THE Mike Piazza homer
Posting this on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the attacks on our soil, where thousands of innocents were killed. And many thousands more in the wake of the attack.
Without getting political, Shea Stadium was home to the first professional sporting event held in New York after 9/11. It was a tribute, and a testament to the heroes, those that were still with us and those who perished. It was a tribute to the innocent victims. It was a testament to New York, the spirit of New Yorkers, and the resilience to refuse defeat.
It was a game that featured remembrances, requiems and eulogies. Many, many tears. It was a somber game, quiet without a lot of drama.
Then Mike Piazza came to the plate, the Mets a run down. Steve Karsay, who grew up in College Point, Queens, the same subway stop as Shea, on the mound for the Braves. A low fastball that caught a corner of the plate...
What happened next, as the ball sailed to the left of the batters-eye, and over the fence was spine-tingling, goose-bump rendering and tear inducing, all at once. It was a homer that gave the Mets the lead, but did much more than that.
It was very odd, but it seemed like the blast also brought a sense of relief. Like a giant exhalation...it revitalized the crowd, and gave the fans in attendance a reason to cheer. A reason to smile. A reason to be happy.
In my humble opinion, this home run, one of Piazza's 427 homers ranks as probably one of the top three home runs of all time. It is, in my mind, the most important homer.
By far.
Mike Piazza' homer after 9/11
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