With the second half of the Major League Baseball season in full swing, the Cubs have had a big challenge this week. The defending National League champs, the New York Mets, have been in town.

The Cubs took the series against the Texas Rangers, and on Wednesday, the Cubs go for the series win against the Mets.

Things should get easier with a day off Thursday, then they head up north to face Milwaukee.

Then again, this is the Cubs we're talking about.

Here's a podcast with Bloguin editor Ian Casselberry below.

It's also Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. Two men will be enshrined into Cooperstown — Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr.

As Ian put it, Piazza is one of the best-hitting catchers of all-time. Maybe even THE best hitting catcher of all-time.

Piazza predominantly played for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. (He also played for the Marlins, Padres and ended his career for the A's.)

Piazza hit a lifetime average of .278 with 427 homers and 1,335 RBIs. In his final season in 2007 with Oakland, he had eight homers with 44 RBIs.

Here's one of the most poignant moments of Piazza's career when the Mets star hit a go-ahead homer against Atlanta 10 days after the September 11 attacks.

He had two different seasons where Piazza hit 40 homers and 120-plus runs driven in. It happened with the Dodgers in 1997 and with the Mets in 1999.

Griffey played for three teams, but most fans remember what he did for the Mariners. He had such an impact for the Mariners that the franchise has retired his number throughout the entire farm system, including the Clinton LumberKings.

Griffey won the 1997 AL MVP with a season of 56 homers and 147 RBIs. He nearly had the exact same numbers in 1998, but drove in one less run in. He finished fourth in the MVP voting that season.

 

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