As written by John Flanagan of MMO and noted by Mike Puma of The New York Post on Twitter, former Mets catcher Mike Piazza will be increasing his involvement with the organization.
Hearing that Mike Piazza will increase his presence with the Mets, taking on some community relations and marketing responsibilities plus building relationships with players. Piazza was in camp for a few days as a guest instructor.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 28, 2021
New owner, Steve Cohen, has stated he wants the organization to do a better job of embracing its history, and this news about Piazza is a major step in that direction. As Puma notes, Piazza had been in camp this spring as a guest instructor, a role he’s taken on in years past during spring training.
Piazza joined the Mets during the 1998 season in a deal with the Marlins that sent Preston Wilson, Geoff Goetz, and Ed Yarnall to Florida. There was a significant question as to whether Piazza, who had an expiring contract, would choose to return to Queens. Fortunately for the Mets and their fans, Piazza inked a seven-year deal that kept him in Flushing through the 2005 season.
As a Met over eight seasons, the backstop slashed .296/.373/.542 with 220 home runs. Using bWAR, Piazza’s best Mets seasons were 1998 (5.4), 2000 (5.1), and 2001 (4.5). The Norristown, Pennsylvania native was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 after not getting sufficient votes for a few years prior, and is one of two players enshrined in Cooperstown with a Mets cap (Tom Seaver is the other).
Piazza had many great moments as a Met, but none was as stirring as the home run he hit during the first game in New York after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. With the Mets facing the New York Yankees on September 11 of this season, it will be a nice touch for Piazza to be involved at Citi Field, which he is expected to do.
Cohen is off to a good start with his pledge to embrace the team’s history. Many fans have asked about the long-awaited Seaver statue. Let’s hope that also happens in 2021, along with a ceremony to retire Jerry Koosman‘s number 36, which was announced during the 2019 season.
Other opportunities for acknowledging Mets who made a significant impact include Rusty Staub, who made a mark not only on the field but also in his charitable work helping the families of fallen New York City police officers and firefighters.
The Mets may also consider Cleon Jones, who not only led the team offensively in 1969 and caught the last out of the World Series, but also has been recently recognized for the humanitarian efforts he is leading in his home state of Alabama.
Of course, the most popular Met of the recent past is David Wright. It would be nice to see the captain at Citi Field at some point this season or next season, when (hopefully) there can be full crowds once again.
The post Steve Cohen Following Through on Embracing Mets’ History first appeared on Metsmerized Online.