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According to the San Francisco Chronicle, free-agent Mike Piazza may retire if he doesn’t sign with a team before the end of spring training.
Piazza, who missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, hit .275 with eight HR and 44 RBI.
…this is very sad for me to see piazza retire even though i knew this day was coming…he was my favorite player even before he turned around the Mets…i can’t wait for the day to see his No. 31 retired in Citi Field…
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
…i still have doubts that piazza’s number will actually ever be retired…i’d do it, but i have doubts the Mets will…
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About time Mike. Now sit back and relax; you’ve earned it.
For Tampa to be considering Bonds…Piazza makes so much more sense, espcially being a Florida guy. Would reunite him with Cliffy and allow him to get a few more big hits against the Yankees if nothing else…
Bonds would put fans in seats–even just to boo him–Piazza won’t. A low cost Bonds actually makes some business sense for a team like the Rays.
Boy, if Piazza could actually play first base, he wouldn’t be the worst addition to a bench that is missing some right handed thump. Alas, we all know he can’t.
Hope that the Mets have already been in touch and asked that he announces his retirement with a Blue-and-Orange backdrop. That 98-2000 run was a great ride, and it wouldn’t have happened without him.
If only he could still field at all. I would welcome him back.
Anyone know what the Mets payroll for this year is?
Its about $136 million or $137 for actual payroll (I think some of the cash received in the Delgado deal might offset that number a little).
For average annual value of the contracts, it’s more like $142.
Talk on sports radio here in Tampa has the Rays possibly interested in Lofton and Piazza, and as already mentioned Bonds rumor
sign him to a one day contract so he can retire as a Met
I’m surprised no AL team wants to try him out at DH? He can obviously still mash the ball if he doesn’t have to worry about subjecting his body to playing the field.
Does anyone currently wear 31? Id love to see the Mets retire his number on opening day of Citi field if he does indeed retire this year.
Before any Mets Numbers are retired #17 better be retired 1st
Right on #17 before 31 but # 7 Edward Emil Kranepool before anyone else. I’d say Koos 36 before Piazza as well
#7 will be retired the day after Jose Reyes retires.
if the Mets retire 17, 31, 7 (unless it was for HOF Reyes), and 36 they would might as well change their name to the Yankees
Agreed on 17. Eddie Kranepool? If they retire Kranepool’s number they sohlud give Charlie Samuels a number and retire that too. You don’t get your number retired for a mind-bogglingly long career of complete and total mediocrity.
Retire 17. Then Retire 31.
31, then 17, then hopefully 57, 5, and 7.
I would also like to see Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner honored in some way at citi field.
i guess mike piazza needs to get a job with SNY before he gets the respect he deserves.
When you think of the METS the first name and number that come to mind is Tom Seaver # 41 and the Piazza and #31. Piazza has done more for this team than any other players since. If he didnt bring the star power back to the Mets them we would have ggotten Galvine, Pedro, Beltran or Santana. Piazza turned the Mets into a serious team that wanted to win, rather than the joke of New York and being known as “the other New York team”. After the final game at Shea they should have Piazza day. LONG LIVE MIKE a first time HOF’r. I think he will break Seaver’s record and get the most votes.
14 37 31 41 42
I think it’s fitting that my Mets calendar fact for today is the 10-run comeback in 2000 against the Braves where Piazza crushed a homer in the 8th inning…Rocker’s first game back at Shea after the comments….great stuff
31 should be retired as soon as possible
1) The Mets were down 7 runs, not 10
2) It was not Rocker’s first game back at Shea, in fact, he pitched the night before in a 6-4 Braves win and got the 8th inning in order. He did not pitch the night of the comeback.
Where do you post you these facts of the day?
Actually, they were down 8-0 and scored 10 runs in the bottom of the 8th. The greatest regular season game I ever went to…maybe you should check your facts before you comment…
The second Piazza makes it official that he’s hanging them up, the Mets ought to sign him to staff and somehow, some way, keep him in the organization….either as a coach, broadcast…whatever.
No one is wearing 31 now, my guess is it gets officially retired as soon as Piazza retires.
agreed, Piazza is a great on-air personality
Nah, he’ll wind up in a booth somewhere. He has to much personality for staying in the shadows while others get all the credit.
considering the Mets have only ever retired Seaver’s number*, I highly doubt they’d retire Piazza’s number right away. They ’should’ retire it, but I imagine it will take them a few years if they do it at all.
*as a player…I know they retired Stengel & Hodges as well as Robinson, but none of them ever played for the Mets
** Hodges finished his career with the Mets, though his number is clearly retired for his coaching and not his playing.
theyll prob wait until he goes into the hall of fame to retire his number 31…i read the other day that carters number 8 is out of circulation bc he is in the hall…why not just retire it if your gonna do that…and while theyre at it, stop giving keiths number 17 to crappy players and just reitre that as well.
is there a reason why the mets dont retire numbers?
Benny Agbayani didn’t play long enough.
HA HA
because they enjoy being 2nd class citizens in NY by not recognizing their heroes. Even if the yankees retire every jersey, atleast the mets can do is pay homage to the aforementioned players.
The Mets will retire Piazza’s number this year – next year in CitiField, all of the games will be sellouts…so why waste an opportunity to draw extra fans to see the Pirates at Shea?
if the mets can invite Andres Galaraga and Bret Boone to Spring Training for them to retire, they can invite Big Mike.
I hope he can get a job if he wants as DH somewhere as long as it’s not for the Skanks.
I would like to see him replace Maz as the color analyst on the Mets post game shows on SNY. Matt now that you have some pull you should make it happen buddy.
