Athletes - Mike Piazza

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	Athletes - Mike Piazza

Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA) is a U.S. Major League Baseball player who currently plays for the San Diego Padres. He is generally recognized as the top-hitting catcher of all time. He is a twelve time All-Star. On May 5, 2004, Piazza surpassed Carlton Fisk for most home runs by a catcher with the 352nd of his career.

Childhood

Mike grew up for the first few years of his life in a small house in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The house was barely big enough to have Mike's entire family inside. His family consisted of his two parents, Vince and Veronica Piazza, and his brothers Vince Jr., Danny, Tony and Tommy. In the backyard was where Mike's earliest baseball memories took place. There was a large enclosed batting cage made of wood, with a net inside. Vince had bought it with some extra lumber. On one side of the cage was a pitching machine. Mike would load this with some old tattered baseballs, then he would go to the other side and hit them. This was Mike's second home; he spend every bit of his spare time here. Even in the winter, Mike would be in the cage, after shoveling snow out and heating the baseballs on the stove inside of his house, and wear gloves while hitting.

Vince Piazza was childhood friends with Dodgers manager, Tommy Lasorda. Whenever the Dodgers were in town and playing the Phillies, Mike would be inside the clubhouse and the dugout, during the game. When Mike was nine years old, he joined his first little league team, the A's. Mike's coach, Abdul Ford-Bey tought him and his teammates the fundamentals of the game. The next year, Mike was on a team called the Cardinals where the coach made him play catcher. Mike did not like catching, ironically. He actually wanted to be a pitcher. A few years later, when he was thirteen, Mike led his team to the semi-finals in the playoffs, and hit the game winning home run. Then Mike had some more luck go his way. One day when he was thirteen, while Mike was busy hitting in his batting cage, his father came in and gave him some good news. He told Mike that whenever the Dodgers were in town, Mike could be the batboy and meet the players. He spent several years at this position, and became friends with some of the players.

High school

Vince Piazza sold and bought land and cars until Mike was 13. He then bought a computer company and became very wealthy as a result of the investment. The Piazza family moved a few miles away, to a huge house on a large piece of land, with a golf couse to one side. A ground level basement held a brand new batting cage for Mike. Using this brand new pitching machine, Mike could practice hitting not only fastballs, but curveballs and even knuckleballs. Mike became interested in heavy metal music, and played electric guitar and drums from time to time. The high school Mike went to had a baseball team called the Phantoms. Their coach, John "Doc" Kennedy knew he would try out for the team, remembering him from little league. He asked Mike if he would consider playing catcher, as the team needed one. Piazza told the coach that he would prefer playing first base for the time being. Unfortunately for Mike, the varsity team already had a first baseman, so he ended up spending his tenth grade year playing for the junior varsity team. When Mike was a junior he made the varsity team, he finished that year with twelve home runs, breaking a record, and led the whole team in every hitting category. He was voted most valuable player. As a senior, Mike batted almost .600 for the Phantoms, but the season ended with a loss in the district semifinals.

Major League career

Piazza was the very last player drafted (in the 62nd round) of the 1988 draft. It is believed that the pick was partly a favor on the part of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who is godfather to one of Piazza's brothers and, like Piazza, grew up in Norristown. Piazza swore he'd learn to catch if he was drafted. Piazza's major league debut came with the Dodgers in 1992, when he appeared in 21 games. He then won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1993.

Piazza's best season was arguably 1997, a year when he finished second in MVP voting. He hit .362, with 40 home runs and 124 runs batted in, an on base percentage of .431 and a slugging percentage of .638.

He played for the Dodgers until he was traded to the Florida Marlins on May 14, 1998. Piazza and Todd Zeile went to the Marlins in return for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla Manuel Barrios, and Jim Eisenreich. One week later, on May 22, Piazza was traded from the Marlins to the New York Mets for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall, and Geoff Goetz.

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Athletes - Mike Piazza

Childhood

High school

Major League career

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