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Joe McEwing was taking early batting practice one summer day at Shea Stadium in 2001 when he received a request from a Mets executive.

Could McEwing just step aside from the cage for a few minutes while one of the newly signed draft picks took batting practice? McEwing, a utilityman then in his fourth major league season and second with the Mets, feigned disgust.

This would be McEwing’s introduction to David Wright, who was with team executive Gary LaRocque.

“I am like, ‘Really? I am trying to get ready for a game tonight and you are going to let this 18-year-old stop my preparation?’ ” McEwing said last week. “But I was joking around, and David, as humble as could be, was like, ‘No, you get your work done.’ But I told him to go ahead. And from that moment, just his humbleness and the way he appreciated everything that was in front of him. … Yeah, we built our connection from that day.”