Piazza salutes fans as Mets retire number

It’s pretty tough to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s even tougher to have your number retired by the Mets.

Mike Piazza received both those honors this week.

In a pregame ceremony at Citi Field on Sunday, Piazza joined legendary Mets Casey Stengel (37), Gil Hodges (14) and Tom Seaver (41) as the only Mets numbers to be retired in franchise history.

“I think it’s a tremendous honor,” Piazza said. “I think every team has a different philosophy on retiring numbers. It’s great the Mets keep it very exclusive, so that’s even that much more special.”

Piazza was introduced to the crowd with a video that showed him walking from home plate at Shea Stadium and into Citi Field where he emerged from the dugout to a standing ovation.

Piazza then waved to the fans from home plate and took a seat beside former teammates Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo and Cliff Floyd before his No. 31 was unveiled atop the left field upper deck.

“With all due respect to Tom Hanks, there is crying in baseball,” an emotional Piazza said to open his speech.

Piazza especially began to choke up while thanking his former teammates.

“Not a day goes by where I don’t miss you guys,” he said.

It’s been a whirlwind of a week for Piazza. Last Sunday he delivered a moving speech in Cooperstown as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Six days later he forever became ingrained into Mets history.

“It’s just been euphoric. I’ve been so blessed,” Piazza said before the ceremony. “I’ve been a wreck emotionally this week. I hope I hold it together. “I think this occasion feels a little more festive, which is great and it should be for the fans.”

The fans certainly enjoyed the moment, as Citi Field sounded more like Shea Stadium with chants of “Mike Pi-azza!” echoing through the ballpark.

“(My number retired) means I will always be with you. Any times when you guys are down, you need a little inspiration, just give a little peak up there,” Piazza told the fans. “I truly love all you guys and I just want you to know you have given me an honor that no man deserves and no player deserves.”

While Piazza mostly thanked fans and teammates, he spoke on what his number being retired meant on a personal level before the ceremony.

“My son is here. He may be too young to realize but it’s going to be fun to take him to a game and be like, ‘Hey, your dad was cool once. You may not believe it now but I was,’ ” Piazza said. “It’s going to be up there forever. It’s overwhelming and as I said you just start to think of how blessed, truly I am.”