Mike Piazza

Verified Timeline

Lore & 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. Piazza is regarded as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball history. He had at least one RBI in 15 straight games for the Mets in 2000, the second-longest RBI streak ever. In 2013, the Mets inducted Piazza into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. In 2016, Piazza was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Piazza owned the Italian soccer team A.C. Reggiana 1919, which played for two seasons (2017–2018) in Serie C under his leadership before its non-registration due to continued financial troubles. He intended to serve as the manager of the Italian national baseball team in 2020 and 2021 championships, though he was unable to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic; he finally got his chance to manage Team Italy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

In Their Own Story

Tensions ran high during the 2000 World Series when Piazza faced Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens. Earlier that season, Clemens had hit Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing a concussion and missing the All-Star Game. In the first inning of Game 2, as Clemens delivered a pitch, it broke Piazza's bat upon contact, sending the sharp barrel directly at the mound. Clemens caught the broken wood and threw it past Piazza toward the dugout. Piazza stared down Clemens and began walking toward him to confront the pitcher, while Clemens repeatedly asked the umpire for a new ball, shouting, "I thought it was the ball!" Despite benches clearing and words being exchanged, no punches were thrown and nobody was ejected. The rivalry cooled later when both played on the same National League team in the 2004 All-Star Game.

Reader's Guide

Piazza was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and attended Phoenixville Area High School. He is the second-oldest son of an Italian father named Vince (1932–2021) and a Slovak mother named Veronica, with brothers Vince Jr., Dan, Tony, and Tom. His father was the son of Italian immigrants from Sciacca, Sicily. Tom's godfather was former MLB manager Tommy Lasorda. Mike grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan and fan of Philadelphia sports, and admiring Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt. Piazza watched the Philadelphia 76ers court side in their January 1983 game versus the Los Angeles Lakers when Philadelphia star Julius Erving performed a spectacular play by swiping the ball and completing his famous Rock-a-Baby dunk, which Piazza cited as one of his indelible childhood memories as a sports fan. Vince Piazza earned a fortune of more than $100 million in used cars and real estate, and attempted several times to purchase an MLB franchise. When the Dodgers—managed by Vince's childhood friend Tommy Lasorda, the godfather of Mike Piazza's youngest brother, Tommy—visited Philadelphia, Piazza visited the Dodger clubhouse and served as a bat boy in the dugout. Vince's own hopes of playing baseball had ended at the age of 16 when he left school to support his family. He saw that Piazza had potential in the sport, and began encouraging his son to build his arm strength at the age of five. When he was 16, Piazza received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from Ted Williams. The Hall of Famer praised his talent, advised him not to let anyone change his swing, and autographed Piazza's copy of Williams' The Science of Hitting. Vince threw hundreds of pitches nightly to his son, who shared his father's focus on baseball, clearing snow if necessary to practice his hitting and, after reaching the major leagues, practicing on Christmas Eve. Piazza graduated from Phoenixville Area High School in 1986, after which he went to South Florida and joined the Miami Hurricanes his freshman year; receiving no playing time that season, Piazza transferred to Miami-Dade Community College. Piazza played first base at Miami-Dade in 1988. In 29 games, he hit .364 with three home runs and drove in 23 runs.

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 became the first National League catcher in MLB history to get 200 hits in a season, doing so in 1997.
• Piazza set the record for most home runs in a season without ever hitting more than one in a game, passing a mark previously set by Rogers Hornsby in 1929.
• He was involved in a bizarre incident during the 2000 World Series when Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens threw a pitch that broke Piazza's bat; Clemens caught the barrel and threw it across the first

The Unlikely Draft and Positional Transformation

Michael Joseph Piazza's path began with a favor from Tommy Lasorda to his father, Vince. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB draft as the 1,390th player out of 1,395 picks, he was initially a first baseman at Miami-Dade Community College. Lasorda convinced him to convert to catcher to improve his promotion chances, sending him to a special training camp in the Dominican Republic. His father threw hundreds of pitches nightly to build Mike's arm strength. After making his major league debut on September 1, 1992, with a double against Mike Harkey, Piazza won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1993. He hit .318 with 35 home runs and 112 RBIs, setting a Dodgers rookie record for home runs before the All-Star break until Joc Pederson passed it in 2015.

Offensive Dominance and Career Statistics

Over his 16-season career from 1992 to 2007, Piazza recorded 427 home runs, a record 396 of which were hit as a catcher. He posted a .308 batting average with 1,335 RBIs and was selected to 12 All-Star games and won 10 Silver Slugger Awards. His best season came in 1997 with the Dodgers when he batted .362 with 40 home runs and 124 RBIs, becoming the first catcher in MLB history to get 200 hits in a season. He finished runner-up for the NL MVP award that year behind Larry Walker, having also placed second in 1996 behind Ken Caminiti. Even after leaving New York, he played one season each for the Florida Marlins (traded from Dodgers), San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics before retiring.

The Mets Era and Hall of Fame Induction

Piazza's defining chapter with the Mets began on May 22, 1998, following a trade from the Marlins just one week after being traded to them by the Dodgers. He led the team to an NL pennant and their only World Series appearance in 2000. His impact was so profound that the Mets inducted him into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2013. After retiring following the 2007 season, his historical significance was solidified when he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016. This honor recognized his unique ability to produce elite offensive numbers at a physically demanding position for nearly two decades.

Life Beyond the Diamond

After retiring from baseball, Piazza owned the Italian soccer team A.C. Reggiana 1919, which played two seasons (2017–2018) in Serie C under his leadership before non-registration due to financial troubles. He also intended to manage the Italian national baseball team for the 2020 and 2021 championships but was unable to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He finally got his chance to manage Team Italy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, fulfilling a long-held ambition to contribute to the sport's growth in Europe.