A week after Mike Piazza was inducted to the Hall of Fame as baseball’s most prolific hitting catcher, he was called upon to give an encore appearance at Citi Field where his now iconic number 31 was retired. Piazza’s number joins the ranks of only three other retired New York Met numbers – Gil Hodges’ number 14, Casey Stengel’s number 37 and Tom Seaver’s number 41.
Playing for the Mets from 1998 to 2005, the 12-time All Star was always a fan favorite at Shea Stadium, and will be remembered most for his two-run home run to beat Atlanta 3-2 on September 21, 2001 to lift the spirits of New York after the attacks of September 11.
Pointing to his retired number sitting atop of the roof in left field, Piazza stated from his podium, “That number up there means I’ll always be with you fans.”