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ESPN Classic will honor Mike Piazza, who retired from baseball yesterday, with a five-hour tribute on Friday, starting at 2 pm.
The Mike Piazza Tribute consists of three of his 
most-memorable games, including July 8, 2000, against the Yankees; Oct. 22, 2000, against the Yankees; and Sept. 21, 2001, against the Braves.
…some one asked me today what piazza’s greatest moment was while playing with the Mets, and while a few spring to mind, clearly it was the home run after Sept. 11 against the Braves, because it transcended sports and demonstrated just how wonderful and significant the game of baseball can be…
Nice! Bring Mikey home, Fred!
Matt Cerrone thinks we should honor Willie Randolph LOlz.
No, we should all be as cool as the DOT
U Wish buddy!! and high school rulzzzzz!
How’s High School?
I am guessing it is Goodz
What? They are playing the game that steroid and hgh mutated freak nearly killed him with a ball and the follow up when he tried to impale him with a bat?
How in the world are either of these TWO losses at all in Piazzas top 5 games.
Couldn’t agree more. 9/21/01 no doubt. There were some other really memorable games especially the 10 run inning against the braves to comeback from 8-0 I think in 2000.
I agree….Those certainly are not memorable Piazza games…Personally, I would have added instead the 10 run inning game, or the game vs. the Yanks where Piazza homered off the picnic tent in 1999 I think. In addition, his second game back at Shea, where he hit 2 HR’s (almost 3) and got a curtain call as a Padre.
A bit off topic, but I wish SNY would start showing games from the ‘99 and 2000 playoffs, including
1999: NLDS Game 1 vs. Big Unit, where Fonzie went yard
twice
2000: NLDS Games 2 vs. Giants – Snow’s three run HR off
Benitez to tie it, Franco K’s Bonds looking to get the
save, on that nasty changeup
NLDS Game 3 (I think) – Fonzie ties it against Rob
Nenn, Agbayani hits the walk off.
NLDS Game 4 – BJ Jones’ 1 hitter.
NLCS Game 1 – THE MONSTER IS OUT OF THE
CAGE!
NLCS Game 5 – Hampton CG Shutout to win the
pennant
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Mike even had a hit in either of those Clemens games. What is ESPN thinking?
I’m assuming that its because on a national level, those are the two moments that are most associated with big Mike
Piazza played 1 inning on July 8, 2000. Someday, someone is going to have the wherewithal to start a REAL sports network and take down ESPN.
I know VS doesn’t have the following but they are going to become more of a National Sports Net with a few Sportscenter like shows. Hopefuly they could be the network that takes over but they cannot get the rights to major sports at this point aside from the NHL because they are all major sports are locked into contracts for a few more years.
You know my friend works for MLB in the video licensing department and he tells them what games they should put on but they rarely want the newer games for some reason. He keeps telling them to stop acting like the only good games were in 86 and 69. We have seen some newer games over the past year being aired as classics so lets hope they do something nice for Mike
NLDS Game 3 (I think) – Fonzie ties it against Rob
Nenn, Agbayani hits the walk off.
One of my favorite games of all time. I was there, I remember how tense it was. I lost my friend in the uproar after that home run.
Yup…Also of note, the Braves were swept by the Cardinals that night…Do you remember how loud the mock tomohawk chop was that night?
Bring him in as a coach!
And does anyone know where I can find a video clip of the 9/11 homerun?
You can find a clip by probably searching for it on Youtube.
Rent “9 innings from Ground Zero” and turn it off after the Piazza homer, because from there it completely ignores the Mets post 9/11 run at the Braves and watches like a Yankee propaganda video, trying ot re-cast the 3-time definding champions in the convenient role of spiritual underdogs.
Yesterday, Mike and the Mad Dog played a call by Bob Murphy when Piazza hit one of his mammoth home runs. Murphy asks “Where did that one land?” Then Gary tells him….I love that call.
I think that home run was off Glavine but I could be wrong. I can’t picture who it was off.
From 1999, off Ramiro Mendoza…Mets came back to win that game off of Mariano Rivera. I remember that call.
Murph: Where did THAT one land?
Gary (in disbelief): It hit the picnic tent! About half way up the picnic tent rope!
Yep…that one. Not sure why I thought it was Glavine. I know he hit another monster shot off Glavine too.
