John Franco hears all the talk about Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The former Mets bullpen ace says don’t forget about his old battery mate, Mike Piazza.
In his first year of eligibility to the Hall in 2013, Piazza drew 57.8 percent of the 75 percent needed for election. Franco said he hopes Piazza makes bigger strides this week.
“We have had a lot of great players in our history,” Franco said. “No one ever did more for the Mets than Mike, on and off the field. He hit dramatic home runs and helped us make two postseasons, including the World Series. More than that he gave us credibility. He was a bona fide rock star when we got him, and he gave us someone our fans could identify with for all the time he was here.”
Franco wore uniform No. 31 with the Mets until Piazza arrived. He gave up the number and switched to 45 the rest of his Mets career.
“ I just felt Mike deserved to have his number,” Franco said. “ He earned the right to have it.” In case you were wondering, Franco never asked Piazza for anything in return for the switch.
Actor embraces role of Gehrig
As a kid growing up in Cincinnati, John Wenke worshiped Eric Davis and the Reds. These days, the Boston University grad will bring a New York baseball legend back to life, playing the role of Lou Gehrig in the upcoming play “Bronx Bombers,” which starts previews Jan. 10 at Circle In The Square. Though even casual baseball fans know the intimate details of other “Yankees” in the show — Yogi Berra, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter — it is probably Gehrig (and Elston Howard) who fans may learn the most about.
“Of all the Yankees greats, there is probably the least known publicly about Gehrig, probably because he died so young at a time when the media didn’t go into such details. It is my goal to make sure that fans understand more about his grace, his caring, even his temper and frustration, than they did going in,” Wenke said. “Lou was a champion of having players of all races play together, well before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, he was a proud German-American at a time when it wasn’t popular to admit he was German, he was so much more than just a great Yankee, he was a great American, and I hope that comes through in our work.”
For details on the show, go to bronxbombersplay.com.
Millrose Games move to afternoon
There are big changes in store for the prestigious Millrose Games. The major shift is the meet, which usually runs late into the evening, will start at noon and conclude at 6:30 p.m. — featuring the prime time window from 3-5 p.m., said Dr. Norbert Sander, president of the Armory Foundation.
The 2014 NYRR Millrose Games will take place at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armory on Feb. 15. Another new wrinkle is the title sponsor for the meet, now New York Road Runners. Fans can visit NYRRMillroseGames.org for tickets and information.