Mike Piazza took his place in Cooperstown on Sunday as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with a Mets logo adorning the cap on his plaque. In the 1995 ALDS, he became just the second player in major league history to hit five home runs in a single postseason series (Reggie Jackson of the Yankees in the 1977 World Series is the other).
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The 2017 Hall of Fame ballot will bring back Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith, Fred McGriff, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Gary Sheffield, Billy Wagner, and Sammy Sosa. Well during his Hall Of Fame speech he reminded everyone that he is still that kid at heart. He led the AL in homers four times (1994, 1997-1999) and won the Home Run Derby three times.
Griffey is a 10-time Gold Glove victor and was generally recognized as one of baseball’s best defenders throughout his time in Seattle.
But on Saturday night at a private Mariners reception, Griffey gave a sneak preview of his emotional vulnerability.
The retired Major League Baseball stars were added to the shrine Sunday in ceremonies that drew 50,000 people to the small town in upstate NY known as the birthplace of the American pastime.
Griffey racked up stellar numbers on the field, blasting towering home runs and making acrobatic, leaping catches to rob homers and diving stabs to steal extra-base hits. “Now is the time to smell the roses”.
When the Mets acquired Mike Piazza from the Florida Marlins in 1998, they knew they were getting a difference-maker.
“We made it, Dad”, he said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. He homered in his first at-bat in the Kingdome, and he was 19 years old. Two of the most prolific players of the 1990s and early 2000s – Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. – made their way into the Hall on a sweltering afternoon in upstate NY, but it was Griffey who showcased some style choices that turned plenty of heads.
He also saluted Jay Buhner as “the greatest teammate I ever had”. “He spoke the truth-even when you didn’t want to hear it”.
Piazza also shed tears while talking about his family, including his father, Vince, whose childhood friendship with Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda helped convince the Los Angeles Dodgers to select Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft.
For that reason, it was fitting for them to reach Cooperstown together.
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He says they were both awesome players, but it’s great to know they’re both even better human beings.