A MONSTER blow by Piazza and probably the longest HR he hit while a Met-I was there, razzing my two best friends who were Yankee fans (sadly, one is no longer with us-for his sake, thankfully for his sake he did not live to see the 2004 choke against Boston) Despite 6 HR’s by the Yanks, Matt Franco foiled the IBB given to Piazza and singled to win it.
That’s the only time I’ve heard John Sterling say “THHHHHHEEEEE METS WIN!!”"
Andy92072
Retire 31! And while you’re at it, retire 17, 16, 8, and 18 already! What are they waiting for?
None of them deserve that honor, but certainly not Carter.
Hmmm….Dwight Gooden was the unquestioned ace of this team for a decade (though revisionists like to pretend his career ended in 1985), and is second to Seaver in virtually every franchise pitching catagory.
Keith Hernandez was the spiritual leader of the only Mets teams in history to attain sustained success, including a World Championship and Division Title, turning around a moribund franchise.
Darryl Strawberry leads the franchise in virtually all major offensive categories, capping off an 8-year run as the most dynamic player in club history.
Gary Carter provided the missing element for a Championship, contributing 5 years of a Hall of Fame career (same amt of time as reggie played in the Bronx) and leading a young talented pitching staff to greatness in the process.
So why don’t they deserve the honor? This from a franchise that’s retired as many player numbers as senile manager numbers.
Put 36 for Koosman and 24 for Mays (it was promised him, and he deserves the honor in NY justl ike the Brewers did for AAron in Milwaukee) with them and stop acting like this team has never had any talent.
You have an okay argument for Darryl or Gooden with the exception that both went on to disappointing ends that were all down hill post 1988 with the former leaving the team turning down a 4 year $16M deal which would make him the highest paid player at the time, they burned bridges Strawberry had begun mending his and is at least honest about his own FAULTS, Gooden is delusional.
Hernandez had three good seasons with the Mets 1984, 85 and 86, 87 was mediocre and 88 was injury riddled and below average.
Carter had two good seasons with the Mets and one was largely built on a single month of play in sept 1985.
Neither is worthy of having their number retired, at that point you might as well retire, Staub, Wilson, Darling,
I dont care what absurdity the Yankees did with Reggie Jackson, he at least was on two world series winners for them and three appearances..
If any of those Mets had been part of a multiple winner the argument based on team history would be a little more solid, but still a stretch.
Darryl, perhaps.
Gooden, longshot.
Hernandez and Carter, not a chance.
Doc ranks up there on the Mets with Jerry Koosman. They range around the same in all time stats. And if it weren’t for Seaver, we would all think more highly of Koosman. He was just overshadowed.
Koosman is easily the most underrated pitcher of his generation. And frankly, Rusty is one of the more underrated hitters of that era. So much for the power of the NY press.
Will announce as soon as either Delgado or Alou hits a home run.
Gooden was so great, but what a disappointment. He let Mets fans down. I loved him once, but he does not deserve to have his # retired.
The popular version of the story. The truth is as much that the Mets detroyed the kids arm, having him throw 220 innings a year at 19, 20, and 21. By 1993 his arm was shot, and his decline had far less to do with drugs than that.
These are facts…we all wish he’d stayed clean, but fact is he did through 1994 and he dominated through 1992-93.
Dude, I was as big a Gooden fan as ever there was. He let me down big time. BIG TIME.
Well I won’t argue that memory…and yeah, I was devastated as a 13-year old in 1987, and not a whole lot less let down as a 20-year old in 1994 when he went down again.
But as a Gooden fan, I hope you and everyone else remembers there is alot more to his decline than drugs. Fact is, from 1996 to 2000 he was probably exactly what he would have been had he never gone back to drugs…a former phenom trying to learn to pitch with diminished velocity.
And some say that he should go into the hall as a Dodger….come on now…this is evidence Exhibit A
The best evidence is his own quote where he specifically mentioned Shea, the New York fans and his experience as a Met. He lumped the dodgers in with the Padres, A’s and Marlins. He will definitely go in as a Met.
Yeah, I think that part of the press release was Mike saying “hey Hall of Fame. If there is any debate, I wanna be a Met”
#1 – Looks like ESPN thinks of Piazza as a Met.
#2 – The Clemens beaning? This is a “tribute?” Can we stop linking Piazza to this cheating, redneck loser? Piazza’s only link to this jackass was DESTROYING him at hte plate and being the victim of Roger’s Roid Rage retaliation.
