I know that teams cannot retire uniform numbers of all great players. Yet I wonder when I see Moises Alou wearing No. 18. When do you think the Mets might consider retiring Nos. 17 and 18 for Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry, respectively? I guess it is premature, but I would also like to see them consider No. 31 for Mike Piazza, too. We should celebrate those who have had great careers and left their mark on the Mets.
– Barry F., Magnolia, Del.

Of the three players you mentioned, Hernandez is the most deserving of that honor, though he played fewer seasons, 6 1/2, as a Met than Strawberry or Piazza. He had a greater impact than either player. The Mets won two division championships, a National League pennant and a World Series, and they finished second in four other seasons from 1984-89. Strawberry’s arrival at Shea Stadium preceded Hernandez’s by 41 days. But the team didn’t begin to change until it came under Hernandez’s influence. Beginning in 1984 and through ‘88, Hernandez amassed more points in the voting for the NL Most Valuable Player Award than any other player, even though he didn’t win it.

The team’s success in 1999 and 2000 — twice winning the NL Wild Card — were built around Piazza’s bat, and he was immensely popular as well. But his impact was one-dimensional. Hernandez made the Mets sound defensively and batted third during most of his time with the team.

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