As he was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame, Mike Piazza shared memories from his career in an emotional, humble speech in Cooperstown.
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Dubbed “The Natural” for his effortless excellence at the plate and in center field, Griffey avoided the Hall of Fame until his special weekend because he wanted his first walk through the front doors of the stately building on Main Street to be with his kids, whom he singled out one by one in his 20-minute speech.
Sadly, it doesn’t seem as if the Hall induction of the former Reds outfielder has brought Cincinnati the joy of the city’s other baseball heroes, particularly those of Big Red Machine era stars who were teammates of Junior’s father.
Mike Piazza also has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“You gave me big league at-bats in spring training when I was a green, wide-eyed kid out of junior college”.
Griffey, selected by the Seattle Mariners in 1987, became the first No. 1 overall pick in history to land in Cooperstown and if that seemed like an indictment of the draft process, it could not even begin to compare with Piazza’s insane story.
And he even managed to sneak in his signature look from his playing days: the backward cap, via Cut4.
“I didn’t get it until after and then I started crying again when I read it”, Griffey said. “You don’t make it to the Hall of Fame alone, you have a lot of people looking out for you along the way”. A healthy Ken Griffey Jr. might have given us a steroid-free home run king.
“To my dad, who taught me how to play this game – but more importantly, he taught me how to be a man. How to work hard. Cause that’s what men do, and I love you for that”.
“Boyhood idol, (I) grew up wearing 24 in everything I did”, said Tacoma, Washington native David Edwards.
Griffey was not the first baseball legend to have a bawl on induction day.
Griffey and Piazza did just that.
“I want to thank my family, my friends, the fans, the Reds, the White Sox and the Mariners”, Griffey said before pausing as his voice broke, “for making this kid’s dream come true”. “I’m damn proud to be a Seattle Mariner”. “Led Mets to the 2000 Subway Series, and helped rally a nation one year later with his dramatic home run in the first Mets game in NY following the 9/11 attacks”.
“That’s how you get to his heart strings, right there”, she said. “That’s what I look at”. “I got up and bought a new TV”.
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In 11 seasons with Seattle, he was named to 10 consecutive All-Star teams, won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, earned seven Sliver Slugger awards and was the unanimous victor of the 1997 American League Most Valuable Player.
