CPERSTOWN, 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 cant 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.Griffey played 22 big-league seasons with the Mariners, Reds and White Sox and was selected on a record 99.32 percent of ballots cast, an affirmation of sorts for his clean performance during baseballs so-called Steroids Era.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.Griffey, who fell just three votes shy of being the first unanimous selection, hit 417 of his 630 homers and won all 10 of his Gold Gloves with the Seattle Mariners. He played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Mariners and led them to the playoffs for the first two times in franchise history.Thirteen years with the Seattle Mariners, from the day I got drafted, Seattle, Washington, has been a big part of my life, Griffey said, punctuating the end of his speech by putting a baseball cap on backward as he did throughout his career.Im going to leave you with one thing. In 22 years I learned that one team will treat you the best, and thats your first team. Im damn proud to be a Seattle Mariner.Dubbed The Natural for his effortless excellence at the plate and in center field, Griffey avoided the Hall of Fame until his special weekend because he wanted his first walk through the front drs of the stately building on Main Street to be with his kids, whom he singled out one by one in his 20-minute speech.There are two misconceptions about me -- I didnt work hard and everything I did I made lk easy, Griffey said. Just because I made it lk easy doesnt mean that it was. You dont become a Hall of Famer by not working, but working day in and day out.Griffeys mom, Birdie, and his father, former Cincinnati Reds star Ken Sr., both cancer survivors and integral to his rise to stardom, were front and center in the first row.To my dad, who taught me how to play this game and to my mom, the strongest woman I know, Junior said. To have to be mom and dad, she was our biggest fan and our biggest critic. Shes the only woman I know that lives in one house and runs five others.Selected in the draft by the Dodgers after Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, a close friend of Piazzaa father, Vince, put in a gd 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, t.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, after Tom Seaver in 1992.He could not follow that dream because of the realities of life. My fathers 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 its 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 leagues MVP voting four times.Perhaps even more impressive, Piazza, a .308 career hitter, posted six seasons with at least 30 home runs, 100 RBI and a .300 batting average (all other catchers in baseball history combined have posted nine such seasons).Though the Dodgers gave him his start, Piazza found a home in New York when he was traded to the Mets in May 1998.Three years later, he became a hero to the hometown fans with perhaps the most notable home run of his career. His two-run shot in the eighth inning at Shea Stadium lifted the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the first sporting event played in New York after the 9/11 terror attacks.Piazza paid tribute to that moment.To witness the darkest evil of the human heart ... will be forever burned in my soul, Piazza said. But from tragedy and sorrow came bravery, love, compassion, character and eventual healing.Many of you give me praise for the two-run home run in the first game back on Sept. 21st, but the true praise belongs to police, firefighters, first responders that knew that they were going to die, but went forward anyway. I pray that we never forget their sacrifice.Attendance was estimated at around 50,000 by the Hall of Fame, tying 1999 for second-most all time. Authentic Custom Rangers Jersey . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Rangers Jerseys China . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. http://www.custommlbrangersjersey.com/custom-ivan-rodriguez-jersey-large-73t.html . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college ftball. Custom Rangers Jerseys .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Wholesale Custom Rangers Shirts .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Only three members of West Indies 13-man squad for the first Test against India have played more than 20 Test matches. Six of them have either played four Tests or fewer, and two are yet to make their debuts. West Indies captain Jason Holder, who has himself played only 13 Tests, said on the eve of the match though that he was confident in the abilities of the young group he was leading.Most of these guys have performed really well in the domestic competition, Holder said. Youve got young Roston Chase, whos in the squad for the first time. He averages around 40 in first-class cricket. Youve got Shane Dowrich, whos been doing well over the last few seasons. Leon Johnson had a really gd season. Those are just a few names who did well back in the first-class competitions. So I think all of them are really eager for an opportunity and Im very very eager to go into the competition with them.The players, Holder said, were hungry to make a name for themselves.I think what motivates this young group is that everyone is trying to make a mark on international scene. Its a very young team. Many of us are lking at finding our way in international cricket. I think its important for the youngsters to just come in, to make their mark and solidify their place in the team, and to make a name for themselves. You know there is a rich legacy in West Indies cricket. Many of the young players are lking to make a legacy for themselves.A lot of the inexperience in the West Indies team is concentrated in their bowling, following the loss of their long-time new-ball pair of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach to retirement and non-selection respectively. Holder said he, as one of the four seamers in the squad, did not feel any specific pressure to step up and lead the bowling attack, but reiterated the need for all the quick bowlers to know their roles and perform them well.You know, if you lk at our side, weve got Miguel Cummins whos come into the side, hes done really well for the last two seasons in domestic cricket. Youve got [Shannon] Gabriel, whos been bowling really well, but has been struggling from injuries. Hes fit and ready to go. Carlos Brathwaite and myself, you know, are the two seamers and we are just lking to do what were asked to do.I think its important that each one knows their role. You know Shannons obviously a fast and aggressive bowler. Miguel similarly. Myself and Carlos, were mainly the workhorses in the unit. You just have to know your role. I dont think theres pressure really. Once you know understand your role, you perform your role.West Indies won the World T20 earlier this year, and were impressive in their recent ODI triangular series that also featured Australia and South Africa,, beating both teams in the league stage and reaching the final.dddddddddddd They have struggled to match that level of performance in Test cricket, with a number of their star players not featuring in the longest format. Holder said it was important for the team to keep improving steadily, while not expecting t much of them t sn.You know thats the ultimate aim [to be equally competitive in all three formats]. Weve got a young side, and its gd to see we have some young faces. Were lking to build something. In the last series we played in Australia, we didnt start really well. Moving on into the Test series, we got significantly better. All I stress and address with the guys is to keep improving. You cant expect leaps and bounds, t much from a very young side. Once we get the steady progression in terms of improvement, I think well move forward.The last time West Indies played in Antigua, in April 2015, they saved a Test match against England courtesy an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred from Holder. Batting remains the second string in Holders bow, but in the days leading up to the Test against India, he has batted far more than he has bowled in the nets. Asked about this, he said he preferred to conserve himself for the long spells he often bowls in Test matches.Ive played a lot of cricket this year already. As I said, its about managing your body to get through a four-match Test series. I am a workhorse, so I dont particularly like to bowl that much leading into a Test match. I like to save my energy for the Test match because I know Ill be required to bowl quite a few overs. Thats how my preparation goes in terms of my bowling.I try to bat a lot because I feel as though I need to pay a lot more attention there. Thats more of my secondary part of my training. I try to work really hard to get my ftwork going and my balance going which I feel is the key to my success.Asked about his teams preparations to bowl against a batting line-up of Indias quality on pitches that are expected to play on the slower side, Holder reiterated what players and coaches from both sides have already stressed: the need for patience.The name of Test cricket is discipline, when it comes to bowling, he said. Where we fell down in the past is not being as disciplined as we would like. Weve stressed discipline and being patient for longer periods. We come in and string together a gd session but we tend to falter or fall off going deeper into the day. So far, what Ive seen in the nets Im really, really pleased. The bowlers lk gd and we need to transfer that into the game. ' ' '