Tuesday, September 15, 2009

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My Unpopular Opinion Of The "Piazza Home Run"

SS

OK so my headline made you mad...but before you start throwing rocks, let me tell you how I came to write that headline.

Over at the cool Mets Walkoffs blog, they are ranking the top 60 Mets home runs of all time.

We were encouraged to excerpt so here's a taste:

55- Dwight Gooden, September 21, 1985 (#2,328)

This is the beginning of the pitchers home run section of this blog, and I like starting with Dwight Gooden's first major league home run. I was at the game against the Pirates when he hit it (in the first inning, as part of a seven-run burst against Rick Rhoden), and it was one of those moments that brought about the Superman myth that preceded Gooden at that time.

Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold, and that held true even for those who batted in his spot. Rusty Staub pinch-hit for Gooden later in the game and notched his 100th career pinch-hit.

This quote, from the next day's Bergen Record made me laugh:

“I think I'd take a home run even over a no-hitter,” Gooden said.

True Mets home run historians know...Twenty five Mets pitchers have homered in a game. Dwight Gooden is the team leader with seven.


So that's cool stuff...go check it out.  Walkoffs is one of my favorite Mets blogs.   Walkoffs also encouraged us to comment...

So back to that "Piazza home run after 9/11."  I bet it's going to be in the top 3 if not #1 and I don't get it.

Every time there's a poll of top Mets moments that home run shows up on the list.  I don't get it.

I grew up in New York.  I was affected by 9/11 about the same as most New Yorkers.  I didn't lose any close friends or family that day, but I knew a few people who died and spent the day watching the towers fall and then burn, so it's not like I "don't get it' nor am I trying to show how New York I am.

I'm a Mets fan.  I didn't like the Braves either.....but it was a home run.  It was nice.  Home runs are nice.  The talk I hear about how it healed the city or whatever tales get spun...I don't get it.   The 2001 Mets aren't all that historic.   In fact when we have time in the offseason we should recap the run the '01 Yankees had.

So there, I said it.  The Piazza home run is overrated.  I didn't say it's bad, it's just overrated.

Here's one I do like:  Dykstra, October 11, 1986.

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3 Responses to "My Unpopular Opinion Of The "Piazza Home Run""
James K. said :
September 15, 2009 at 8:58 AM
I have to ask - did you even watch that game? Did you see the home run happen live? How could you not be touched by that moment, especially as a New Yorker?

No one is claiming it had anything to do with the Mets winning a pennant and this seems to be your reason for downplaying it. It wasn't about wins and losses and World Series wins that night. That home run should be #1 all time, if anything it's underrated.
Anonymous said :
September 15, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Agree completely with you Shannon. A home run does not "heal a city." Playing that game was the great moment, the home run was merely icing on the cake that day.

Whether the Mets won or lost that game didn't really matter. What was important that day was that the teams played, and that the people came out to watch them play.

I can think of at least 3 other more dramatic Piazza home runs: his first as a Met, his grand slam off Clemens, and the 7/1/2000 3-run shot that capped a 10 run comeback over the Braves.
DyHrdMET said :
September 22, 2009 at 9:26 AM
the Piazza home run after 9/11 did a lot for the city of New York. No doubt about it. From a purely baseball perspective, even though the 2001 team tried to make a 4th quarter comeback, and that homer helped, it was just a game winning home run and shouldn't be thought of more than that. It did become of one the biggest home runs, if not the biggest, in Shea Stadium's history and NY baseball history, but from a Mets baseball perspective, it was just a homerun.

from what the Anonymous commenter said though, playing that game on 9/21 was a big deal, and it may have been the most important fact that night. but the home run was icing on the cake and seemed to fit the story line (even Piazza hitting it was perfect). it made that night that much better and it wouldn't have been the same without it.

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