Should the Mets induct Mike Piazza into the Mets Hall of Fame and retire his Number 31 during the 2013 season?
Daniel Nelson – It doesn’t matter all that much to me. If I had to make a choice though, I’d say go for it. This season will be a trying year as far as getting fans to Citi Field. Any event the Mets can have to accomplish that will only be beneficial. It does irk me that honoring Piazza in 2013 with a Mets Hall of Fame nod and retiring his number would be done more as a marketing gimmick though. Piazza deserves better than that. I just think the Mets’ front office has done a good job of alienating its fan base lately and these honors next year would definitely save some face.
XtreemIcon – Yes, to stick it to the BBWAA. There’s no logical reason why he wasn’t inducted to Cooperstown. They should make a big deal of it, too, and drop lines like “right the wrong” and “rightful title as Hall of Famer.” And they should do it before the Dodgers do.
Tie Dyed – Uniform No. 31 should be retired only after other numbers are: 17, 8, 36.
Jessep – No brainer to me to be honest. He brought so much legitimacy to the franchise, gave New Yorkers an unforgettable moment after 9/11 and was the best offensive catcher ever. And the way he was treated by the writers, his own team should turn around and show the appreciation for his career that he deserves.
Craig Lerner – This is my problem with the Wilpons; they are never ahead of or in step with the fans on things like this. It’s great that we can debate this as fans, and of course we should bestow this honor on Piazza, but we all know that this is something the Mets should have done and could have done last year or the year before that.
Clare Lafferty – Mike should be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame during the All Star Game time period in July. He should have been selected for Cooperstown, and he is definitely one of the greatest Mets to ever play. Retiring his number is another thing. Was he worthy of that honor? Was he a better Met than Strawberry, Gooden, Carter or Hernandez who don’t have their numbers retired? Tough decision, but I would support retiring his number (along with the others mentioned).
Joe Spector – This should be a total no-brainer–absolutely yes. Other than Tom Seaver there hasn’t been a more influential, game changing player this team has had.
Connor O’Brien – The Mets should induct Mike Piazza and retire his number. He is the greatest hitter in Mets history. I don’t car about the steroid allegations. Until something is proven, I will still respect Piazza, as should the organization.
Gregg Hopps – I’m all for the Mets inducting Mike Piazza into the Mets Hall of Fame. In fact, the sooner the better. I feel the same way about the Mets retiring Piazza’s number 31. I also feel the Mets need to right a wrong and retire Keith Hernandez’s #17 already.
Jessica DeMattia – I think Mike Piazza definitely deserves merit as a member of the Mets Hall of Fame in 2013, but I think they should wait to retire his number. Number retirement is the greatest honor a Mets player can have, and only Tom Seaver has accomplished such a feat. The Mets will wait until he gets inducted into the HOF as a Met and then retire 31.
I think Clare is onto something there. Maybe it would at the very least be a good idea to induct him into the Mets Hall of Fame at the very least and to honor him during the All Star Game. Maybe even have him be one of the Honorary Captains and to throw out the first pitch. I believe those things are the host team’s calls. As Xtreem said, it would be nice to stick it to the BBWAA, many of whom will be on hand for the Mid-Summer Classic.
By the way, Mike Piazza’e new book Long Shot comes out in two weeks. You can pre-order it for $17.99 at Amazon.com.
