being a capable leader. He shoulders the blame when things go bad and spreads the acclaim when things go well. Unfortunately, it seems as though he has forgotten to have fun.

At some point after May 15th, when Wright went on the DL, the New York Mets established a hand gesture known as the “claw” (they also call it the “salute”) after a player gets a big hit. Jose Reyes was the driving force behind it, and many of the younger players have followed along.

It may sounds ridiculous, but the “claw” has been a very important part of this season’s club. It creates team unity and eases tension, which is vital over the course of a long season.

They even got Carlos Beltran to start gesturing towards the dugout after his doubles. It caused him to crack a smile, something not often seen in his seven years in Queens.

As for David Wright, he could use a few smiles. The past two or three years have been filled with criticism as his stats have gone down, while the strikeouts and losses have piled up. Frustration has boiled over and seems to have compounded his problems.

Relaxation and fun are just the medicine he needs.

In the two games since returning from the disabled list, Wright has two doubles and four RBI. After each of his big hits, his teammates pestered him to show the claw. While it was awkward looking and David admitted it was uncomfortable, he still cracked a smile each time.

And in reality, isn’t having fun what baseball should be about?