Mike Piazza (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
A jersey worn by former New York Mets player Mike Piazza is heading to the auction block on April 30 in New York City, according to Goldin Auctions.
But this isn’t just any jersey.
It’s a jersey that holds sentimental value for New Yorkers—the jersey that Piazza slammed a game winning home run in, in the first home season game after September 11, at then Shea Stadium.
“This is the most memorable New York Mets home run ever, and the fact that it was hit by the greatest hitter in team history makes it that much more remarkable,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “We are excited to share this rare artifact with the many rabid Mets fans.”
The jersey has an American flag patch on the back collar, and 9-11-01 and American flags embroidered on the right sleeve. It is signed by Piazza, who is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer as a Met, despite stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins.“I feel like the fans here truly brought me into their family,” Piazza said about his decision to enter Cooperstown as a Met.
As for the home run that uplifted so many New Yorkers in the wake the tragic 9/11 attacks, Piazza likes to say it was from a higher power.
“It changed all of our lives, not on a baseball level but a personal level,” Piazza said during an interview about his Hall of Fame induction. “My life perspective and focus were different. To be at the right place and the right time and come through, I can only think it comes from above.”
This article originally appeared on Epoch Times