"After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it was time to start a new chapter in my life. It has been an amazing journey ... So today, I walk away with no regrets." - Mike Piazza, May 20, 2008
A week after writing about the loss of Piazza a decade ago (SI cover that came out this week is below), a whole new pain has arisen from that same arena- although this one was a little more of a forgone conclusion. Michael Joseph Piazza, finding no offers for more than semi-full time work from any MLB team, retired late Tuesday. It has been well documented that Piazza was chosen in the 62nd round in the 1988 amateur draft as a favor to family friend and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. He had never caught a day in his life before being drafted, and was on absolutely no one's radar. He ends his amazing 16-year career with these results:
- The all time home run leader for catchers with 396 (427 HRs total). Carlton FIsk is 2nd, 45 behind him with 351.
- 6 years of batting .300, 30 HRs, 100 RBIs, 3 more than any catcher has ever had.
- 12-time All-Star, 10-time Silver Slugger, 1993 Rookie of the Year, finished in the top 5 in MVP voting 4 times, usually losing to steroid-induced idiots like Sosa and Caminiti.
- Finishes career with .308 average, 427 HRs, and 1355 RBIs with the Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Padres and A's.
Mike is, without question, the greatest-hitting catcher in the history of baseball and a sure-fire first ballot Hall-of-Famer. With any justice, the HOF will induct him wearing a Dodgers hat. His statistics with the Dodgers and Mets are nearly identical, so the edge has to go to the team that gave him his start. Either way, I will be sitting there in Cooperstown in August 2013 to watch my all-time favorite player become enshrined. We will miss you, Mikey.
1 comment:
I still wonder if he doesn't pop up towards the end of the season as a DH for someone. Whenever I think of him, my first thought is always what a liability he was defensively. But, when you consider he came up in an era where 30 stolen bases is considered exceptional, it is not as much of a problem
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