BASEBALL Piazza lauded by Hall of Fame catchers

He broke the record for home runs by a catcher with the Mets.
NEWSDAY
NEW YORK -- Mike Piazza Night was supposed to be a tribute to the man who became the career home run leader among catchers when he hit No. 352 on May 5 to surpass Carlton Fisk. It wound up being much more.
"This is a tribute to the game of baseball and to the catching fraternity," Piazza said in a news conference before Friday night's Mets-Tigers game. "It's a night to celebrate and enjoy, not just for me but for these guys and for the game."
"These guys" included the four living Hall of Fame catchers -- Fisk, Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench and Gary Carter -- plus former Tigers catcher and current bullpen coach Lance Parrish and current Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Along with Piazza, that brought seven of the top eight career home run leaders at catcher to Shea Stadium.
Dodgers great Roy Campanella, at No. 7 on the list, also received acknowledgement from Piazza, who began his career as a Dodger.
"It's a real honor for me and I'm so thrilled that they came here," Piazza said. "Because of the physical demands and responsibilities of the position, every one of them can attest to how difficult the job is. That's why I'm so proud to be a part of this group."
On-field ceremony
In an on-field ceremony before the game, Piazza received a Cartier watch and a large bottle of his favorite wine from his teammates. Chevrolet gave Piazza a bright yellow SSR with the number 352 on the hood and "Piazza 31" on the rear of the automobile, which appeared to be a cross between a sports car and a truck.
"I can't wait to retire," Piazza joked to the crowd.
Earlier, Piazza was teased by Bench about his move to first base.
"You've got to be bored over there," the former Reds star said.
To which Piazza replied, "I'm not saying goodbye yet."
Bench gave credit to Berra for being his role model as a star catcher.
"We're here because of this man," Bench said, pointing to Berra, "and for what he did for baseball and the catching position. To follow in Yogi's footsteps was special."
Bench then drew laughs from an overflow crowd of reporters and photographers in the old Jets clubhouse when he said, "When I broke Yogi's record (of 327 home runs as a catcher), he sent me a telegram that said, 'I knew my record would stand until it was broken."'
Berra uttered no Yogi-isms Friday night but did say the reason he got so much respect from the other catchers was because "I'm older than all of them."
When asked specifically about Piazza, he said, "He's a good hitter, I know that. He's dangerous. You've got to be careful when you pitch to him.