WELCOME TO THE HOF MIKE PIAZZA!

[nymr83]

its about damn time!

http://45.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llrvid8mXX1qekp52o1_400.gif

[Guest d'Kong76]

Glad it's a small group, two greats of the game. Congratulations.

[bmfc1]

Retire his number.

[nymr83]

bmfc1 wrote: Retire his number.

they'll wait until the ticket sales opportunity is best, this summer already locked up the big weekends celebrating 30th anniversary of 1986

[Zvon]

Congratulations Mr. Piazza!

I'm slipping. I should have had a card or graphic all ready to go.

[Batty31]

About freaking time!!! Congrats!!!!!

[A Boy Named Seo]

Some lame voter(s?) thought Griffey needed to wait a year like he's gotta pay his dues or some dumb thing. Congrats, Batch!

[bmfc1]

Nymr83 wrote: bmfc1 wrote: Retire his number. they'll wait until the ticket sales opportunity is best, this summer already locked up the big weekends celebrating 30th anniversary of 1986

Right--the Dodgers would be a good opponent on "Mike Piazza Night" but that's "1986" weekend.

[Guest d'Kong76]

They could retire his number early in the year when some games are slow
due the cold. They'd get a sell-out, and they can put the money to good use
paying down debt and stuff.

I need a new Fafif shirt, one with a 31 would be nice sometime soon...

[Guest themetfairy]

Congratulations Mikey Joseph!



This is a favorite photo of mine because I took it during Beanie Babies Day 1999. I scored press credentials so I could write up the event for Mary Beth's Beanie World and was able to be on the field for batting practice. I asked Mike Piazza for a quote about Beanie Babies; he didn't really have a reaction, but when he saw that I was disappointed he thought for a moment and gave me a nice little quote for my story. He also was one of the players nice enough to pose with my Beanie Baby.

Mazel Tov to a Hall of Famer and a true mensch!

[Ceetar]

about time. Shame it comes after I no longer really care about that particular Hall of Fame, but still nice to be in the 'real' Hall. Of course, it would've been a lot easier for me to attend that first year...

I don't know if they'll sell out his number retirement. I don't think they sold out the Mets Hall of Fame induction, number is a bigger deal though I guess.

If I had to wager it'll be July 30th or 31st, that following weekend, to sorta 'follow up' the Hall of Fame ceremony, or mid-September. Twins/18th? I think they want to do it after.

[Lefty Specialist]

Happy Dance.

(Calls friends in Oneonta to ask if we can spend a weekend this summer)

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Booking a room-- even since before the official announcement-- has been, um, trying.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gotta pitch a tent out there, too nice not to.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Booking a room-- even since before the official announcement-- has been, um, trying.

really needed to do this like 6 months ago.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Gotta pitch a tent out there, too nice not to.

Oh, I'll be pitching a tent. The only question is whether we'll be camping as a I do so.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Guest

[Guest d'Kong76]

We know a pretty higher-up in the Otsego County sheriff's department.
Maybe they can put a few of us up in the clink for a night or two.

[Centerfield]

Nice coverage on MLB Network tonight. Really great to see Mike get the honor. Also cool to see Leiter on the panel that interviewed him.

Could do without the "Piazza as a Dodger" highlights though. It's like stumbling upon old pictures of your wife when she was dating someone else.

[MFS62]

Centerfield wrote: Could do without the "Piazza as a Dodger" highlights though. It's like stumbling upon old pictures of your wife when she was dating someone else.

It will be interesting to see the team logo he will wear on his plaque. The player gets to discuss it with the HOF (when he has played substantial time with more than one team) but does not get the final say.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hat-griffey-piazza-hall-fame-plaque-023237416--mlb.html

OE: looks like this was touched on in the HOF voting thread.

Later

Edited January 7, 2016 by Guest

[nymr83]

Can't find a room? don't worry, the Mets have you covered (for a hefty fee I'm sure):

https://www.sportstravelandtours.com/WebPackageListMLB.asp

the rates are sky high and you won't even be staying in Cooperstown... rooms in ALBANY!

