Don't get too cocky, though, Mike. Apparently you were big and someone -- probably a reporter who was also a medical doctor, like Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- noticed that you had acne on your back. That might diminish your status as best hitting catcher to play baseball.
But if he does get in, he would like to pass on his recommendation to the Hall. From MetsBlog:
When asked what hat he wants to wear if elected to the Hall of Fame, he responded:"It’s gotta be the Mets. No question."
Now, Piazza was asked in front of the crowd at a Knicks game, which probably wouldn't be a great time to say ...
The Marlins. Easy. Those five games defined me. The people here in New York have a weird smell about them. Ruined the whole experience. I like teal.
No, he probably wasn't going to give an honest answer if it wasn't the Mets, and the Hall of Fame chooses anyway. But it's an interesting question. Over at Baseball Think Factory, the conversation naturally went to a discussion about the WAR he accrued for both teams (24.6 with the Mets, 33.6 with the Dodgers), but there are other factors too. The Mets paid Piazza about $80 million more -- a bronze cap seems like a nice perk for that kind of money. It's why Barry Zito will go into the Hall as a Giant.
Most important, though, might be the visibility factor. Piazza's biggest moments on the national stage came with the Mets -- his post-9/11 home run, as well as the playoffs and World Series runs.
It might be that your opinion on this has to do with the team you root for -- as a Giants fan, Piazza seems inextricably linked to the Dodgers. I think of him as a Dodger first. If you follow an NL East team, you surely think differently.
But Piazza isn't conflicted. He says Mets, "no question." Now we just have to convince some writers to vote in the greatest hitting catcher ever. It's a long road ahead.