The day has finally come. Mike Piazza is a hall of famer and will finally be going to Cooperstown.
Eighty-three percent of the voters said yes, defeating the 75 percent threshold needed to make the cut.
In his 16-year career, Piazza hit .308 with a .377 OBP. He hit 427 homers and drove in 1,335 runs. As a Met, Piazza hit .296 with a .373 OBP. He hit 220 homers and had 655 RBI while playing in Flushing.
His best years in New York came in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, he hit. .303 with 40 homers and 124 RBI. In 2000, he helped bring the Mets to the World Series by hitting .324 with 38 homers and 113 RBI.
Thoughts: It’s a day that’s longtime coming for Piazza, who I myself have met on more than one occasion. When I think of Piazza, I think of the first Mets game after Sept. 11, 2001, which my father and I happened to have tickets for. I was afraid, but I was 14 and naive. I didn’t know if playing baseball was appropriate, but we all needed an escape, and Piazza helped provide that with a blast to straight away center field. I also think about when the Mets got Piazza, and I WAS NOT a happy camper. I used to love Todd Hundley, who was jettisoned to left field, and eventually off the team. I now know that I was a dumb kid, and Piazza would eventually become my favorite player of all time.
I met Piazza three times. Once, I got a hat signed at spring training and got a ton of Mets, he being one. Once, we were waiting outside of Shea Stadium in February and he came to greet people who were waiting for tickets. Back in the day, StubHub and ticket plans weren’t available online, so we had to brave the cold like cavemen and women. I was super nervous. I had a plaque with Piazza’s picture and a baseball card. My nervousness won the day, as he signed the plaque, but I never took the cover off. His signature has since faded. The final encounter was at a Modell’s, when we snuck around back after he signed. Piazza was going to his car, saw me, and gave me a fist bump. He had a fan for life.
Other great memories for me include his homer to cap off the 10-run eighth inning on fireworks night against the Braves, his encounter with Roger Clemens and many moonshots that were hit over the Pepsi Picnic Area at Shea Stadium.
Here are some videos of Mike Piazza’s finest moments as a Met:
What are your fondest memories of Mike Piazza as a Met? Tell us in the comments section below.
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