Remembering Mets History (2004) Mike Piazza Sets All Time HR Mark For Catchers

Wednesday May 5th 2004: A Shea Stadium crowd of 19,974 came out on this night to see history, as Mike Piazza was just one HR shy of the all-time catchers HR mark. 

Tonight, Art Howe's fourth place Mets (12-15) hosted Felipe Alou's fifth place San Francisco Giants (12-16).

The starting pitchers were Jae Weong Seo for the Mets & Jerome Williams for the Giants. 

It didn't take Piazza long to make MLB history. In the bottom of the 1st inning, with two outs, Mike Piazza hit Jerome Williams' fastball, over the right center field wall. The HR was Piazza's 352nd as a catcher (363rd HR overall) and put him first all time, as the leading HR hitter among catchers, passing the great Red Sox / White Sox Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.

The Shea crowd gave Piazza a standing ovation & he came out of the dugout to tip his cap in a thank you curtain call. On this night, his team would support him in a win as well.

In the top of the 2nd, Jeffrey Hammonds doubled & then former Met Edgardo Alfonzo doubled as well to tie the score at one. 

In the bottom of the 2nd, Mike Cameron singled with one out. Then Williams hit Danny Garcia with a pitch . Mets Pitcher Jae Seo bunted a comebacker to the mound, Williams fielded it & threw wildly to first allowing Cameron to score, Garcia to advance & Seo to get credit for a single putting the Mets up 2-1.

In the 5th inning, the Giants tied it up with a double & sac fly from Brian Dallimore. Jae Seo went 4.1 innings giving up two runs on six hits with a strike out & a walk. 

Ricky Bottalico came on for 1.2 innings of work, holding the Giants scoreless. John Franco, David Weathers & Orber Moreno all pitched a scoreless inning with Weathers getting the win (2-1).

The score remained 2-2 until the 8th inning. In the bottom half of the 8th, the Mets would send eleven men to the plate score six runs, hit two HRs & collect six hits with a pair of walks 7 a hits batsman.

After Kaz Matsui struck out, Todd Zeile & Karim Garcia singled for the Mets. In the inning, the Giants went through pitchers Felix Rodriguez, Scott Eyre & then Matt Herges. Herges would have a nightmare inning.

Shane Spencer then hit a three run HR off him, putting the Mets up 5-2. It was his second HR of the year. After Jason Phillips walked, Mike Cameron blasted a two-run shot off Matt Herges to left center field making it 7-2 Mets. It was Cameron's sixth of the season.

Daniel Aardsma came in to pitch & Daniel Garcia was hit by a pitch. Eric Valent then singled & Kazo Matsui added an RBI base hit to top off the Mets 8-2 win.

Above all, this was Mike Piazza's night, as he went into the record books once again. He would be honored at Shea Stadium later in the year, on Mike Piazza Night with some of the all-time greatest living catchers coming out as special guests in his honor.

Former Met, Hall of Famer, Gary Carter along with Hall of Famers- Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Pudge Rodriguez & Johnny Bench, as well as Lance Parrish would all be on hand (as was centerfieldmaz ).

Mike Piazza finished his career with 396 HRs batting in the catcher's spot & a total of 427 HRs overall.