Between games of a doubleheader against Ravenna, Wright was surprised with a celebration of his legendary tenure coaching the Tigers, featuring brief remarks by his son Josh and a line of former players on the third-base line to greet Wright.
There was a poster honoring his time at Shelby, a cake, and - after the doubleheader - a gathering of a bit of dirt from each base so Wright will always have a bit of the field he brought so much joy to for decades. Wright's granddaughters helped him gather the dirt.
"All of a sudden, Tim (Simon), my assistant, dragged me out and he goes, 'Come on. You've got to go to home plate,' and I'm like, 'What?'" Wright said after the doubleheader. "Then I saw my family, and then I saw my alumni. I just started welling up, unfortunately. A lot of memories."
Having a visible reminder of the impact he's had on so many Tiger athletes was touching for Wright, who is set to take over as head coach for the Muskegon Clippers summer collegiate league team this summer after years as an assistant.
"It just really hit right here," Wright said, tapping his chest. "I think back to those years when we first started. This (where the dugout is) was a hill. (There was) no dugout, and there was no fence. It makes you proud."
The moment was meaningful to everybody, including Wright, who was visibly emotional, and even the current Tigers. Though they're far too young to fully grasp the enormity of the legacy Wright will leave behind, they know their coach well enough to know it was a big moment.
“Being around Coach Wright in his last season is really something special,” Tigers’ senior pitcher Trevor Weiss said. “I’m originally not from Shelby. When I came here, instantly, I could see how practices were run with him and without him. When he’s there, he just makes the tone of practice locked in every time. Him over those 45 years, I can imagine what it was like watching him and playing for him, especially when he was a little bit younger and had a little more pep in his step (laughs). I’m sure that guy could light a fire under anyone.”
The past Tigers who gathered to greet Wright also got a lot out of the occasion. Athletic director Chuck Persenaire said as he was among them during the first game Friday, he caught bits and pieces of their reminiscing about their time playing for Wright.
“I’m having fun standing along the sidelines listening to the kids - I call them kids - these adults,” Persenaire said. “They’re rehashing their years and telling stories about Brian. ‘You remember when he got after me because I didn’t run off the field or I stepped on the (base)line?’ and those types of things. It’s just fun listening to them talk about that.”
To this day, Wright continues to be as ready as anyone on game day, no more so than Friday, during which a shot at the West Michigan Conference Rivers title was on the line. Persenaire, who is also set to retire after the school year, imitated the good-natured scowl he often receives from Wright when he tries to offer advice from beyond the fence during games. The two Tigers’ fixtures have worked together for decades, with each teaching and coaching each other’s children at certain points.
“You find someone like Brian, he’s a fixture, and stayed for a long time and built it,” Persenaire said. “He still loves the game. He still teaches the game. As a matter of fact, this morning, I usually get a text from him every game day, and I get a text from him and he says...’The butterflies are more like eagles today.’ He still gets wired for the games after 45 years.
“He’s going to be a hard guy to replace, and I’m glad I don’t have to do it.”