ESPN is such a disgrace. How about the 8-run comeback vs. Atlanta? How about the bomb off of Mendoza? How about the game-tying jack against the Braves in Game 6 on the 1999 NLCS? His most memorable moment is being hit in the face? go to hell ESPN. Congrats on finding another excuse for airing old Yankee games.
Very well said, and unfortunately now I cannot watch this 5 hour tribute as I will be boycotting ESPN. In fact, unless the Mets are playing on one of their bogus broadcasts, I will be boycotting ESPN altogether from now on. SNY serves me just fine.
Mike’s memorable games (chronological):
1. Major league debut
2. 96 All-Star game – named MVP in Philly
3. Mets debut
4. Mendoza bomb in 1999
4. Braves comeback in 2000
5. Monster is out of the cage – 00 NLCS
6. 9/11 homer
7. 300th homer
8. Record setting homer for catchers
9. Final game as a Met
10. Final game.
11-15. Any number of games when he homered off Clemens.
All of these are more memorable than two games delaing with Clemens antics.
ESPN sucks.
I wish there was a way we could get ESPN to change this. It is absolutely ridiculous that these are the games they select. While they are at it why not play the “I am not gay” press conference. Utterly ridiculous
Maybe instead of just posting this without asking the same questions, Matt can provide us a phone number or email to make those requests….
There IS a way we can complain to ESPN.
If you go to the ESPN website and scroll all the way to the bottom, there is a link that says “contact us.” Everyone can click on it, select ESPN TV/ABC Sports, and send in a quick complaint….
Maybe if enough of us send complaints in, they’ll change it…
done.
The highlight of that homer vs. the Bravo’s after Sept. 11th still makes me tear up. It was so significant BEYOND baseball, and appropriately, it was the team’s leader that hit it.
I also agree that the 10-run inning vs. the Bravo’s should also be in the top three. I was at that game and remember my anger from earlier in the game, followed by the joy following Piazza’s line-drive missile of a HR.
Interestingly enought, the 10-run inning game was a sellout because it was fire-works night. Had that not been the case, half the capacity crowd likely would have left earlier. The upper deck was literally shaking after the hime run….It was amazing.
You know how there is so much ink these days about the Met fan boo-birds? Maybe this is the moment to remember that they even booed the great Piazza.
My favorite Piazza moment is obviously the homer 10 days after the terrorist attacks. Some other great moments were:
-the two homer day on Opening Day against the Braves
-the homer to cap off the 10 run 8th against the Braves
-the long homer at Shea against Ramerio Mendoza in the game that Matt Franco got the game winning hit off Mariano
-the game winning homer off Trevor Hoffman in 98
- the big game tying homer in the Astrodome off Wagner
- Piazza was in a huge slump to end the 99 season and he was up with the bases loaded in a tie game against the Pirates and the pitcher threw a wild pitch scoring Melvin Mora. The look on Piazza’s face was priceless, then we went to Cincinatti and smoked them.
That shot in the Astrodome was apparently the longest one ever hit in that park.
If I remember correctly, the Astrodome game was ultimately won on a homer by seldom-used Todd Hundley.
That whole series was insane – I remember the only 1 of 4 they lost was still tied in the 9th on a Baerga homer…against an Astros team that I think had the best record in the NL after getting Unit.
And from there the Mets went on to their most underrated collapse, losing the last 5 games of that season to finish a game behind SF and Cubs for the WC.
That was heartbreaking. That happened in 1998, correct? I cried for a good half hour when that final game against the Braves was over.
FYI-The Hoffman game was on April 28, 1999.
What about Game 6 of ‘99 NLCS off Smoltz? Tied the game up after Mets were down 5-0!!
I agree, though, about the post 9/11 HR being his most memorable. A few more feet, though, and we’d be talking more about that game-tying blast with two out in the ninth of Game 5 in 2000, sparking a stunning comeback featuring Piazza’s 4 HR game in game 6 off Clemens(and others), then another big performance in Game 7…dang, woke up again.
Andy92072
Hey Matt – instead of mindlessly posting this, why don’t you call one of your friends at ESPN and ask them how they consider rehashing the Clemens nonsense a “tribute.”
This is an absolute disgrace from a network we’ve all come to expect nothing better from.
Is there anything else you’d like Matt to do? Just kidding. Totally understand your frustration with ESPN’s selection of “tribute” games. I guess ESPN decided against showing a compilation of every poor throw Piazza ever made to second base as their way of giving him a “tribute.”
