Back in 2018 I worked with a guy who knew a guy with the Red Sox. (An important guy.)

We both ended up going to games when the Mets were in town to play the Red Sox, and he texted me during one of the games to invite me down to his seats - from the very important Red Sox guy - and I went down to sit with him for an inning or two and there I was right next to the Mets dugout.

Brandon Nimmo homered and ran right past us, half high-fiving my friend’s daughter but not really, because she was wearing a Red Sox shirt. It was a 3-run homer - I think (rookie?) Jeff McNeil might have high-fived her - I have a picture - and Todd Frazier also scored and went right past us.

But the best part about those seats was I spent the time I was there just staring into the Mets dugout. This was the day after cameras caught Mets players reacting to what was most likely a rat in the dugout - there was a lot of jumpy behavior. So when I was watching there were a lot of hijinks - Jacob deGrom seemed to be the main antagonist - poking a broom or something like that at guys’ legs to make them think there was something crawling there.

But the best part was I was about four feet from David Wright, who wasn’t playing that day and kept popping up into the dugout for a spell or two but would go back to the clubhouse.

And one time as he was ducking back into the tunnel we made eye contact. I’m sure the Mets fan sitting in the very important Red Sox guy’s seats caught his attention. I chickened out of saying anything but I like to believe that in my face he saw my appreciation for his tenure with the Mets. This was two weeks before he played his last game, and he was back with the team until that final appearance.

I regret not telling him ‘thank you’ that day, when I know he would have seen and hear me say it.

But today I’ll be able to thank him in person along with thousands of others, in a setting we’re both more familiar with.

That’s one of the things on This Week’s To-Do List:

David Wright Number Retirement and Mets Hall of Fame Induction: I’m going.
Last week Kathy was away on business and I was in charge of three kids, this week Kathy and our oldest are off to College Orientation, and I’m Home With Two Kids.
I’m kind of looking forward to Tuesday because I have an easier day at work and I should be able to do a Morning Intervals Run before work. Let’s see if the weather and the timing all cooperate.
We probably won’t be seeing The Fantastic 4 the day it comes out (Friday), but there will likely be a couple of Movie Trips this week and next, so expect to hear about those.

Let’s recap last week’s list, with a reminder you can click here to get more details (though not too much more):

Last Week’s To-Do List

You know all about how marathon training is going - I tell you about it every Sunday.
I told you about the trip to Fenway earlier this week…
…and I’ll be telling you more about this one later this week, probably on Monday.