Hall of Fame or not, the big guy has given New York plenty to cheer about over the years.
When one of the best players in Mets history only gets 70 percent of the votes needed for Hall of Fame enshrinement, it's easy to forget how awesome that guy is. Forget for a second what an accomplishment it is just to get that close to the Hall of Fame or to hit more home runs than any other catcher in major league history. Mike Piazza is awesome because of how he made us feel when he came to the plate and how he made us feel when he came through. Here are some of his best moments in Queens. Obviously, this doesn't completely sum up Piazza's Mets career, so feel free to light up the comments with some more greatness.
The 2000 season was magical for many reasons, but we should have figured the Mets were destined for a pennant run when Piazza hit this laser on June 30. Trailing the Braves 8-1 heading into the bottom of the eight, the Amazins scored 10 straight runs to take the lead. When Piazza hit a home run to cap the rally, Shea Stadium went nuts.
One of the reasons angry man Rodger Clemens got so mad at Piazza during the 2000 World Series is because Number 31 made a habit of crushing the Yankees. Here he is blowing up Flash Gordon to send Shea into another frenzy.
Why mess around with Gordon when you can slug the big bully yourself? Kaboom.
If that one wasn't long enough for you, check out this bomb featuring Bob Murphy, blonde Rey Ordonez, and one of Piazza's best ever bat flips.
So far we haven't had an opposite field job or a walk-off homer. Here's both of those in the same video. Thanks for laying one up, Trevor Hoffman.
Of course, Piazza wasn't just a slugger; he was a catcher as well (hear that, Hall of Fame voters?)! This play, from the famous Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS, wouldn't have been possible without a terrific relay throw by Melvin Mora and Edgardo Alfonzo, but it's not so easy to catch a ball on one hop in the rain. Making the Braves look silly was just icing on the cake.
No conversation about Piazza is complete without his iconic home run from September 21, 2001. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, New York needed a lift. Piazza didn't need to be asked twice to deliver. One could argue that this home run alone is enough to warrant Piazza Hall of Fame enshrinement. After all, someone did vote for Aaron Boone this year.
After the 2005 season, it was time for Piazza and the Mets to part ways, but his return to Shea in the summer of 2006 was as emotional a return as there ever was. He's earned a permanent place in the hearts of Mets fans everywhere.