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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- In the weeks leading up to the Baseball Hall of Fame induction, the prevailing theme was, Two players -- different paths. Ken Griffey Jr. was the talented wunderkind who seemed destined for greatness from the moment the Seattle Mariners chose him No. 1 in the 1987 draft. Mike Piazza was the gifted hitter whose lack of speed and defensive skill heralded little opportunity until Tommy Lasorda hounded the Dodgers into selecting him in the 62nd round in 1988.Now the two sluggers will be linked in baseball history -- most notably, in the Hall of Plaques in Cooperstown -- as members of the Class of 2016. Piazza and Griffey delivered bookend speeches before a crowd of 50,000 Sunday, and next year theyll have the luxury of returning, playing golf and enjoying the surroundings sans pressure, if they so desire.They each took roads that not many have ever traveled, said former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, Piazzas best friend in baseball. Mike was the late-round draft pick with people doubting him along the way. Junior had the expectations of having a successful big-league dad. But they both did it on their own. There werent any shortcuts. I think that added a human quality to the display of emotion you saw here.For all their differences, Griffey and Piazza have spent enough time together over the past few months to discover theyre kindred spirits in many ways. Amid the plaudits and the shoutouts -- and so many cheers -- they have learned theyre more alike than their baseball résumés would suggest.Theyre both softiesAlong with Frank Thomas tear-filled induction speech and Bill Mazeroski turning into a puddle and cutting his speech short in 2001, this was among the most emotionally wrenching induction ceremony in memory. Piazza sobbed while discussing his relationship with his father, and he choked up in recalling the influence that former Dodgers coach Reggie Smith had in saving his career when he briefly walked away from the game in the minor leagues.It was a sequence of events Piazza predicted recently when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live.Jimmy sent me a text and I said, Im gonna cry, Piazza recalled. And he said, Real men cry at funerals and when they get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. So dont worry about it. Griffey was such a mess, he commenced crying less than a minute into his speech while thanking the Baseball Writers Association for voting him into Cooperstown. In hindsight, he violated a cardinal rule by looking down into the crowd at his sons Trey and Tevin, and his daughter, Taryn, against the advice of his fellow Hall of Famers.Thats probably the first time in a long time Ive seen Junior come out of his security blanket and lose his composure, said former Seattle Mariners outfielder Jay Buhner, Griffeys closest friend in the game. It was good to see him let his hair down, per se, and let the emotions flow. I love it. How can you not get choked up talking about your family? I got choked up listening to Piazza, too. I would have been crying like a little baby if I was up there.They have the makings of a comedy actBoth players revealed their senses of humor throughout the weekend, whether in their speeches or in dealing with the obligatory rookie hazing from their veteran Hall of Fame counterparts.They told me I had to sing with the band in the bar, Piazza said. So I started playing drums and then I went to singing, and my wife came running in and said, The bartender just said, Quick, get him back on the drums.When Wade Boggs started singing Knights in White Satin by the Moody Blues, it got a little scary and a little weird, so I knew I had to get out of there. I think Kenny got out of there, too.Griffey apparently relied on superior instincts and anticipation to avoid the indignity of singing for the established Hall of Famers.They tried it with me, but I acted like I had to go to the bathroom, Griffey said.Their challenges were different, but equally imposingThe definitive video from Piazzas formative years came when he was 15 years old, and Ted Williams visited the family home near Philadelphia to watch him hit off a machine in a batting cage. For as long as anyone can remember, Piazza was a cage rat and a grinder.I just think of the way he worked to get here, said Vince Piazza, Mikes father. If you did that today with your kid, theyd get you for child abuse. I would never let up on him. He would go to sleep at night, and Id put a gripper in each hand and he had to do 100 squeezes before he went to sleep. It was, Hey Dad, whatever you throw at me, Ill take it and do some more. He was a workaholic -- and it paid off.Griffeys smooth swing and athletic gifts obscured a love for the game and a natural tendency to hurtle into walls in pursuit of baseballs. Its a wonder he didnt spend more time on the disabled list early in his career.There was always a tug-and-pull and a responsibility to follow his fathers footsteps and live up to a reputation, Buhner said. When youre labeled a five-tool guy, especially at an early age, there are going to be some distractions. Year after year, you saw the maturity start to sink in, and you knew he was going to be a special player. I think [his wife] Melissa was his foundation. She kicked him in the ass and kept him in line.They have a kinship with their citiesWhen Griffey was a senior at Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati and it began to become clear that Seattle would pick him first in the draft, he asked his father, Ken Sr., Wheres Seattle?After breaking in with the Mariners as a 19-year-old rookie in 1989, Griffey played in the same outfield with his father, scored the climactic run in Seattles stirring 1995 division win over the New York Yankees, hit 417 home runs and made 10 All-Star teams in a Seattle uniform.Randy Johnson made five All-Star teams in Seattle and won his first Cy Young Award as a Mariner, but entered the Hall of Fame in an Arizona Diamondbacks cap. Edgar Martinez was such a dominant designated hitter that baseballs top DH award is named after him, but he has yet to surpass 43.4 percent of the vote in a year. So the honor of Seattles only Hall of Famer rests with Griffey, and he carries it with pride.I spent 13 years there, Griffey said. I met my wife there. Trey and Taryn were born there. I have so many friends who still live there. I came from Cincinnati, where its black and white. You go to Seattle and its a melting pot. You see everybody. My first two years, I lived downtown. They have such a warm heart there. Theres not a mean spirit. People care about each other.Even now when I go downtown, its, Hey Ken. How you doing? Congratulations. The other question is, When are you going to own the team? Piazza joins