When David Wright wakes up, his back usually feels stiff. Cranky, as he says. Just walking around his house or down the street, he feels the crankiness, and the only way to help soothe it, Wright has found, is his elaborate pregame routine.
For a night game, Wright arrives at the ballpark around 1 p.m. After all these years, he joked, he has found out how to turn on the clubhouse lights. Before Wright starts his workouts, he enjoys the calmness of the room. He sits down, puts his feet up and turns on the television.