(AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File).
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The night of September 21, 2001, made Piazza an immortal New Yorker, and the image of that Shea homer pops up in the mind’s eye of every Mets fan whenever his name is mentioned.
While neither of them will be joining 2016 inductees Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza for this summer’s enshrinement ceremony, they received enough support from voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to suggest that prosperity – theirs – could be just around the corner.
“Coming from the East Coast and growing up in Philadelphia and watching fans there, I kind of knew what the expectations were”, said Piazza, who arrived at Shea Stadium as a 29-year-old, 6-time All-Star in 1998. But I was doubtful about the BBWAA electing them, and that was before their eligibility period was cut from 15 years to just 10. Although he visited Cooperstown a few times during his career, he never once set foot in the Hall of Fame.
“The Mets have a unique fan base”, Piazza said.
He was drafted because Dodgers legend and former manager Tommy Lasorda happened to be the godfather of his brother, Tommy.
Bagwell, 47, hit. 297 with 449 home runs (which ranks 38th all-time) and 1,529 runs batted in (49th) during his 15-year career, all with Houston.
Griffey said he and Bonds speak on the phone on average of five times a month but the conversation is usually about their shared love of mountain bike riding. “I couldn’t be prouder of him”. But (when you) spend 23 years as a major-league player, that’s the ultimate goal.
A Ken Griffey Jr. flag waves from the Space Needle to honor to honor Griffey’s election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Seattle.
Until now, the lowest draft pick in the Hall was pitcher John Smoltz, selected on the 22nd round in 1985 and enshrined just a year ago. The draft no longer lasts that long. One of his closest friends was Vince Piazza, his future catcher’s father and another Norristown native.
“It crystalizes how special this game is, in a sense”, Piazza said.
Ken Griffey Jr. talks about his Hall of Fame election on MLB Network.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens remain in their own separate class, fallen icons immortalized by their courtroom sketches. Just whispers about pimples on Piazza’s broad back. Piazza was on 57.8 percent of ballots in 2013, his first year. He did acknowledge using androstenedione, amphetamines, Creatine, ephedra and a type of asthma medicine that made him more alert and focused. Griffey will go to Cooperstown with the highest vote percentage at 99.3, getting 437 of 440 ballots. Players must be named on at least 75 percent of ballots to be elected. “I was able to draw from that to stay patient, stay optimistic”. He garnered 62.2 percent in 2014 and 69.9 percent previous year. Piazza received 83% of the 75% of votes required for election. And he wants to be wearing the Mets uniform in his Cooperstown exhibit.
Much earlier, Piazza emerged as a perennial All-Star with the Dodgers and played parts of seven seasons in L.A. before acrimonious circumstances as he neared free agency led to a trade.
When Williams addresses the teenager directly, Mike Piazza grows so nervous that he can hardly answer.
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With a solid chance to finally gain induction, Raines spoke about what it would be like to stand on the stage on induction day and join the 70 living Hall of Famers.
