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New York Mets: Mike Piazza Famous 9-11 Jersey Breaks Auction Record

By Kenneth Teape

Oct 30, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets former catcher Mike Piazza throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game three of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets former catcher Mike Piazza throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game three of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Three New York Mets minority owners stepped in and bought the Mike Piazza 9-11 jersey in a private sale before it could be won at auction.

The New York Mets were a part of one of the most memorable moments in recent Major League Baseball history when Mike Piazza slugged a home run on September 21st, 2001. Just 10 days following the 9-11 terrorist, the Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium in the first game played in New York since the attacks.

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With so much on the minds of the people there, Piazza sent them into a sense of euphoria with an eighth inning home run. The two-run home run put the Mets ahead 3-2, as the crowd broke out into chants of, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” The moment was as dramatic as it was memorable, and the jersey wore by Piazza recently went up for auction at Goldin Auctions.

According to ESPN Senior Writer Darren Rovell, the destination that the jersey would end up at became a major topic of discussion. As a result, the auction was halted by Ken Goldin and offered a private sale for the item. That is when three Mets’ minority owners stepped in, as they bought the jersey for a record setting $365,000.

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Goldin also said, as terms of the agreement, that, “the jersey would have to be on long-term loan to museums, including the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and that the jersey would be have to be present at the appropriate place at the appropriate time.”

Prior to Piazza’s jersey selling, the modern day record for a jersey sold at auction was $303,277. That jersey was worn by Kirk Gibson when he hit his memorable home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, limping around the bases while pumping his fist. That item was put up for auction back in 2010.

Goldin offered some insight on why Piazza’s jersey trumped the price of Gibson’s, saying, “Gibson’s jersey commanded the price it did because of what he did on the biggest stage in baseball. This jersey commanded what it did because this was done on the biggest stage in the world. Mike’s home run that night signaled to New Yorkers that it was OK to get back to what we had been doing before.” Goldin also mentioned Piazza’s looming Hall of Fame induction this summer as a factor, as Gibson is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Next: Mike Piazza's Five Greatest Moments

Piazza is one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game, and it is nice to hear that the jersey from an iconic moment that touched so many people will be on display at the right places, not sitting in someone’s basement.

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