Full Name : Michael Joseph Piazza
Born : September 4, 1968
Hometown : in Norristown, Pennsylvania
Height : 6' 3
Weight : 215 lbs
Bats : Right
Throws : Right
Major League Baseball debut : September 1, 1992 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Family :
Wife : Alicia Rickter
Children : Nicoletta Veronica Piazza (twins)
Primary position : Catcher
Nowadays, it is hard to come across a catcher that is able to combine superb defensive skills with a consistent ability to hit at the plate. By all means, Mike Piazza defies those odds. Born on September 4, 1968, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Piazza had the privilege of being instructed by baseball's famous Ted Williams, which helped him learn some of the basic skills at a young age. His father, Vince, was also a buddy of Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda, and as a kid Mike visited the team's clubhouse on several occasions to gain a firsthand experience of what life in the big leagues was like.
Unlike other players of his caliber, Piazza was selected in the last round of the 1988 draft. He ended up playing on the team that he loved as a child, the Dodgers. To Mike, it was clear that he would have to work hard in order to excel at the major-league level. When he debuted with the Dodger organization in 1992, he made vows that he would work as hard as he could to become an everyday catcher. It didn't take long for Mike to live up to his promise. In 1993, Piazza was honored with the National League Rookie of the Year Award after batting .318, knocking out 35 homers, and driving in 112 RBI's. This offensive production was also just a mere bonus to the variety of skills that Mike demonstrated behind the plate. Dodger fans immediately grew appreciative of Piazza's efforts.
Dodger fans grew shocked when Mike was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1998. After playing more roughly five full seasons with Los Angeles, it was obvious that Piazza was the heart of the organization. Fans grew livid when hearing of the deal, and it has been regarded by many as one of the worst moves in the Dodgers' franchise history. Just one week after being dealt to Florida, Mike was traded to the New York Mets. His impact with the organization was much like that with Los Angeles, and he even helped in leading the Mets to the World Series in 2000 where they would unfortunately suffer from a 4-1 series loss to their cross-town rival, the New York Yankees.
Making consecutive all-star appearances from 1993-2005, Piazza has been recognized as an elite catcher, a classification that is not given out to many athletes who play one of the most demanding positions in the game of baseball. Aside from his all-star honors, Mike also won consecutive Silver Slugger Awards from 1993-2002, thus demonstrating that he has been recognized for his ability at the plate in addition to his stellar defense. At the end of his career, Mike played with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. His appearances as a catcher became limited as he grew older, and the Athletics even used him as their full-time designated hitter. Unquestionably, Mike Piazza will go down in the record books as one of the best athletes in the game who set a new standard for major league catchers.
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