Tom Seaver, who entered the Hall of Fame with 98.8 percent of the vote in 1992, as the second player to enter in a Mets cap. Gary Carter, a big part of the Mets 1986 world championship team, went into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo.Piazzas emotional ties to New York are most profound whenever clips are shown of his 2001 home run that propelled the Mets past Atlanta in the first game back from the World Trade Center attacks. Almost 15 years after the two-run shot cleared the fence at Shea Stadium, Piazza is a constant witness to the impact the moment has had on others. It was a recurrent theme on Hall of Fame weekend.The significance for me, personally, is the amount of people I see who want to talk about that moment, Piazza said. I was sitting on a plane one time with my headphones on. It was a four-hour flight, and just as the plane was landing, the guy next to me said, You know, I lost my brother on 9/11, and I was at that game and I just want to thank you for what you did. I was completely blown away. I listened to him and told him a few stories and he really enjoyed it.Piazza maintains, to this day, that the first responders, firefighters, police and families who had to move on from 9/11 were the true heroes. If entering the Hall of Fame in a Mets cap can enhance the positive feelings he provided during an indescribably low point for the city and the nation, hes on board.The way I feel about it, this is a gift to the Mets, Piazza said. Coming to the cauldron of New York after playing on the West Coast [with the Dodgers] in a more laid-back atmosphere, it was different. But it made me better. To join Tom Seaver, and everything he encompasses as such a legendary Met, is something thats very meaningful to me.Cheap Shoes UK . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Clearance Ecco Shoes UK Online . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. http://www.wholesaleeccouk.com/ .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Wholesale Ecco Shoes UK . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Ecco UK Sale . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks.Australia 6 for 307 (Khawaja 138*, Smith 59, Handscomb 54, Abbott 3-38) lead South Africa 9 for 259 dec by 48 runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn his first innings as a Test opener, Usman Khawaja scored Australias first hundred of the series, and their first in day-night Test cricket. In his first innings as a Test batsman, Peter Handscomb scored an impressive half-century. In his first innings as a Test batsman, Nic Maddinson was bowled for a duck. Such was the progression for Australia on the second day in Adelaide, where South Africa used the second new ball to fight back late in the evening.Most of this day belonged to Khawaja, who batted throughout it and by stumps had occupied the crease for 285 deliveries. But the last session was arguably South Africas as they claimed three wickets and reached into Australias tail, although a frustrating seventh-wicket stand between Khawaja and Mitchell Starc prevented them running through it. At stumps Starc had 16 and Khawaja was on 138, ready to take his innings into its third day.Khawaja was hoping the tail would help him build a big enough lead to worry South Africa - already the advantage was 48. Australia scored 95 runs in the first session, 100 in the second and 98 in the third and if runs did not come exactly briskly - Kyle Abbott was especially frugal and picked up 3 for 38 from 25 overs - a batsman could rotate the strike and pick off the bad balls once settled, as Khawaja did brilliantly.Khawaja was so patient that his first 80 deliveries brought only 18 runs. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for Australia that David Warner was prevented from opening on the first evening because he had spent too long off the field having treatment on his shoulder. The tricky period before stumps on day one required watchfulness, and Khawaja carried that trait into the second day as Abbott especially asked questions of the top order.The debutant opener Matt Renshaw (10) and then Warner in the unfamiliar position of first drop both edged Abbott to third slip where Dean Elgar held both catches, the first so low to the ground it needed third-umpire confirmation and the second more at a more comfortable height. Australia were 2 for 37 and the innings could have gone either way. As it happened, Khawaja and Smith steadied perfectly by putting on 137 for the third wicket.Smith was dropped on 46 when he edged JP Duminy and Hashim Amla at slip juggled and dropped the chance, and the partnership only ended via a communication breakdown between Smith and Khawaja.dddddddddddd On 59, Smith pushed Tabraiz Shamsi to point and called for a single. Khawaja set off before calling no and Smith seemingly did not hear and kept running. By the time he had stopped and tried to regain his own ground, it was too late.But if youre going to sell the captains wicket cheaply you should at least put a high price on your own. Khawaja did that, and brought up his fifth Test century from his 197th delivery with a cut through point for four off Shamsi. He was prolific through the leg side, pulling well when the bowlers dropped short, and once he became used to Shamsis wrist-spin he used his feet and drove exquisitely through cover.He followed his century stand with Smith by compiling a 99-run partnership with Handscomb, and it continued Khawajas fine series - he has featured in seven of the 10 Australian stands of 50 or more in this series. But Handscomb was equally impressive during their time together at the crease. His first ball in Test cricket was a pearler from Vernon Philander that moved away just a fraction and beat the outside edge, but Handscomb survived and thrived.His method of batting deep inside his crease gave him time to cut effectively and he also used his feet to the spinners. He appeared unawed by the occasion and ensured the strike was rotated, in fact outscoring Khawaja by 14 runs during the stand. Handscomb struck six fours and three in succession off Philander brought up his fifty from his 70th delivery.In the end it was Abbott who breached Handscombs defences, seaming the new ball sharply in to bowl him for 54. As one debutant walked off another walked on, but where Handscomb had been calm and in control, Maddinson struggled to get his feet moving and finished with a 12-ball duck when Kagiso Rabada swung one in a searing yorker that rattled the stumps.In the next over, Philander had Matthew Wade caught behind and at 6 for 283, there was a risk Australia would collapse and their lead would be minimal. But by stumps, Starc had survived for 50 deliveries and frustrated South Africas hopes of a quick finish to the innings. And, as ever throughout the day, Khawaja was still there. ' ' '