[Valadius]

Looking forward to seeing his number retired!

[Benjamin Grimm]

They didn't do it for Gary Carter, even when he was dying, so it's not exactly a sure thing.

[dgwphotography]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: They didn't do it for Gary Carter, even when he was dying, so it's not exactly a sure thing.

This isn't an appropriate analogy. Carter had the majority of his HOF-worthy years as an Expo, and went in with a Montreal cap on his plaque, as he should have. Piazza had more homers as a Met than for any other team, and played for the Mets longer than for the Dodgers. He should go in as a Met, and have his number retired.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I know. I agree that Piazza is more worthy of a retired number than Carter is (although if it were up to me I don't think I would retire 31 either) but I'm just pointing out that we can't assume that the number will be retired.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'm certain it will happen, particularly because Piazza has been such an ally of the Wilpons all these years, careful to have never said a bad thing about the organization and outspoken in his desire to identify as a Met. Cynical me thinks this is all to some degree calculated or bought and paid for on some level, but at least it gives fans what they want.

[Frayed Knot]

Piazza hit at a better rate as a Dodger [51 points of OPS] but was a Met for longer [3,941 PAs vs 3,017]. In cases like that where it's pretty much a toss-up as to what fans remember his as I think they should pretty much leave it up to the player.
As I've said before, I treat this whole 'what you go in as' argument to be boring. Too many fans act as if going in as one means he's there to the exclusion of all others but that's nonsense. He's a NYM in the HoF no matter if there's an NY on his cap on the plaque, or an LA, or no insignia at all.

As for the number retirement thing: it's fine with me if they do it but it's also fine if they don't.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frayed Knot wrote: As for the number retirement thing: it's fine with me if they do it but it's also fine if they don't.

That's pretty much where I am.

And as for the cap on the plaque, I hope it's a Mets cap. (Why wouldn't I? I'm a Mets fan.) But if it's not, it's not. No big deal. I've probably already made my final visit to Cooperstown anyway.

[Centerfield]

I think someday the team insignia will become a thing of the past. Players move around too much these days. And it looks like that trend will only continue.

One thing that irritated me about the coverage was the speculation that with Piazza having gotten in, that the door has been opened to Clemens and Bonds, because "there have always been rumors swirling about Piazza".

This is bullshit. There is a huge difference between Piazza (completely unsubstantiated speculation) and Bonds/Clemens (actual evidence that would be admissible in Court). I wish Al Leiter had been more vocal about pointing out this difference. The whole steroid thing being tied to Piazza is completely unfair. You shouldn't be looked at with suspicion simply because you look like you might be on the juice. So much has been exposed these last ten years. That Piazza has been clean each time should count for something.

Look, in the end he may have used steroids. I don't know. I think that steroid use was much more rampant than most ever thought. And if he did, then he can deal with it then, but he should not have to defend against those whispers simply because he was really strong.

[nymr83]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm certain it will happen, particularly because Piazza has been such an ally of the Wilpons all these years, careful to have never said a bad thing about the organization and outspoken in his desire to identify as a Met. Cynical me thinks this is all to some degree calculated or bought and paid for on some level, but at least it gives fans what they want.

I think 'calculated' is probably more accurate, he knows and the Wilpons know that staying friendly with each other is in both their best interests as far as good PR and future business opportunities.

[Centerfield]

Nymr83 wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm certain it will happen, particularly because Piazza has been such an ally of the Wilpons all these years, careful to have never said a bad thing about the organization and outspoken in his desire to identify as a Met. Cynical me thinks this is all to some degree calculated or bought and paid for on some level, but at least it gives fans what they want. I think 'calculated' is probably more accurate, he knows and the Wilpons know that staying friendly with each other is in both their best interests as far as good PR and future business opportunities.

This is probably right.

I think the Wilpons missed an opportunity last summer to retire his number and say "fuck you" to the Hall of Fame. Some may disagree about whether the number should be retired, but most Mets fans want this, and I think it could have been a great way for the Wilpons to endear themselves a bit.