Mike Piazza finally gets his Hall of Fame moment Sunday in Cooperstown. But before the Mets’ legend is inducted into the Hall of Fame, relive 10 of his greatest moments:
Sept. 1, 1992
Piazza makes his major league debut, and it is a memorable one. A 62nd-round pick in the 1988 draft who was selected as a favor to his father at the direction of his good friend and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, he goes 3-for-3 as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 5-4. After walking in his first at-bat against starter Mike Harkey, Piazza rifles an opposite-field double in the fourth inning and singles in his next two at-bats. “A couple of times, I looked around and said, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ ” Piazza told reporters afterward.
Sept. 12, 1992
Piazza hits the first home run of his career in his eighth game, a three-run shot off Giants side-arming reliever Steve Reed in a 7-0 Dodgers victory. The homer goes to right-center field, like so many of Piazza’s homers, a rocket launched into the Dodger Stadium bleachers.
July 9, 1996
Piazza is named the MVP of the All-Star Game, played in his hometown of Philadelphia. He keys the National League’s 6-0 victory with a 445-foot solo homer and an RBI double, shining at Veterans Stadium, where he often went as a child. Before the game, he catches the ceremonial first pitch from Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. “I’m running out of words to describe how I feel right now,’’ Piazza said after the game. “I can’t explain it. … A piece of me is always here.”
May 23, 1998
In his first game with the Mets, Piazza clubs an RBI double up the right-center field gap that gives his new team a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning en route to a 3-0 victory over the Brewers. It caps a whirlwind eight days, in which Piazza, who had fallen out of favor in Los Angeles amid a contract dispute, is first traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins on May 15 and then dealt to the Mets a week later. “I’m on cloud nine right now,’’ he said afterward. “But I need some sleep.’’
April 28, 1999
The Padres hold a one-run lead entering the ninth inning, having won their previous 181 games when leading after eight innings thanks to the brilliance of closer Trevor Hoffman. Piazza changes that, taking Hoffman deep to right to send the Mets to a 4-3 victory. Piazza knows it as soon as he makes contact, raising his arms to the air as he begins his home-run trot. It would start a five-game winning streak for the Mets.
June 9, 2000
In the Subway Series opener, Piazza cranks a third-inning grand slam off Yankees starter Roger Clemens, leading the Mets to a 12-2 victory and kicking off a series of confrontations between the two superstars. The next time Clemens faces Piazza, on July 8 at Yankee Stadium as part of a day-night, dual-stadium doubleheader, the righty hits the Mets catcher in the head. The next day, Piazza says he lost all respect for Clemens, believing he threw at him intentionally. Piazza misses the next four games with a concussion. The two meet again in Game 2 of the World Series. Piazza breaks his bat on an inside pitch, and as he’s running to first base after hitting a foul ball, Clemens takes the broken shard and throws it at Piazza. The benches empty, but cooler heads prevail. Clemens earns the win, and the Yankees win the series in five games.
June 30, 2000
The Braves are treating the Mets like their personal punching bags again, building an 8-1 lead on Fireworks Night at Shea Stadium. Then the eighth inning happens, as the Mets rally for 10 runs in a stunning 11-8 victory. Piazza puts the finishing touches on the rally, blasting the game-winning three-run home run off Braves reliever Terry Mulholland — a home run he considers one of the more memorable of his career — and punching his fist through the air once the searing line drive stayed fair.
Sept. 21, 2001
Ten days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, professional sports returns to New York City as the Mets host the Braves. Piazza gives the fans at Shea Stadium something to remember amid all the grieving, a game-winning, two-run, eighth-inning homer off reliever Steve Karsay that gave the Mets a 3-2 victory and is remembered as his most important home run. The Shea Stadium crowd exploded with “USA! USA!” chants. “It was almost like a blur to me, it was almost like a dream, sort of surreal,” Piazza said afterward. “I’m just so happy I gave the people something to cheer. There was a lot of emotion. It was just a surreal sort of energy out there.”
May 5, 2004
Piazza surpasses Carlton Fisk for most home runs by a catcher, taking Giants right-hander Jerome Williams deep in the first inning for the 352nd round-tripper of his career. Piazza would go on to finish with 427 career home runs, a mark that doesn’t seem in danger anytime soon. “I’m really excited and really proud,” Piazza said then. “I’m blessed. I’ve lived a dream.”
Aug. 9, 2006
In his second game back at Shea Stadium as a member of the Padres, Piazza turns the cheers to boos, as he homers twice off Pedro Martinez in San Diego’s 4-3 loss. Piazza had left Queens amicably following the 2005 season. After his first homer that night, Piazza receives a curtain call, odd for a visiting player. “You don’t see that a lot,” he said.