Emotional Griffey, Piazza take place in Hall of Fame

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Two players who began their careers at opposite ends of the spectrum nearly three decades ago ended up in the same place on Sunday - with their names etched on plaques at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

For Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza, the culmination of their long journeys was tinged with tears all around.

''I stand up here humbled and overwhelmed,'' Griffey said, staring out at his family and tens of thousands of fans. ''I can't describe how it feels.''

The two became a piece of history on their special day. Griffey, the first pick of the 1987 amateur draft, became the highest pick ever inducted. Piazza, a 62nd-round pick the next year -No. 1,390 - is the lowest pick to enter the Hall of Fame.

A 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner in center field, Griffey hit 630 home runs, sixth all-time, and drove in 1,836 runs. He also was the American League MVP in 1997, drove in at least 100 runs in eight seasons, and won seven Silver Slugger Awards.

''I'm going to leave you with one thing," Griffey said. "In 22 years I learned that one team will treat you the best, and that's your first team. I'm damn proud to be a Seattle Mariner.''

''There are two misconceptions about me - I didn't work hard and everything I did I made look easy,'' Griffey said. ''Just because I made it look easy doesn't mean that it was. You don't become a Hall of Famer by not working, but working day in and day out.''

Selected in the draft by the Dodgers after Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, a close friend of Piazza'a father, Vince, put in a good word, Piazza struggled. He briefly quit the game while in the minor leagues, returned and persevered despite a heavy workload as he switched from first base to catcher and teammates criticized his erratic play.

Mom and dad were foremost on his mind, too.

''Dad always dreamed of playing in the major leagues,'' said Piazza, just the second Hall of Famer depicted on his plaque wearing a Mets cap.

''He could not follow that dream because of the realities of life. My father's faith in me, often greater than my own, is the single most important factor of me being inducted into this Hall of Fame. Thank you dad. We made it, dad. The race is over. Now it's time to smell the roses.''

Piazza played 16 years with the Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Padres and Athletics and hit 427 home runs, including a major league record 396 as a catcher. A 12-time All-Star, Piazza won 10 Silver Slugger Awards and finished in the top five of his league's MVP voting four times.