Mike Piazza
From BR Bullpen
Michael Joseph Piazza
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 197 lb.
- High School Phoenixville Area High School
- School Miami Dade College
- Debut September 1, 1992
- Final Game September 30, 2007
- Born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, PA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Mike Piazza was arguably the best offensive catcher in baseball history. Ten times during his career he hit over.300. He was famously drafted in the 62nd round of baseball's 1988 Amateur Draft, as a favor to Piazza's father who was a close friend to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, both of whom were born in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
His accolades started in 1993 when he won the Rookie of the Year Award and started his reign as the most prolific hitting catcher in baseball by being voted into ten consecutive Silver Slugger Awards and twelve All-Star Games.
On May 14 1998, Piazza was traded first to the Florida Marlins with future Met Todd Zeile for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios. Eight days later, Piazza was traded to the New York Mets in one of the most lopsided trades ever, for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and a minor league player named Geoff Goetz. The trade instantly made the Mets into a contender with Al Leiter, Rick Reed, Edgardo Alfonzo, and John Olerud as key players alongside Piazza.
Piazza has had a great deal of success against Roger Clemens. Many Mets fans believe that Clemens intentionally beaned Piazza in the head in a 2000 interleague game between the Mets and the New York Yankees, leading to a significant amount of time on the disabled list for Piazza. Then in the first inning of the second game of the 2000 World Series, Piazza hit a foul dribbler up the first base line off Clemens that broke his bat. The end of the bat rolled towards Clemens who then picked up the bat and threw it toward Piazza, just missing his legs. Piazza asked Clemens, "What's your problem?" Piazza did not rush the mound, the benches cleared, and Clemens was not ejected. Clemens went on to pitch 8 innings of 2-hit baseball and the Yankees won the game and eventually the series in five games.
Clemens and Piazza were teammates in the 2004 All-Star Game in which Clemens appeared as the starting pitcher. Clemens gave up five hits and six runs (three earned) in his only inning of work. Conspiracy theorists believe Piazza may have been tipping Clemens's pitches in retribution for past events.
Regarded strictly as an offensively-talented catcher, Piazza has been unfairly labeled as defensively challenged because of a poor throwing arm. However, Piazza was generally regarded among players, scouts and managers as calling a great game and among the best at blocking balls in the dirt. Piazza actually has a better lifetime CERA (catchers earned run average), 3.81, than reknowned defensive catcher Mike Matheny (4.38). [1]
On January 29, 2005, at an evening wedding at St Jude's Catholic Church in Miami with 120 guests that included former Mets pitcher Al Leiter and Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Piazza married his girlfriend of two years, Alicia Rickter, a Playboy model formerly of the TV show Baywatch.
Piazza signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres for 2006, with a mutual $8 millon option for the following season. He hit .283 with 22 home runs as the Padres' starting catcher that first season, leading them to the postseason. However, the team failed to pick up his option, and he signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics in 2007. He started the season as the team's DH, with veteran Jason Kendall catching. He hit fairly well but went on the disabled list after two months, losing his position to minor league veteran Jack Cust, another player with defensive issues. He still played 83 games - none at catcher - with a .275 average and 8 home runs. The season was only good for a 96 OPS+, well below average for a DH. Piazza announced his retirement in May 2008 when he was unable to find an offer he wanted to accept.
As a sideline, he operates the Mike Piazza Honda dealership in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He has appeared in Baywatch, Married with Children, and the 2002 movie, "Two Weeks Notice"!
His brother, Thomas Piazza, played several seasons in the minors. A cousin, Mike Piazza (minors), pitches in the minor league organization of the Los Angeles Angels (as of 2009).
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1993 NL Rookie of the Year Award
- 1993 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 12-time NL All-Star (1993-2002, 2004 & 2005)
- 1996 All-Star Game MVP
- 10-time NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1993-2002)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 12 (1993-2002, 2004 & 2006)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 9 (1993 & 1995-2002)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1997 & 1999)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (1993 & 1996-2000)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1997 & 1999)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1997)
| NL Rookie of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
| Eric Karros | Mike Piazza | Raul Mondesi |
[edit] Records Held
- Home runs, catcher, career, 396
[edit] Related Sites
- Retrosheet.org: Box score and PBP of 2004 All-Star Game
- Retrosheet.org: Box score and PBP of Game 2 of the 2000 World Series
Some or all content from this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mike Piazza".
