LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating Mike Piazza upon the occasion of
his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New
York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those esteemed individuals who distinguish themselves through
exceptional performance, outstanding achievement, and peerless commit-
ment to excellence; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratu-
late Mike Piazza upon the occasion of his election to the National Base-
ball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York on Wednesday, January 6,
2016; he will be officially inducted on July 24, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Michael Joseph Piazza, affectionately known as Mike, was born
in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in 1968, and grew up in nearby Phoenix-
ville; he is the second oldest of five sons born to Vince and Veronica
Piazza; and
WHEREAS, A talented young athlete, Mike Piazza practiced hitting with
his father, and received personal instruction from baseball great Ted
Williams; he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988; and
WHEREAS, Mike Piazza won the 1993 Rookie of the Year Award and played
seven spectacular seasons as catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers before
joining the New York Mets baseball team in 1998; and
WHEREAS, As a member of the New York Mets from 1998 to 2005, Mike
Piazza became one of the most beloved players in the City's long and
distinguished sports history through his exceptional drive and perform-
ance on the field; and
WHEREAS, During the 2000 season, Mike Piazza had at least one run-bat-
ted-in (RBI) in 15 consecutive games, the second longest RBI streak in
history, while leading his team to the Subway Series against the
Yankees; and
WHEREAS, A hero to many New Yorkers, Mike Piazza will be long remem-
bered for his towering and inspirational home run which was hit follow-
ing the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and
WHEREAS, Mike Piazza played his last game as a Met on October 2, 2005,
and received a longstanding ovation from the fans at Shea Stadium; he
continued to play baseball for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athlet-
ics until his retirement in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Widely recognized as one of the greatest hitting catchers of
all time, Mike Piazza compiled numerous impressive achievements during
his Hall of Fame worthy career, including a lifetime batting average of
.308, 427 career home runs, and 1,335 RBI; he was also selected a
remarkable 12 times as a member of the National League All Star Team;
and
WHEREAS, Following the announcement of being inducted, Mike Piazza has
proudly chosen to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a New York Met;
and
WHEREAS, Mike Piazza has clearly been an inspiration to countless
baseball fans, as well as to the community-at-large, and accordingly
merits recognition and applause for his tremendous passion for the game
and competitive spirit; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such outstanding athletic accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be recognized by all the citizens of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Mike Piazza on his election to the National Baseball Hall
of Fame; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Mike Piazza.