A warm Shea welcome for Piazza

There are times when a star player finishes his career in a strange place, and it all seems kind of sad. Joe Namath with the Rams, O.J. Simpson with the 49ers, Steve Carlton with the Minnesota Twins. Mike Piazza had eight remarkable years with the Mets, and now he is playing for the Padres.

And it couldn't be more perfect.

In Piazza's last couple of seasons with the Mets, he seemed absolutely worn down by the demands of his stardom, something he has never really cultivated or desired. He didn't play with the same kind of enthusiasm that he had earlier in his career, didn't have the same kind of presence on the team.

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