Comments on: News: ESPN Classic to Honor Piazza on Friday

By: andy92072

andy92072 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:55:04 +0000

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

By: andy92072

andy92072 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:49:47 +0000

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

By: metsno1fan

metsno1fan — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:05:40 +0000

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.

By: loge23

loge23 — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:16:53 +0000

Dave27, Great Posts! Thanks for putting all that on the line.
Your post about retiring the numbers is the best I’ve seen.

By: BaltimoreMets

BaltimoreMets — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:04:57 +0000

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.

By: IndianaMets

IndianaMets — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:18:00 +0000

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”

By: tvtechwonv27

tvtechwonv27 — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:04:00 +0000

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…

By: phoola

phoola — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:56:39 +0000

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.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:45:49 +0000

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.

By: TheIcon

TheIcon — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:43:44 +0000

That was heartbreaking. That happened in 1998, correct? I cried for a good half hour when that final game against the Braves was over.