After his election to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Piazza returned to the city with which he is inextricably linked and announced that he would his plaque in Cooperstown would bear a Mets cap. Years played with a particular organization play a significant role, so Piazza’s eight years as a Met beat out his seven years as a Dodger, not to mention more games (972 in NY, 726 in LA), more hits (1,028 to 896), more home runs (220-177), and more RBIs (655 – 563).
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I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Cooperstown, New York, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum twice: once just for a visit, and the second time to see Philadelphia Phillies legend Mike Schmidt inducted.
Take Mr. Ledbetter’s advice and practice your baseball swing and you will definitely get better..
Despite flying under the radar as an amateur player, Piazza burst onto the big-league scene. Over his career he hit 630 home runs.
Piazza going in as a Met was a foregone conclusion, but there were still some who thought the Hall of Fame might step in try to prevent that.
Former Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr.is greeted by team staff members on his arrival before a news conference Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, in Seattle.
First off, all of our staff wanted to congratulate Griffey Jr. and Piazza on being elected into the Hall Of Fame.
“Having my number next to him, I don’t think I did half of what he did”, Griffey said. He later won two World Series titles as a member of the New York Yankees and finished his career with a. 294 lifetime batting average.
“That’s the freedom we have”, Piazza maintained.
The way the process is set up allows for a bona fide star player to eventually get elected, even if he retired at a time when a number of other stars also left the game-thus crowding the number of eligible players.
“They made contact, they played hard, just like we did, and they still had to hit the ball”.
A player needs 75 percent to gain election, and Jeff Bagwell missed by 15 votes and Tim Raines by 23. After falling 28 votes shy past year, he was selected on 365 (83 percent).
“If he didn’t do what he did, maybe none of this would have been possible”, Griffey said of Robinson.
This is a fitting tribute for one of the greatest players in baseball history. He’s gotten calls from several hall of famers telling him that it’s only going to get more busy as time passes.
Friday, August 5, 7:10 pm vs. the Los Angeles Angels – Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey began and ended his 22-year career with the Mariners but spent nine years in the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and part of one season with the Chicago White Sox.
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Growing up, I was a nominal catcher for three years under the direction of my dad, who let me pick the team name despite being a diehard Baltimore-bred Orioles fan. Piazza enters in what was his fourth year on the ballot, surviving suspicions of using performance enhancers. However, Piazza’s signature moment in a Mets uniform was his game-winning eighth-inning home run against the Atlanta Braves September 21, 2001, ten days after the 9/11 attacks.
