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| Francisco Alvarez - 2021 Bowman Chrome |
Best catcher the Mets ever had?
Mike Piazza has my vote (even if John from Albany votes instead for Tomas Nido).
After all, in 3.478 at bats as a Met, Mr. Piazza had racked up 220 HRs, 655 RBIs, and .296/.373/.542 from age 29 through age 36. Insanely good hitting for a catcher. Hall of Fame stuff.
But as good as it was to have big Mike as a Met, it was almost as terrific to get him off of the Los Angeles Dodgers roster, where he torched the Mets to the tune of:
181 at bats, .343 with 14 doubles and 37 RBIs.
Geesh! The Mets of course limited the slugger's damage by playing in a different division, so they did not have to face Mikey Pizza all that much before they got him.
I know the Dodgers felt there were reasons to part ways. I don't care - they were stupid.
How a team like the Dodgers could let a star of Piazza's caliber in his prime slip away was incomprehensible - wait, I forgot, Mets fans saw Tom Seaver leave the Mets at his peak. You had to remind me, didn't you? This Piazza acquisition sort of made up for that Seaver trade stupidity.
Piazza in 726 Dodgers games hit .331/.393/.572. We got him - a guy who could do THAT - what a gift.
And not shabby for a guy drafted in the 62nd round in 1988, then not playing as a pro in 1988, followed by modest minor league seasons in 1989 and 1990 before improving and making his MLB debut a few days before his 24th birthday, a pretty late "hey, folks, I'm here" for a superstar.
Two Piazza-pounded HRs that I most loved from Mike? One was his titanic blast against Atlanta on the first game back following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, which made life feel like we were back. That ball went about 440 feet, but it really traveled around the world.
The other was when he faced an electric, pre-Mets Billy Wagner, and drove an opposite field line drive rocket off a 100 MPH fastball over the outside corner.
Piazza was terrific.
Of course, the Mets (read: Wilpons) let him go to free agency and he played two more years. Dumb. The bat was still strong, and in 708 at bats post-Mets, he had 36 doubles, 30 HRs, 112 RBIs, and hit .280. What a bat.
I often wonder what his career numbers would have been had he come up and played in a less grueling position as a first baseman. My guess? 600 HRs, 1,700 RBIs, .320.
The bat was THAT GOOD.
Ten straight years winning a Silver Slugger award! Oh, my.
Imagine if the Mets got even the post-Mets Piazza level of offensive production out of their catchers in 2021, who didn't produce much at all. Things could have been much different in Queens.
Now maybe...just maybe...Francisco Alvarez will be the next Piazza.
No pressure of course.
Just one thing: if Alvarez turns out to be that good, don't let him go to the Dodgers! Or to any other team, for that matter.
This franchise needs a 15 year, nowhere-but-the-Mets hitter that makes it to Cooperstown - via an induction ceremony. Maybe the inductee will be Alvarez.
Of course, when Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos both join the 500 Home Run Club as lifetime Mets someday, they'll make the Hall of Fame as Mets too.
Why not? Think big.
Not easy to get inducted...Straw didn't make it. Reyes didn't make it, Wright most likely won't make it. Heck, even Ed Kranepool didn't make it. We need some home-grown and home-retained hitters in the Hall.
Of course, the Yanks have had many Hall of Fame hitters.
The HOF standard is high...even for catchers.
Jorge Posada has not made it, at least yet, and he had a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and 1,065 runs batted in during his career. Catcher Elston Howard was a 12 time all star and won an MVP - and he didn't make it.
But if anyone can do it in Metsville, Francisco can.
Alvarez, Lindor, take your pick.
NEWS UPDATE:
1) OWNERS CONTINUE TO HOLD BASEBALL HOSTAGE.
2) RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE.
Number 2, of course, is the # 1 news story. 401(K) owners are NOT happy today. Neither are Ukrainians.
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