Mike Piazza Tribute

[Guest cooby]

If this is the last Mets game I ever get to watch on TV, it was worth it just for that

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I posted from the Sidekick from the home opener, so it's appropriate for me to post now.

OMG - I haven't been to anything so heartfelt and emotional at Shea before that didn't involve someone named Seaver. It was indescribable - a total outpouring of love and appreciation. Lots of tears were shed.

Seven and a half years ago, I got either an e-mail or instant message (I just can't remember which) from DJ, someone I knew casually from a non-Mets AOL board. DJ lives in the LA area, and she knew I was a Mets fan. She wrote to me, begging for me to take care of Mikey Joseph for her. We totally bonded over that, and she went on to become my "axe murderer" friend whom I met in person in Arizona in 2000. I'll write to DJ later, reassuring her that New York properly took care of her favorite player as he likely finished his career as a Met.

[seawolf17]

Seawolf18:

See that "31" hanging on the outfield wall? Let me tell you about a guy who was a Met before you were born; a guy named Mike Piazza. You know how everybody here at Bob Murphy Stadium is wearing David Wright shirts? Well, back then, everybody at the old Shea Stadium wore Piazza shirts. Mike Piazza used to hit home runs to all fields, all the time -- and he used to make it look so easy. It felt like he didn't even step; he just flicked his wrists out there, and WHAM it was off the scoreboard, or over the camera stand, or into the old picnic area. He hit home runs in every big spot you could hit a home run; he used to hit them off good pitchers, bad pitchers, every pitcher. He was a guy who made you stop whatever you were doing and watch, because you never knew how far he'd hit one. It got hard for him at the end of his time here, because as often as he used to hit home runs, it seemed like he grounded out a lot too. He wasn't as great a hitter as he was when he was younger, but when he got a hold of one, he could still make that ball fly. Wear that 31 shirt proudly, kiddo; Mike Piazza is a big piece of Mets history.

[Guest cooby]

I loved the interview with his dad too, I love to see true parental love and respect like that

[metirish]

Great tribute to a great Met and a great person, emotional stuff that was, Bye Mike.

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

I always find this appropriate for the end of a baseball career, or run with a team as the case may be. From the Long Island Ballader himself:

Famous Last Words
River Of Dreams Released: 1993

Sitting here in Avalon, looking at the pouring rain
Summer time has come and gone, and everybody's home again
Closing down for the season, I found the last of the souvenirs
I can still taste the wedding cake and it's sweet after all these years

These are the last words I have to say
That's why this took so long to write
There will be other words some other day
But that's the story of my life

There's comfort in my coffee cup and apples in the early fall
They're pulling all the moorings up and gathering at the Legion Hall
They swept away all the streamers after the Labor Day parade
Nothing left for a dreamer now, only one final serenade

And these are the last words I have to say
Before another age goes by
With all those other songs I'll have to play
But that's the story of my life

And it's so clear standing here where I am
Ain't that what justice is for?
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn anymore

Stack the chairs on the table tops
Hang the sheets on the chandeliers
It slows down but it never stops
Ain't it sweet after all these years

And these are the last words I have to say
It's always hard to say goodbye
But now it's time to put this book away
Ain't that the story of my life

[Valadius]

Is there any way I could get my hands on the Piazza tribute video? I didn't get to see it.

[metirish]

Val set your VCR or DVR or whatever you have, FSN will repeat the game at 1:30AM Sunday night/Monday morning.

[Guest Edgy DC]

First game, catching a complete-game shutout by Leiter, with an RBI double.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

The first great Met I've been able to see, being a younger fan. Thanks for the great memories, Mike.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Mikey's last Met at bat, as seen from the upper level -

[Guest SI Metman]

Were you in my section?

I was up in Section 2 nosebleed.

[MFS62]

I've seen two of the greatest righthanded hitting catchers of all time leave New York - Campanella and Piazza.
I don't know which was sadder, but I consider myself lucky to have rooted for them.

Later

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

We were close - Section 4, in the last row of the upper reserve boxes. That wound up being really good, because MK could stand up when he wanted to and there was nobody behind him whose view he could obstruct.

We bought the tickets at the gate about an hour before game time. MK was supposed to have a Fall Ball game, but when the game was cancelled we decided to spring him from Sunday school a little early and drove out to Shea. Despite the sucky game we were happy to be there to give Mikey a proper sendoff.

The only other person I remember bowing to the fans that way in the midst of such an ovation was Tom Seaver during his special day in 1987.

[Guest cooby]

Valadius wrote: Is there any way I could get my hands on the Piazza tribute video? I didn't get to see it.

I have a hunch it will be on Mets.com too

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Or it'll be a stadium giveaway next season.

[Guest cooby]

I think he'll be back.

My deductions:

Mets will surely offer him a contract.

Mike will surely want to stay.

Mike is a Met in 2006.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

The Diamond Knight family hopes that cooby's deductions are correct.

