Happy Belated Birthday to Mike Piazza. In a career that lasted 16 seasons, notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as the Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, and San Diego Padres, Piazza established himself as one of the greatest offensive Catchers ever to play the game.

Career Statistics/Accolades (1992-2007):

.308 BA 2,127 HITS 427 HR 1,335 RBI .377 OBP 1,048 RUNS

  • 12x All-Star
  • 10x Silver Slugger
  • NL Rookie of the Year (1993)

In 1988, the Dodgers drafted Mike Piazza in the 62nd round as a favor from his father to Tommy Lasorda, a close friend. Piazza spent his entire childhood and teenage years as a baseball rat. Coming out of High School, he needed more collegiate interest, leading him to Miami Dade Community College. Piazza had an incredible swing. At 12, Piazza received personal instruction from Ted Williams in his backyard batting cage that his father built for him. Williams praised his swing and would tell him never to let anyone change his swing. Lasorda always kept an eye on his good friend’s son from afar and couldn’t resist his offensive potential. Ultimately, they signed him for $15,000 and convinced him to move from First Base to Catcher to improve his chances. While it took some years grinding away in the minors, Piazza would take on the everyday Catcher position in 1993, and he never looked back. 

Mike Piazzas’ Prime Years with Dodgers:

1993: .318 AVG, 35 HR, 112 RBI, 174 HITS, .370 OBP (149 Games)

1994: .319 AVG, 24 HR, 92 RBI, 129 HITS, .370 OBP (107 Games)

1995: .346 AVG, 32 HR, 93 RBI, 150 HITS, .400 OBP (112 Games)

1996: .336 AVG, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 184 HITS, .422 OBP (148 Games)

1997: .362 AVG, 40 HR, 124 RBI, 201 HITS, .431 OBP (152 Games)

In 1995, Piazza finished 4th in the NL MVP voting and was runner-up in 96 and 97. Piazza batted well over .300 in that five-year span, hit for power, and drew a good amount of Walks. Even though he was a star in LA, he was traded to Florida, and after a quick cup of coffee, he got traded to the Mets. The business side of sports sucks, but the Mets were an excellent fit for Piazza. 

Mike Piazzas’ Prime Years with Mets:

1998: .348 AVG, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 137 HITS, .417 OBP (109 Games)

1999: .303 AVG, 40 HR, 124 RBI, 162 HITS, .361 OBP (141 Games)

2000: .324 AVG, 38 HR, 113 RBI, 156 HITS, .398 OBP (136 Games)

2001: .300 AVG, 36 HR, 94 RBI, 151 HITS, .384 OBP (141 Games)

2002: .280 AVG, 33 HR, 98 RBI, 134 HITS, .359 OBP (135 Games)

With Piazza, the Mets went to the World Series in 2000. But the best moment in his time with the Mets was September 21st, 2001. It was the first game played in NY since the 9/11 terrorist attack, with New Yorkers devasted and everyone watching. He hit the game-winning home run in the eighth inning against the Braves. Despite not finishing his career with the Mets, he went in with a Mets cap in Cooperstown. 

Why the wait?

Why did it take four attempts for Piazza to be inducted? Well, firstly, there was suspicion of PEDs. But secondly, a lot of people remember him as a great offensive hitter but a poor defensive catcher. From the research I’ve done regarding that, indeed, he wasn’t good at throwing out baserunners. Remember that he had trouble defensively with the Dodgers earlier in his career. However, as his career went on, he got better. I’m not saying he was worthy of winning the Gold Glove, but ask any Met fan. Was Piazza’s defense the reason they lost to the Yankees in 2000? I’m sure the answer is no. For instance, in 2000, Piazza had a .997 fielding percentage. 

Nonetheless, he would eventually get the call to Cooperstown. Piazza has the most home runs by any Catcher and ranks in the top 10 in Hits, Average, and Runs Batted In. Twelve All-Star game appearances and Ten Silver Slugger awards are all right for someone who went in the 62nd round. 

References:

  1. Mike Piazza via Wikipedia: Mike Piazza – Wikipedia
  2. Mike Piazza Career Statistics via Baseball-Reference: Mike Piazza Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com