Last weekend Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. were inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Even though ESPN has been talking about the legacy of the two players over the week, I still feel there isn't enough attention being put towards this historic moment. Maybe I'm taking this to heart because Mike Piazza is one of my childhood heroes, but nonetheless, the achievements of these two players should not be ignored.
Griffey was voted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He was the 1997 AL MVP and a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Piazza is a 12-time All-star, has 10 Silver Slugger Awards, and is arguably one of the best-hitting catchers of all time. Both players have enough memorable moments to fill a storybook.
Piazza's come in the 2000 World Series against Roger Clemens. One of the best hitters of the decade versus one of the best pitchers. Clemens was hammered by Piazza, having hit a home run 6 different times against Clemens in a three-year span. Clemens decided to field a broken bat of Piazza, then chuck the bat at him as he ran to first. Piazza's biggest moment had to come just a few days after the tragic events of 9/11. Piazza hit a game-winning home run in the 8th inning. The play still leaves me speechless to this day.
Griffey Jr. was also memorable for his home runs. In his second year in the majors, he hit back-to-back homers with his 40-year old father, Ken Griffey Sr. Griffey Jr. also scored a game-winner in game 5 of the '97 ALDS. He scored on a double in extra innings.
Besides the accolades, Ken Griffey Jr. is the highest drafted player to make the Hall of Fame, picked first in the first round, while Piazza is the lowest drafted player to be inducted into the hall, 66th round.
A big takeaway from the weekend festivities is all the talk about considering players who have tested positive for PEDs, to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Many people find it unfair that Griffey and Piazza are inducted, but players like Alex Rodriquez will never get voted in. Part of the argument was that most players used to take performance enhancers before it became illegal. Piazza and Griffey were never tested for steroids in their careers.
After watching their highlight reels over and over again, it is hard to not get chills. Both of these players showed the drive and the natural talent to succeed in this league. Congratulation to Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza. These two are deserving of nothing less than hanging in the Hall of Fame with some of the best players to ever play in the MLB.
