If the Baseball Hall of Fame believes in honesty, Mike Piazza’s plaque will feature a New York Mets logo on his cap and a chip on his shoulder, placed there by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Piazza’s legacy in New York is simple. From 1998 to 2005, he formed a bond with the city and the Mets organization that he felt he rarely enjoyed in Los Angeles. Piazza has mentioned this bond often, so it might figure into his induction speech Sunday in Cooperstown, New York.
The Dodgers’ role in helping Piazza morph from a 62nd-round draft pick into a Hall of Famer was less conspicuous, often unglamorous and is presently rather messy.