82 The QUEE NS Courier • OCTOBER 3, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com sports PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDS Piazza palooza CATCHER INDUCTED TO THE METS HALL OF FAME BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] It was a Piazza palooza at Citi Field. The New York Mets inducted legendary catcher Mike Piazza as the 27th member of the Mets Hall of Fame before the team played its final game of the year. Piazza received a proclamation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which declared Sunday, September 29 as Mike Piazza Day. “I’m very, very proud to be a New York Met,” Piazza said. “I’m glad they took recognition and gave me this honor.” Citi Field was packed for Piazza’s induction as many cheered for one of the franchise’s most prominent figures. Piazza threw out the first pitch of the game to Mets captain David Wright and Piazza’s former teammates Edgardo Alfonzo and John Franco presented him with a plaque and shared some kind words. “You were a tremendous teammate,” Franco said. “You played hurt, you played hard and you are a great guy to be around. So I just want to say congratulations from one Italian brother to another.” Piazza is known as one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time. He has the most home runs for a catcher ever with 427, a career .308 batting average and 2,127 hits. Piazza played 972 games for the Mets, eight of his 16-year career in MLB. He hit 220 home runs with the team, ranking second in franchise history behind Darryl Strawberry (252). He ranks first in team history with a .542 slugging percentage and is third in RBIs (655). Piazza was a seven-time All-Star when he played with the Mets and set a teamrecord with 124 RBIs and 40 home runs in 1999. Then in 2000 he finished with 38 home runs and drove in 113 runs to lead the team to win the National League Division Championship. The Mets won the final game of the year 3-2 against the Brewers to top off the Hall of Fame celebration, despite another year with a losing record, 74-88. Piazza is looking forward to a time when the Mets are once again on top of the league standings. He also joked that the organization will have first crack at his son, but he won’t be cheap. “I’ll teach him how to hit and the rest is up to him,” Piazza said. Photo courtesy of The New York Mets Mike Piazza graciously accepted his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame. PREP HONORS LOMBARDI BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] Legendary pro football coach Vince Lombardi may be known as a Green Bay, Wisconsin icon, but he got part of his football start in Queens. Lombardi played on the St. Francis Preparatory School football team until he graduated in 1933. The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized the late Lombardi at his alma mater as a part of their Hometown Hall of Famers program in a special ceremony on Wednesday, October 2. Lombardi’s grandson, John, accepted a plaque on behalf of the family at the ceremony in the school, where the award was placed permanently to inspire future generations. “Hometown Hall of Famers has been warmly embraced by communities and Hall of Famers alike,” said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. “We are thrilled… to bring the Pro Football Hall of Fame to communities across the country and congratulate the late Vince Lombardi and St. Francis Preparatory School on bringing a piece of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to Queens.” After graduating St. Francis Prep, Lombardi attended Fordham University in the Bronx, where he continued playing football. Lombardi is attributed for saying, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing,” and he certainly knew how to win. He is best known as the head coach who led the Green Bay Packers pro football team to three straight and five total league championships, including the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. Lombardi was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy, the award for the winning team in the Super Bowl, is named in his honor. Photo courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame The late legend Vince Lombardi was honored as a Hometown Hall of Famer at his alma mater St. Francis Preparatory School.
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