Just moments ago, if was announced that on September 29th the Mets will induct Mike Piazza into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Piazza will become the 27th member of the Mets Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw, Ralph Kiner, and Gary Carter.
On May 22, 1998 Piazza was traded to the Mets from the Florida Marlins for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnell, and Geoff Goetz. There is no secret that Mike Piazza became the face of this franchise and single-handedly put the New York Mets back in the spotlight. I was lucky enough to have a ticket to the May 23rd afternoon game against the Brewers. It was just a random afternoon game that my friend’s father had tickets to. But boy did I get lucky. When Piazza stepped to the plate for his first at bat, he was serenaded with cheers like a rock star. It was as if the lights all went dark, the spotlight came on, and the curtains drew.
Piazza instantly became the Mets best and most loved player. After Piazza’s first hit in the bottom of the 5th inning, a line drive to right center field that scored Matt Franco, Mets fans could feel the tide turning. The tide turned so much that the Amazin’s went on to win 7 straight games upon his arrival.
For a team starved for star power and playoff appearances, Mike Piazza provided that and more. There were countless big home runs in Mike’s career. Who could forget the game tying homer off of John Smoltz in game 6 of the 1999 NLDS? How about his 482 foot blast over the picnic area at Shea Stadium against Ramiro Mendoza? Even better yet, the multiple times he took Roger Clemens deep? But if there ever was a time that Piazza stood out, it was on September 21st, 2011. Luckily I was at Shea that night as well. I’ll just let the video do the talking…
The Mets Hall of Fame is reserved for the players/executives who made an impact during their tenure in Flushing. It’s a great honor and should never be taken lightly. Mike Piazza belongs is not only in the Mets Hall of Fame, but on display, for all 45,000 fans to see. His number should be retired along with his induction to the Mets Hall of Fame. No Met should ever wear the number of the greatest hitting catcher of all time. No Met should ever wear the number of the player who single-handedly gave us a reason to cheer after the most devastating event ever on American soil. Mike Piazza embraced being a Met. On the grandest stage of them all, he was “Simply Amazin'”.
Retire #31