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

MFS62 wrote: I've seen two of the greatest righthanded hitting catchers of all time leave New York - Campanella and Piazza. I don't know which was sadder, but I consider myself lucky to have rooted for them. Later

Granted you are several decades older (62 to 28) I'd give the edge to the way it ended for Campy. Tragic way to end a career, and nearly his life.

Funny, listening to WFAN around the time of Campy's death and a long time Dodger fan and caller to WFAN was talking to Chris Russo saying that "at least Campy lived to see his successor as the greatest Dodger Catcher" While Russo at the time was correct in saying "take it easy" (1993 of course) little did he, or anyone know that Mr. Piazza not only succeeded Campanella in Dodger lore, but in National League baseball in New York City (lets wait till he finally retires to start putting him in the Berra level)

Steve

[Guest SI Metman]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: We were close - Section 4, in the last row of the upper reserve boxes. That wound up being really good, because MK could stand up when he wanted to and there was nobody behind him whose view he could obstruct. We bought the tickets at the gate about an hour before game time. MK was supposed to have a Fall Ball game, but when the game was cancelled we decided to spring him from Sunday school a little early and drove out to Shea. Despite the sucky game we were happy to be there to give Mikey a proper sendoff. The only other person I remember bowing to the fans that way in the midst of such an ovation was Tom Seaver during his special day in 1987.

I was 8 rows back and 5 seats over from you guys

Definately a really moving afternoon. The tribute should be up on mets.com by the end of the evening.

[Elster88]

Unbelievable experience. I had seats in Box H in section 74 behind third base that I grossly overpaid for. Worth every....last.....penny. And then some. I'll post some more about it at a later date.

[G-Fafif]

Notes from De Facto MP Day.

1) Some bright fan attached his/her own discs on the facing of the left field upper deck: 37, 14, 41, 42 and 31. They looked to be blowing away by game's end, but nice touch.

2) Mets Extra treated listeners to a marvelous montage of Piazza moments. Because of the damn NFL (I thought Mets had dibs on the flagship over the Giants), it was shunted to WBBR and at the moment it came on, as I was detraining in Woodside, it got very staticky. I certainly hope Steve Somers or Joe Benigno replays it.

3) Don't know what it looked like on TV, but Mike's putting both hands palms down in an "all right, take it easy" motion, said it all about him. Reminded me of Springsteen telling his audience, "siddown, we got a long way to go" or words to that effect.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Now you see, I interpreted that more like Tom Seaver bowing to the crowd from those different directions on the day that he was honored.

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: Now you see, I interpreted that more like Tom Seaver bowing to the crowd from those different directions on the day that he was honored.

Thats how Howie Rose described it on the radio

[Guest Edgy DC]

I thought it was Wayne/Garth saying he's not worthy.

[Zvon]

If Piazza is done as a Met, I am sure gonna miss him.
There will be a void.........
He was a big time gamer.
Never saw an axe choppin swing like his before, and never will again.

[Frayed Knot]

So am I the only one who kept imagining Mike looking out over the crowd thinking; 'OK, which of you fuckers were the ones booing me in '98 because I was only hitting .320?'

[Valadius]

Mike Piazza will probably always be my favorite Met.

I first became a die-hard Mets fan towards the end of 1997, if I remember correctly when I was 10 years old, although I do remember parts of '96. So 1998 was my first full season as a Mets fan. I'll never forget the day Piazza was traded - I was playing in a Little League game when one of the dads tells his son on my team that the Mets got Piazza. I refused to believe it, reasoning that the Marlins wouldn't trade him after a week, but leaving the door open in my mind because I knew all about Huizenga's crazed purge of his team. It took my father turning on the TV after the game to convince me.

Mike Piazza was the Mets icon I grew up with, in much of the same way some of you guys and gals grew up with Seaver, Koosman, Cleon, Agee, and Tug, or Swan, Mazzilli, Kingman, and Milner, or Strawberry, Hernandez, Gooden, Carter, Orosco, Fernandez, and Wilson, or Bonilla, Bobby Jones, and Hundley. I believe that you become most attached to the players you grew up with, even as you grow older and teams and players change. So more so than most of you, I think, the departure of Mike Piazza is a very sad day for me.

He's been a Met since I was 11 years old and in fifth grade. Here I am, 18 years old, and a freshman in college. He's been the face of the franchise for more or less the whole time. I grew up with Piazza, Leiter, Franco, Alfonso, Ordonez, Ventura, Olerud, Benitez, Wendell, and the rest of the late '90s-early '00s Mets. It was a sad day watching Leiter go. It's the end of my childhood dreams, in a sense, seeing Piazza walk off into the sunset.

[metirish]

I doubt Piazza thought that,it's not his way I think. I thought is was pure class that the Rockies stood to applaud Mike like they did, I can't imagine a player that's done with his contract with his team but not done playing ever got that, nice touch by them.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]So am I the only one who kept imagining Mike looking out over the crowd thinking; 'OK, which of you fuckers were the ones booing me in '98 because I was only hitting .320?'

No.