Maybe they can bring Wally Matthews into the studio between games to rehash the gay runors too.
Again…
There IS a way we can complain to ESPN.
If you go to the ESPN website and scroll all the way to the bottom, there is a link that says “contact us.” Everyone can click on it, select ESPN TV/ABC Sports, and send in a quick complaint….
Maybe if enough of us send complaints in, they’ll change it…
maybe if someone could get through to M&MD and bring this up it may cause a stir. As idiotic as M&MD are they will say this is absolute BS and may let it catch some press so ESPN changes there decision.
My question is do they just cut the game off after Piazza gets hit in the head?
Sorry…I feel like i’m answering every thread…but no. Much better tribute to capture the whole game of announcers talking like he might be dead, while Clemens is allowed to stay in the game and mow through an utterly stunned Mets team.
I hope Mike sets his DVR!
All Metropolitan moments. I love it.
Absolutely disgraceful. Instead of putting the game where he breaks the homerun record for catcher they put the game where plays 1 inning because he got beaned in the head. Some tribute.
I already sent my complaint into ESPN.
I was at the first Met game following the Spet 11 atatcks and the outpouring of emotion from the fans after Piazza’s home run cannot be described. It is something I had never experienced before and likely never will again.
Yep, you got that right – Piazza’s legacy is a home run in a meaningless game in 2001 (meaningless from a baseball point of view that is – I know how it lifted the spirits of New Yorkers and all).
Come on, the way everyone writes about the guy you’d think he at least would’ve gotten us a WS trophy.
So let the city of New York honor #31 – who knows, maybe name 31st street “Mike Piazza Way” and Met fans who don’t care about winning can go and worship at a shrine there or something. Me, I’d prefer that we honor the players that brought us the trophy.
This is wrong on a million levels. Outside of the fact that you seemingly dismiss the impact of the HR on the entire city, the game itself was very meaningful at the time. The Mets were in the midst of attempting a remarkable comeback after being down and out. This game was against one of the teams they were chasing and you consider that meaningless? Regardless of any of that, the HR meant so much more to any real fan of the team – perhaps you’re too young to actually remember it?
To say that Mets fans should not honor Piazza simply because he never won a WS with them is just ridiculous. What more did you want this guy to do when he was with the team? The guy was the best offensive player that ever played for us and will be only the 2nd HOF that played meaningful time for the team. He is quite simply the best hitting catcher of the last 30 years and perhaps of all time.
To dismiss his accomplishments is a disgraceful action by any Mets fan.
Furthermore, to the guy below this comment – how in God’s name can you call him soft? And never won a thing? He and Alfonzo carried a below average offense to the freaking World Series. And you compare his hitting to his throwing as if they are on a similar plane. Lastly, you say he paralyzed the pitching staff with his throwing. Really? Give me an example of someone who really suffered.
I’m sick and tired of METS fans bashing Piazza. His clearly deserves his number to be retired, I’m not sure how that’s even an argument.
I totally disagree with Mikey Piazza… This is a guy who never won a thing with the Mets… As I remember Mikey was as soft as it gets when it came to playing the game… 2000 World Series Clemens punked Piazza and the METS in the World Series and didn’t do nothing about it…. Mikey Piazza parallyzed the whole pitching staff with his lack of a throwing arm. GreatHitter for a Catcher Yes, Horrible Defensive Catcher, and a guy who won nothing with the METS>.. Should not retire his number NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAAAAY…
Are you kidding? What more did you want the guy to do? Pitch every 5th game? The guy put the team on his back. He was a good defensive catcher, he blocked the plate, blocked balls in the dirt and called a good game. Yes he had a below average arm, but I hate when people think when a catcher doesn’t have a great arm he’s automatically a “Horrible Defensive Catcher”.
As for the Clemens thing, Piazza had every right to fight Clemens there, but he took the higher road there. Imagine if he fought him and then got ejected and maybe suspended durring game 2 of the World Series???
You people who say “he never won us anything” sound like a bunch of idiotic Yankee fans who think A-Rod sucks because he’s never won anything.
How about a highlight reel showing Piazza busting his a$$ to first base on every routine groundball he hit to the infield. Then we could show it to the 2008 team and they could learn the definition of the word “hustle”
Dave27, Great Posts! Thanks for putting all that on the line.
Your post about retiring the numbers is the best I’ve seen.