Piazza welcomed back with cheers

Chris Girandola at Mets.com writes about Mike Piazza and the welcome he received on his return to Shea:

In the end, Mets skipper Willie Randolph summed it up best.

"That's how you treat heroes," Randolph stated after a Mets 3-2 victory over the Padres was overshadowed by the return of Mike Piazza.

And fans of the 12-time All-Star showed they remembered and cared.

The line at Gate C at Shea Stadium stretched substantially longer than it has for any game this season, including the Subway Series against the Yankees. The media throng piled in deeper than it had for any interview this season with seemingly hundreds of reporters and photographers. The fans stood along the third-base line in anticipation and cheered louder than they had for any visiting player, let alone one of the Mets players.

It was quite clear that Piazza had returned to the stadium he had called home for eight years.

"It's not like this in San Diego, I know that," said Piazza, in response to a media contingent in the Padres' dugout before the game that was at least 10 deep. "I'm excited, I'm nervous, but I'm just gonna take it in, enjoy it and have fun."

Piazza did just that. When he emerged from the dugout after his lengthy interview with the press, thousands of fans in attendance for the Padres' batting practice shouted his name. Signs greeted the former Mets catcher with words of appreciation including, but not limited to,

"Welcome home, Mike," "We miss and love you Mike," and "Thanks for the memories."