58 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 28, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com sports METS TO RETIRE HALL OF FAMER PIAZZA’S NUMBER BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Mets fans will have 31 reasons to celebrate baseball’s newest Hall of Fame inductee this July. The Mets announced on Jan. 25 that they would retire beloved catcher Mike Piazza’s number, 31, on July 30 at Citi Field as part of a three-day celebration of the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history. Piazza was elected earlier this month by the Baseball Writers of America to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He joined the Mets in 1998 and became fan favorite overnight, leading the Mets to the World Series in 2000 and hitting a number of dramatic home runs along the way during his seven years with Queens’ only professional sports team. When his number is retired this July, Piazza will be only the second position player in Mets history to receive such an honor, the other being Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, whose 41 was retired in 1988. The Mets also retired the numbers of two managers: Casey Stengel’s 37 in 1965 and Gil Hodges’ 14 following his sudden death in 1972. Number 42 is retired by all 30 Major League Baseball teams in honor of Jackie Robinson. “We are truly thrilled to honor Mike by retiring his number during a weekend-long celebration recognizing his incredible career,” Mets Chief Operating Offi cer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. “His offensive prowess, ability to deliver in the clutch and tireless work ethic helped him become one of the great catchers of all time.” “It is such a tremendous honor to have my number retired alongside the great Tom Seaver,” Piazza said. “My time as a Met was truly special, and I want to thank Fred Wilpon, Mets President Saul Katz, Jeff Wilpon and the entire organization for this incredible gesture.” The festivities coincide with the Mets three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies. Piazza’s number will be retired in a pre-game ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. The Mets are offering special Piazza-themed promotions for fans attending the other games that weekend. All fans attending the Friday night game will receive a replica Piazza jersey, while the fi rst The Mets will retire Hall of Fame inductee Mike Piazza’s number this July at Citi Field. 15,000 fans at the Sunday game will receive a Mike Piazza bobblehead doll. Along with outfi elder Ken Griffey File photo Jr., Piazza will be formally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, on July 24. Undefeated hoops teams in Brooklyn and Queens must live the moment One of the great things about getting snowed in is that it forces you to put the brain and body into neutral and let your mind free fl ow. I found myself thinking about a recent NHL game I attended in Brooklyn. The Islanders lost, 2-1, in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks in Barclays Center. If you haven’t seen an NHL overtime, in which the teams play three-onthree, and a subsequent shootout if neither team scores in OT, put it on the wish list. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to sports, but this format is terrifi c. The Islanders were the better team, outshooting the Canucks, 48-26, but goalie Ryan Miller stood on his head and stoned Brooklyn in the shootout. The fi rst thought was that the best team doesn’t always win. We’ll get to that. Back to Saturday. That Islanders’ game reminded me of one of the best moments of my sportswriting life. A memory for the ages. It was back in the early ‘80s. I was covering high school sports for Greenwich Time. Greenwich, Connecticut, is less than an hour’s drive from where I grew up in Brooklyn, but it might as well be a 1,000 miles away. My fi rst assignment was covering Greenwich High School girls fi eld hockey. I was stunned and mortifi ed. The thought of allowing high school girls to carry the curved fi eld hockey sticks in the hallways of Canarsie High School, which I attended, seemed ludicrous. Like I said, 1,000 miles away. Greenwich won the state title that year, in a shootout over its rival, Cheshire. The shootout was so tense, so taught with emotion, that it has stayed with me to this day, one of my fondest moments in sports reporting. Yep, 30 years later — after having covered the Olympics and the New York City Marathon, the Rose Bowl and the Final Four — a girls high school fi eld hockey game remains a highlight. So what does that have to do with high school sports in Brooklyn and Queens? It’s about making memories. In some ways, nothing has changed in sports. The better team doesn’t always win. The team that executes the best and hustles the most on game day wins. So if you’re a member of the John Browne or Medgar Evers boys basketball teams, or the Harry Van Arsdale, Bayside or William C. Bryant girls basketball teams (undefeated, among others, as of this writing), the best way to assure the possibility — and it’s only a possibility — of remaining undefeated, is to leave everything on the court, every game. Sounds simple, I know. It isn’t. Ask your coaches. Ask your coaches if they agree with this, too. Enjoy every practice, every game, every moment with your teammates and coaches. Enjoy those moments when you’re putting in the work — the lifting, shooting, skating, throwing, running, pushups, situps and planks. Yes, even the planks. Many of you dream of playing in college or beyond. Don’t let anyone discourage you; don’t take the fi rst “No” for an answer. But remember, the percentage of athletes who make their living playing professionally is miniscule. You almost had a better chance of winning that $1 billion Powerball. Playing professional is more a pipe dream than an attainable dream. So live today’s dream. There is no practice more important than today’s. There is no game of greater value than the next one. There is nothing more precious than this moment. Because you never know when that memory of a lifetime is going to happen. NOTES: If you have an interesting story idea regarding a high school player, coach or team in Brooklyn and Queens, please contact Lenn Robbins at 38-15 Bell Blvd. Bayside, NY 11361, or send an email to editorial@qns.com. on- ROBBINS’ NEST by Lenn Robbins
QC01282016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above