MIKE MOMENTS
Remembering anniversary of Piazza’s Met debut with 10 great memories
From the moment he was drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round, all the way to Cooperstown and beyond, Mike Piazza solidified his status as one of the greatest Mets in franchise history. Since it’s Piazza trade week, we’re reliving the Hall of Famer’s top 10 moments in baseball.
10. Address change in Port St. Lucie: Piazza Drive — Jan. 16, 2020
The Mets, the City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County honored Piazza by renaming the street formerly known as NW Stadium Dr. to Piazza Drive and changing the official address of the Mets Spring Training facility to 31 Piazza Drive in January. The ceremony, held just outside the newly renamed Clover Park, revealed an emotional Piazza as he reflected on how much the honor meant to him and his family.
“Port St. Lucie will always hold a special place in my career as the place where I prepared for some of my most memorable seasons, with teammates, staff and of course fans,” Piazza said. “Florida has been my home for the past thirty years, so it’s a great tribute for my family and for future generations. I am truly touched and blessed.”
9. All-Star Game MVP … in hometown of Philadelphia — July 9, 1996
Piazza was hitting .363/.432/.623 with 24 home runs and 63 RBI before the 1996 All-Star Game in his fourth full season for the Dodgers. He was once again voted to start at catcher for the National League. It was the third of nine straight All-Star Game starts, and one of 12 All-Star nods in his career.
Piazza keyed the NL’s 6-0 victory with a solo homer and an RBI double at Veterans Stadium. What made this game special for Piazza? It took place in his hometown of Philadelphia and he caught Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt’s honorary first pitch. “I’m running out of words to describe all this,” Piazza said then.
8. Perfect night at the plate … major-league debut — Sept. 1, 1992
Piazza, a 23-year-old who was selected by the Dodgers in the 1988 draft, took his first big-league at-bat in the top of the second inning at Wrigley Field. Batting sixth, he drew a walk. In the fourth, he doubled to deep center. In the sixth, he hit a line drive to left. In the eighth, he hit another single, making for a 3-for-3 day as the Dodgers beat the Cubs, 5-4. It was a special debut, and afterward Piazza said: “I can’t believe this is happening.”
7. Memorable Mets debut — May 23, 1998
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound catcher hopped off the plane at LaGuardia, immediately bombarded by paparazzi, and headed to Shea Stadium to catch Al Leiter’s ninth start of the year. The new battery didn’t have time to go over a game plan (Leiter warned Piazza to be ready for an assortment of cutters) and they went to work. Piazza caught Leiter’s four-hit shutout over the Brewers and went 1-for-4 at the plate – marking a new beginning for the Mets franchise.
6. Return to Shea with two-homer day — Aug. 9, 2006
Piazza signed with the San Diego Padres after the 2005 season on a one-year, $2 million deal. The 12-time All-Star had already secured his place in history by holding the majorleague record for most home runs by a catcher, and in his second game back at Shea Stadium as a Padre, he added a few. Piazza homered not once, but twice, off Pedro Martinez that night. Nearly 50,000 Mets fans gave Piazza a raucous ovation, to which he responded with a heartfelt curtain call. The Mets prevailed, beating Piazza and the Padres, 4-3.
5. “We got Piazza! We got Piazza!” — May 22, 1998
It’s the day Mets fans will always remember – when their star-studded catcher became a Met. Piazza went from Los Angeles to Florida with Todd Zeile on May 14 as part of a blockbuster sevenplayer deal. Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich and Manuel Barrios all went to the Dodgers. As soon as Piazza became a Marlin, then-GM Dave Dombrowski told him: “Don’t buy, rent. And I don’t think I’d rent for a month.”
Piazza spent just five games in a Marlins uniform before Mets co-owners Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday finalized a deal. He journeyed to New York on May 22 and became a Met in a deal for minor-league prospects Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and No. 1 draft pick Geoff Goetz.
“We got Piazza! We got Piazza!” Leiter recalled saying at the time, which mimicked the sentiments of Mets fans celebrating the catcher’s arrival.
4. Piazza and Seaver say farewell to Shea — Sept. 28, 2008
Tom Seaver, the Mets’ all-time leader in wins, threw the final pitch to Mike Piazza, the majors’ all-time leader in home runs by a catcher, at the last game at Shea Stadium in an emotional farewell to a beloved ballpark. Seaver and Piazza, arms draped around each other, walked toward the center-field fence and out of the stadium in what will be remembered as one of the lasting images of Shea.
3. The Piazza-Clemens saga begins with a slam — June 9, 2000
It’s the Subway Series opener and by now, Yankees starter Roger Clemens has just about had it with Piazza. The Mets catcher entered that game with two career home runs off Clemens. The thirdinning grand slam Piazza lifted to straightaway center field on June 9 led the Mets to a 12-2 win over the Yankees and added fuel to the fire. On July 8, the next time Clemens faced Piazza, he beaned the catcher and sent him home with a concussion. When they met again in the 2000 Fall Classic, Piazza broke his bat on an inside pitch and Clemens hurled the broken shard back at the catcher. The benches emptied and the Yankees went on to win the World Series in five games.
2. Welcome to Cooperstown — July 24, 2016
Piazza played for the Mets, Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and Florida over 16 years in the major leagues, but he entered the Hall of Fame wearing a Mets cap.
“How can I put into words my love and appreciation for New York Mets fans,” Piazza said at the podium. “Looking back into this crowd of blue and orange brings me back to the greatest time of my life. The thing I miss most is making you cheer.”
1. Two-run home run with healing power — Sept. 21, 2001
In their first game back at Shea Stadium — 10 days after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center — the Mets hosted the division-rival Braves at a time when people were uncertain about the return of baseball in New York City. Piazza momentarily lifted the grief of the terror attacks with a two-run homer off right-hander Steve Kersay that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Piazza carried New York on his shoulders as he rounded the bases amid the crowd’s “USA!” chants.