5. Record-breaking blast (05/06/2004)
Piazza broke Carlton Fisk’s record for career home runs by a catcher on a cool night at Shea Stadium in front of a crowd of roughly 20,000 people — most of whom were there to watch Barry Bonds.
Number 352 — which came just ten days after he tied the record — came off of San Fransisco Giants pitcher Jerome Williams. As Piazza rounded the bases, “Chariots of Fire” was blasted from the loudspeakers. Piazza would return from the dugout for a raucous curtain call.
”I’m really excited and really proud…I’m blessed. I’ve lived a dream. Everything from here on in is icing.” —Mike Piazza
The icing came the next night to the tune of a walk-off home run in the eleventh inning. When youngsters ponder how incredible Yoenis Cespedes’ home run tear was in 2015, I have two words: Mike Piazza.
