May 22, 1998 is a day to remember in New York Mets history. It’s the day Mike Piazza, nearly a week since being dealt from the Dodgers to the Marlins, was en route to the Big Apple. The hope was that his bat would thrust the Mets into championship contention.
And for nearly eight seasons, he delivered: four straight years of at least 30 home runs and hitting better than .300, seven All-Star appearances, and leading New York to the World Series in 2000.
On Saturday night, the team will celebrate the greatest hitting catcher by retiring No. 31. Just as he recently joined Tom Seaver as the second Met to enter the Hall of Fame, Piazza is the only other player in club history to have his number retired – alongside the No. 41 worn by “Tom Terrific.”
With this next honor coming up, it’s appropriate to recall the most impactful moments of Piazza’s stay in Queens.
5. Mike’s debut in orange and blue (5/23/1998)
His penchant for producing important hits became apparent right from game one.
In a Saturday afternoon affair with the Milwaukee Brewers, Piazza’s premiere was all the buzz among the large Shea Stadium crowd brimming with optimism. It was the fifth inning when he officially endeared himself to the Mets faithful – a double into the right-center field gap that scored Matt Franco from first base.
Piazza was on the receiving end of several standing ovations and a gem of a pitching performance by Al Leiter. Coincidence or not, the acquisition of Piazza sparked the Mets on a hot streak in late May – a nine-game winning streak.
4. Talking John Smoltz deep to tie Game 6 of 1999 NLCS
Five years before the Red Sox did the unimaginable against the Yankees, it was the Mets who were trying to mount an epic comeback on the Braves. After winning Game 4 late and capturing Game 5 in classic 15-inning fashion, momentum was on New York’s side.
Atlanta, however, quickly took a 5-0 lead in Game 6 back at Turner Field. But as they would do so many times in this ’99 season, the Mets came back up off the mat — with Piazza’s three-run, seventh-inning homer to the opposite field off Atlanta’s future Hall of Famer tying it at seven apiece.
The improbable hope of forcing this series to its limit was now very possible. But although the Mets would eventually take the lead, the Braves won in extra innings – preventing that Piazza blast from being even more epic.
3. Becoming all-time home run leader for catchers (5/5/2004)
Piazza’s legacy and status as a tremendous hitter had already been established by 2004 — his 12th full season in the big leagues. But he truly made it official when launched a home run to right field in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants. It was the 352nd as a catcher, which passed Carlton Fisk for the most at that position.
In addition to that record, Piazza tallied 427 homers for his career and 220 as a Met — ranking third in the history of the franchise (behind Darryl Strawberry and David Wright).
2. Home run to cap 10-run eighth vs. Braves (6/30/2000)
Far too often during Piazza’s Mets career, the Atlanta Braves had New York’s number. But in 2000, it was the Mets (for once) gaining a small matter of vengeance. They outlasted Atlanta by winning the National League Pennant and reaching the World Series.
Marking the road to that year’s Fall Classic was a stirring rally against their NL East rivals. After seven-and-a-half innings, the Braves held an 8-1 lead — which set the stage for the dramatics to come in the bottom of the eighth. Five hits and three walks later, it was 8-8. Piazza, who had singled earlier in the frame, came up with two men on and two outs.
On the first pitch, Piazza smoked a Terry Mulholland offering that headed towards the left field corner. Fortunately, it didn’t hook enough to go foul. Instead, it struck the wall above and beyond the actual outfield fence in fair territory. As Piazza fiercely pumped his right fist, Shea Stadium went into a frenzy. The Mets had, at the time, their most productive inning in team history and, soon after, an 11-8 victory.
1. The home run that helped heal New York City (9/21/2001)
The stature of this Mets and the Braves meeting at Shea Stadium went well beyond a battle between NL East rivals in the throes of a pennant race. It was the first game in New York City following the events of 9/11 – a brief three-hour opportunity for solace and temporary distraction from the horror that had taken place just miles from the ballpark only ten days prior.
The sold-out crowd, understandably subdued, weren’t given much reason to cheer through the first seven-and-a-half innings, as Atlanta held a 2-1 advantage into the bottom of the eighth.
As Piazza stepped up with one on and one out, it was impossible not to think about what could occur next. After all, he had delivered key dramatic late-game home run on several occasions before.
But if there was a time for a real storybook ending, Piazza was the man to write this script.
Almost on cue, the 0-1 pitch from Steve Karsay was hammered over the center field fence. The Mets had a 3-2 lead – a lead they would hold through the top of the ninth. New York City, at least on this evening, had something to celebrate.
For all of Mike Piazza’s 427 career home runs, none ever had more impact than this.
