Shortly after he arrived in New York in May 1998, praise was hard to come by. The expectations were that Mike Piazza would be the power-hitting catcher who would carry the Mets into contention. So when that power was generated far too infrequently for their liking, fans grew impatient. But any boos directed at Piazza quickly went away. Seven-plus years later, after 220 home runs and countless stellar performances, there were no more naysayers about his impact on the franchise.
Piazza was the focal point for each of the 972 games in which he was part of the Mets lineup. In the 2005 season finale at Shea Stadium against the Colorado Rockies, he was in focus again — not for what he did that day, but for what he had done.
With his contract set to expire at year’s end, it was a foregone conclusion that this afternoon would serve as the Mets finale for the 37-year-old Cooperstown-bound backstop. Manager Willie Randolph penciled Piazza fourth in the batting order. He grounded out three times to shortstop during an inconsequential 11-3 loss.
During the seventh-inning stretch, the left-center field video board field played a video tribute filled with eight seasons worth of moments and memories. Then as Piazza took his spot behind the plate to start the eighth inning, a place he occupied hundreds of times, Randolph came out to remove him from the game and allowed the fans an opportunity to give him his due. They responded with a standing ovation that lasted eight minutes. Piazza acknowledged it with three separate curtain calls.
His place in Mets history was secure. Along with the 220 homers, he remains among the team leaders in offensive bWAR (fourth: 30.8), slugging percentage (tied for highest with Pete Alonso at .542), RBIs (third: 655), and seven All-Star Game appearances.
The Mets were clearly in transition — with the likes of David Wright and Jose Reyes emerging as the new faces of the organization. It was even clearer that Piazza, 37 years old and not displaying the same power or the consistent hitting during his prime, wouldn’t be part of that future.
As expected, he became a free agent after the ’05 season and finished out his career with single-year stints in San Diego and Oakland. His post-career loyalties and recognition are solely in Queens.
“One of the hardest moments of my career was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye,” Piazza said in his retirement statement. “My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career, and for that, I will always be grateful.”
