Mike Piazza

Hall of Fame catcher known for his powerful bat and record 396 home runs as a catcher.

Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007, and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Piazza played most notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, while also having brief stints with the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics. A 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner at catcher, he produced strong offensive numbers at his position; in his career, he recorded 427 home runs—a record 396 of which were hit as catcher—along with a .308 batting average and 1,335 runs batted in (RBI).

Quick Facts

Position: Catcher
Bats: Right
Born: 4 September 1968
Birthplace: Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: September 1
Debut year: 1992
Debut team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Facts from the source article.

Background

Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1988 MLB draft as a favor from Tommy Lasorda to Piazza's father. He was the last player selected by the Dodgers that year and was the latest drafted pick signed in his draft class to play in the Major Leagues. Initially a first baseman, Piazza converted to catcher in the minor leagues at Lasorda's suggestion to improve his chances of being promoted. He made his major league debut in 1992 and the following year was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star for the first of 10 consecutive seasons.

Piazza immediately impressed with his ability to hit for power and average. His best year as a Dodger came in 1997 when he batted .362, hit 40 home runs, and had 124 RBI, leading to a runner-up finish in voting for the NL Most Valuable Player Award. In 1998, he was traded to the Marlins and then a week later to the Mets, with whom he spent most of the remainder of his career. He helped the Mets reach the 2000 World Series, the only World Series appearance of his career.

After the 2005 season, Piazza left the Mets to play one season each for the Padres and Athletics before retiring after the 2007 season.

Did You Know?

Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB draft as the 1,390th player picked out of 1,395 players.
He was the first player in MLB history to hit more than 30 home runs in a season while playing at least one game for three different franchises (1998).
He received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from Ted Williams at age 16.