“When we showed up at the site (for the ceremonies), he said, ‘You gotta do it, you gotta do it, ‘” Griffey said.
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The sentimental side Griffey showed in front of family, friends and a generation of Mariners employees presaged the challenge of talking to an audience of 50,000 baseball fans Sunday. Many pitchers in recent years (Al Leiter comes to mind) have disputed as much in regard to Piazza calling a game and now there are numbers to back up that he was actually very good at framing and blocking.
Griffey was the first pick in 1987 and he will soon be joined by Chipper Jones as a first overall selection when the former Atlanta Braves star becomes eligible for election in 2018.
Anybody who saw Ken Griffey Jr. on Saturday night was not surprised to see him cry like a kid Sunday afternoon.
“As a ball player, to go to NY and be somewhat successful is truly an wonderful part of my career that I’ll always remember”, Piazza added.
He checked his cellphone and found a text his son Trey had sent him while he was still on the stage: “I love you, man”. Given that the draft isn’t going to revert such a format, Piazza will hold this honor for the rest of time: He’s the lowest draft pick ever to become a Hall of Famer.
Griffey began sobbing at the start of his speech and never really stopped, such is the impact the Hall of Fame has on players.
In 1997 and ’98, Griffey hit 56 home runs in each season without turning into the Michelin man – no hint of aid from performance-enhancing drugs. The legendary catcher gave an emotional speech, thanking a number of special people who helped to get him from his childhood and adolescence, and through his tenure in professional baseball. “Now it’s time to smell the roses”, said Piazza to cheers and applause.
The former Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox center fielder wore what appeared to be an everyday, garden-variety blue suit adorned with a sharp pinstripe.
“When you’re a kid, they always say, ‘Don’t do that, don’t do that.’ And you do it anyway, ” he said.
“I wanted to share the moment with them”, Griffey said.
Piazza played 16 years with the Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Padres and Athletics and hit 427 home runs, including a major league record 396 as a catcher. I was just fortunate that I had great coaches and people looking out for me to encourage me to go back. “That’s how I played”, Griffey said.
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While he spent about the same amount of time with his first team, the Los Angeles Dodgers as he did the New York Mets, it is with the latter team that he will be enshrined. Griffey later met the Marino children when the Reds played the Mets in NY in July 2002.