I still blame Mike Lowell for this. To this day I dont understand why Lowell was given a pass for being so stupid, inexplicable, and bush league in TACKLING Piazza at third base.
Bring him back as a much needed power bat off the bench. He could probably still rake.
When it comes to numbers retirements, I hope what the Mets are thinking is that it would be nice to usher in the new ballpark with retired numbers from all the Mets WS appearances.(besides ‘69, covered by Seaver). It would make perfect sense for those three numbers to be Koosman’s 36 for ‘73, Mex’s 17 for ‘86, and Piazza’s 31 for ‘00. Hopefully they do that the day after we raise the ‘08 World Series flag…
Look, I can tell how adored he is by fans around here but frankly Mike Piazza never got us a championship. I think it would denegrate Seaver and Hodges and any awesome player who follows (perhaps Wright and Reyes in 2030?) to retire his jersey. Mex and Carter both got us the ring but the issue with them is neither were truly career Mets (Hernandez more than Carter). Remember John Franco wore #31 before Piazza ever did, and he was certainly a career Met – not that he deserved having his number retired for that reason but then again neither does Ed Kranepool (for whom I have professed lifelong man-love but get real, look at his stats.) I get sick of hearing from Yankee fans about all their historic greats, but frankly all the numbers they have retired (with the exception of Rizzuto and possibly Billy Mrtin) they are all monster players who have a slew of MVPs or some other awesome career record. Piazza?
Also not to argue with the poster above but didn’t Cookie Rojas wear #8 as a coach?
I agree that there are other numbers that should be retired prior to Piazza’s number. But I also have no doubt that #31 will be retired to Citi Field. Pizza is one of the best offensive catchers of all time, he’s a definite HOF’er and he’ll be given the proper send off from the Mets organization if he does retire.
To bad he will have a LA Dodgers hat on in the HOF
LA – Games – 726, HR 177, Hits 896
NY – Games – 972, HR 220, Hits 1028
you might want to rethink your post.
The Mets basically annouced that they will be retiring 31 in their farewell montage for Piazza in 2005. The retired “31″ logo was clear as day.
If Piazzas number isnt retired the mets should just take down the other retired numbers and officially announce that we do no celebrate our past at all. i hate this about the mets organization, and frankly just dont get why they refuse to retire numbers. retire 17, retire 31 thats not really asking for much.
I don’t undertsand why the mets would not want to add his bat to the bench. I can’t imagine he would cost much at all.
After all last year we went Julio Friggin Franco. You can’t tell me Piazza does not blow him away.
Piazza would be a fan fav., great pinch hit at bat, emergency 3rd catcher or 1st base in emergency. Should be worth a look
Terrible decision… Piazza can not come off the bench cold and get a hit…. Move on already
We have 2 catchers: Castro and Schnieder. I personally think castro should be perez’s personal catcher since ollie did so much better with him behind the plate
Yes we should retire Piazza number right next to his World Series Pennant…oh wait…
I will be mad if they retire Piazza’s number before Keith’s!
I love him, but retiring Keith’s # is border-line… Piazza is a no- brainer, as the face of the franchise, most clutch player, and best offensive player the Mets have ever had… and just being the man for all those years.
Hernandez was great, but not the player Piazza was. #31 was an island on those teams, and stands alone as a great Met offensive presence and class act.
Koos and Kranepool? You have to be joking. Having a # retired is reserved for all time greats. Koos was great for a couple of seasons, but a .500 pitcher, Kranepool is a punchline.
Piazza has been by favorite player since ‘93.
One of the truly class acts left in the game, it’ll be a shame.
Some really crazy thoughts here…It can be argued that Hernandez wasn’t the best player on his team for several season with Carter, Straw, and Gooden there. Hernandez was a quality player and one of my all-time favorites, but he does NOT deserve to have his number retired.
Piazza carried this team on his shoulders for many years. Sure, he played with some good ballplayers – Leiter, Ventura, etc, but he was a man on his own island. He was the Mets. He brought the Mets from an insignificant state to a prominent one.
Prominent? Hard to even remember those years, thankfully.
Comparing Hernandez to Piazza isn’t fair.
Piazza is a first ballot HOF and the best offensive catcher to ever play in the game, hands down.
I think the retirement of his number depends upon whether or not he wears a Mets cap on his plaque. That’s the main difference between Carter and Seaver.
If nobody signs Piazza, he should try playing for Bobby Valentine’s team over in Japan and have somebody make a documentary about it. Better yet, ESPN will pay his salary for rights to the documentary. It’s a win-win.
I would love to see him somehow retire as a Met. The homerun he hit off Mulholland in 2000 during that huge comeback still remains one of the best things I have ever seen as a fan.
i wanna see you one more time in a mets uniform mikey… even one day
this is one area where the Mets are way better than the Yankees. The Yanks retire everybody’s number… there not gonna have any left. I mean you should at least be a HOF player to get your number retired.
On the other hand, the Mets take pride in retiring numbers. the only player is Tom Seaver. For this reaon it may take a home grown talent like David wright and Jose Reyes to get thier numbers retired. the biggist thing working against Piazza is his Dodger roots. I love the man and would lover to see 31 next to 41 but history doesn’t bode well.
if Hernendez and Carter played for the yanks in ‘86 there numbers would have been retired in an instant.
Actualy i just fliped floped on this… i’m tired. they will probably retire 31, but i think it would be breaking precedent. Piazza is a first-ballot HOF, but a lot of those years he was wearing Dodger blue is all I’m saying.
I love Piazza, he will always have a special place in my heart, so i hope the Mets do retire it.