I recently heard that the Cubs are going to retire Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux’s number 31 this season. It made me think, WTF. It seems like the Mets are one of the franchises that make it nearly impossible for a “player’s” number to be retired – they have only one.
People have spoken about Keith Hernandez’s #17 as the next one, but you 
know what – I am not buying that. I think Keith was a helluva player, but there is one guy that deserves it more. Need a hint – he caught the last and first pitch at Shea and Citi. Mike Piazza was the best hitter in our franchise’s history. If you are looking for Mets’ history at Citi, add 31 to the outfield wall, and do it THIS year.
If Piazza goes into the hall of fame as a Dodger we will all be sick. Make all the arguments that you want for him having “better’ years in LA, but HE WAS THE METS. He was there, and revived people (not just baseball fans) after 911, when the Mets set up emergency help in Queens. He hit the homerun that made people cry. He didn’t charge Clemens, the steroid-ridden pansy, for the sake of the “team”. He was cool. He also hit the ball so hard that you could feel it at home. He was clutch, he took the pressure off the rest of the team. He allowed others to succeed without vindication (ask David Wright). He gracefully left New York without bashing the team – he stuck around, and 
signed, when many thought he would leave. He was the face of the team, but he was also available to the media always. He was the type of player that this team could use. Do it Mets and do it this year- retire the real 31.
posted by Gene Anthony
Kiner's Korner & The Kult of Mets Personalities 
:)
I 100% agree. Thing is, how do you retire Mike’s number before the older guys who should have been retired already? The Yankees retired REGGIE’s number and he only played for them for 5 years. I understand it though because in NY… there is only one #44. The Mets have had a few numbers that are anchored to players and I believe they should be taken out of circulation.
Keith, Gary, Straw, Dwight, McGraw, Koosman & Kranepool should join Mikey and all be retired in a year where we catch up to every other team in baseball and honor our past.
Also, Joan Payson promised Willie Mays that nobody would ever wear 24 again and we need to honor her as well.
Finally, just like Bill Shea, I’d honor Payson herself out in left.
As far as Straw and Dwight, I don’t know about retiring their numbers, though for Hernandez’s ego I would love to retire Carter’s number with him – it would chap his ass!!!
I don’t think he’s getting in the Hall. Off the record, (so they couldn’t report it) he did tell members of the press about his use of steroids.
I don’t think the homosexuality thing would keep him out, but if they’re going to punish others for steriods, they’re going to have to keep it consistant.
Piazza was an incomplete player, he gave away bases, and cost his team about as many runs as he scored.
CC – not sure if you saw him catch, but you are off about the stolen bases. That was a perception from people around the league, but amazingly people didn’t run on him as much as they could have.
homosexuality thing ??? Thank God I have a headache, that came from being in the car an hour listening to idiot mets fans calling into WFAN, you call in CC?
Why are you mad at me? (Also, if WFAN was giving you a headache, why didn’t you change the station?) I don’t think Mike Piazza’s homosexuality should keep him from the Hall. But there are other reasons, he was a 62nd round draft pick, and made his numbers during the steroid era. I think he was over-rated, and failed to live up to the hype. It was a lot of hype.
Sure, I’ve seen him catch, decent, but not particularly special. Hall of Famers should be special.
but you said that he was giving up as many runs as he was hitting in. Special? Catchers were .250 hitters at best then he arrived and was a consistent .330 hitter. Not sure your angle, but you seemed a bit confused.
Okay, so catchers are @ .250, and he brought in .330, that’s a difference of .080. I don’t think he ever played a game with fewer than 2 bases stolen from him. (This is just memory, if you’ve got stats, we’ll talk more.) King of the “fake throw” to be sure. Also, he didn’t steal bases for himself. BTW, I did notice that you steered clear of the steroid issue. Whatever the standard, the same standard should apply equally for everybody.
He was a selfish, incomplete player, with a terrific publicist . I just don’t think he makes the cut. He isn’t special.
I stayed clear of the steroid issue because you cited “off the record” BS. If he was, in fact, on the juice and playing in NY, believe me they would have exposed him – during the same conversation as LoDuca and “the best shortstop on the Yankees”.