.... Sgt. Pepper Taught the Band to Play.

[batmagadanleadoff]

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/the-mets-traded-for-mike-piazza-20-years-ago-today/277814128

[G-Fafif]

Heckuva trade, despite losing Preston Wilson in the deal.

[Frayed Knot]

The boys were talking about this last night during the game with Gary mostly instructing R & K, who were both into their post-career self-imposed baseball exiles at the time, the standard story of what a rough
go of it Piazza had in his early weeks/months in Queens ... except that all that doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. It did get better as the year moved along, but it's not like he was bad right off the bat.

Piazza as a '98 NYM: .348/.417/.607
June (first full month in NY): .318/.365/.511
July: .326/.421/.576
August: .347/.414/.663
September: .378/.457/.720

The biggest problem, both the way I remembered it at the time and confirmed mostly by the cold numbers, is that he had some 'clutch failures' early on which fans, expecting a savior and not realizing that
players on other teams didn't bat 1.000 in runners-on situations, immediately diagnosed as both a physical and moral failure on Piazza's part and this just proved that he'd never be able to "handle New York"
and that the Mets had gotten taken in a trade once again as shirley Geoff Goetz and Ed Yarnell were going to win eight Cy Youngs between them over the next ten seasons just to rub it in.

Those June numbers [.318/.365/.511] came with just 8 RBIs in 96 ABs and THAT was the source of all the booing and the booing itself became a whole cause celeb to be discussed and analyzed in the
papers, on bar stools, and also quite loudly on talk radio.

[G-Fafif]

I attended 24 games at Shea that season, several in the heart of Piazza's alleged unpopularity, and I don't remember any remarkable torrent of boos. Some GIDP expressions of frustration, perhaps, but no "we're gonna run ya outta town" reaction.

The sound I mostly remember was the collective pinching of selves that Mike was here. And some bat meeting ball.

[Edgy MD]

He also did well batting average-wise the first few weeks, but the prodigious power show wasn't on instant display.

Also, people were being kinda jerky.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember being happy (and amazed) that the Mets got Piazza, but was worried that they gave up too much for a rental player in a year in which they weren't likely to make the playoffs.

They ended up coming pretty close to the postseason in 1998, and, as we know by know, Piazza turned out to be more than a rental.

[Frayed Knot]

"torrent of boos"?, no, but there clearly was a lot of frustration which led to the whole 'do we express our frustrations or stifle them for fear of driving him away?' discussions that raged for the better part of
the next five months.

Edgy MD wrote: He also did well batting average-wise the first few weeks, but the prodigious power show wasn't on instant display.

Yeah, although 9 XBHs out of 27 hits across 88 ABs in June for an IsoP mark of .197 isn't exactly no power, but there was that 8 RBI mark that touched a nerve, especially when considering that half
those RBIs were him driving in himself. (7 of his first 9 HRs as a Met were solos)

Also, people were being kinda jerky.

My main point.
I guess mostly I was just a bit disappointed in Gary for not acknowledging the subtleties of MP's early days, instead he just latched onto the "troubles" he had at the plate as if his early months here were a
prolonged slump that could only have been brought on by bright-lights/big-city. But of course Gary repeats the simplistic summations of Benitez too (never blew a save prior to Aug 31st, never converted
one after) and is a fully tithing member of the Jeter = Mega-clutch church as well.

[Centerfield]

There was definitely a healthy contingent of Mets fans booing Piazza at the time. It was infuriating. For years, we clamored about wanting a star player. We were lucky enough to finally land one and then these morons got up and booed him at every opportunity. There are times I'm convinced Mets fans are too stupid to appreciate greatness. That early season treatment of Piazza was an embarrassment.

I think it was largely fueled by the unrealistic expectation of fans (that somehow Piazza would get a hit every time the game was on the line), a couple of outs in key situations, and Piazza's general demeanor, which is laid back and seemingly disinterested. Most of those guys booing were convinced Mike would leave at the end of the year.

So stupid. If entitlement is the ugliest part of being a Yankee fan, for Mets fans, it's an undying need to be miserable.

Booing Piazza. Booing Beltran. How Benitez is unjustly vilified. I don't understand why a fan base would choose to punish their best players.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Piazza also got hit on the hand by a Pedro Martinez fastball on June 5 which probably slowed him down a bit in his first full month as a Met.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Centerfield wrote: So stupid. If entitlement is the ugliest part of being a Yankee fan, for Mets fans, it's an undying need to be miserable.

I agree. The air of angst within the fan base is something I've never been able to identify with.

[Centerfield]

Mets Willets Point wrote: Piazza also got hit on the hand by a Pedro Martinez fastball on June 5 which probably slowed him down a bit in his first full month as a Met.

This booing contingent would never recognize something like that.

In 2005, Carlos Beltran played with a broken face, and fans still booed him.

It just makes me so mad.

[stevejrogers]

Yeah, the anti-Piazza sentiment was often on the WFAN airwaves or on the proto MOFOs of the day.

The one negative comment that I remember the most was an FAN caller referring to him as “a glorified Mackey Sasser!”

ROTFPMPLOL

[Edgy MD]

I personally could go for a glorified Mackey Sasser.

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: I personally could go for a glorified Mackey Sasser.

I peg you more of the type that would want a glorified Stearns/Grote with more pop.