The Legacy of Mike Piazza

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

This past baseball season, Mike Piazza retired. Mike Piazza was the greatest offensive Mets player in history. He was greater than Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, and anyone else you can think of, who donned a Mets uniform. Piazza will be a first round Hall of Fame pick. Since he retired this season, he will be eligible to enter the Hall in 2013. Hopefully and appropriately, Mike will be enshrined wearing the cap of the New York Mets.

Piazza was never considered a can’t miss prospect. Most scouts said he would never make it to the big leagues and was only drafted by the Dodgers out of a favor to Tommy Lasorda, Mike’s godfather. But what made Piazza so special was his incredible work ethic. Also, Piazza was a great individual who never got caught up in scandals or represented an organization he played for in a negative way. He was a true gentleman, a class act who made the Mets relevant the moment he was traded to them in May of 1998.

He was drafted in the 62nd round by the Dodgers in 1988. From the moment Piazza put on the pro uniform, he worked tirelessly in the batting cage and on improving his skills as a catcher. It all paid off as Piazza was named the 1993 Rookie of the Year. He was named to the All Star team as a starter eleven times being named the MVP in 1996. He also played in the post season four times. Just look at the numbers Piazza put up in his career.

Piazza had over 2000 hits. He hit 427 homeruns and set the record for the most homeruns by a catcher, passing Johnny Bench while he was a Met. He knocked in more than 1300 runs. His lifetime batting average was .308 with an on base percentage of .377 and a slugging percentage of .545. By comparison, Darryl Strawberry’s average was .259, an on base percentage of .357 and a slugging percentage of .505. Piazza’s numbers are even more astounding when considering he was a catcher, a grueling position over the course of a career.

Gary Carter is a Hall of Fame catcher who helped the Mets to their last world championship. His avg/obp/slg is .262/.335/.439, much lower than Piazza’s. Simply put, Mike Piazza’s stats are great regardless of the position he played. But when you consider that he caught for the vast majority of his tenure, his accomplishments are truly amazing.

In 1997, manager Bobby Valentine was able to steer the Mets to an 88-74 record, the best in eight seasons. But the Mets lacked a super star. While the Mets were good and quite competitive, they were no match for the Atlanta Braves who by then were winning the Eastern Division of the National League every season. Plus, the Yankees were also winning and became the darlings of New York. After the Mets received Mike Piazza in a trade with the Florida Marlins in May 1998, suddenly New York was a legitimate threat again. Piazza gave Mets fans hope. With his powerful bat and presence in the lineup, the Mets became a legitimate contender and instantly began to receive more media attention.

In 1998, Piazza’s first year with the Mets, the ballclub finished 88-74 for the second straight season, missing out on the wild card the last weekend. Piazza wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay with the Mets since ’98 was his walk year and he initially struggled in New York. But by the end of the season, he was convinced Shea was where he wanted to make his home for the next seven years. Piazza signed a seven year deal with the Mets worth over 90 million making him one of the highest priced players in the game.

The investment paid huge dividends as Piazza helped the Mets to the post season in 1999 and 2000. It was the first time in Mets history the club made the playoffs in consecutive years, both times as the NL wildcard. In ’99, the Mets made it to the NLCS against their arch rivals, the Atlanta Braves. In 2000, the Mets won the National League pennant getting to the World Series for the first time in fourteen years.

When Mike Piazza is elected to the Hall of Fame, which hat will he wear? It really should be a Mets cap. Mike played mores games as a Met than any other team including the Dodgers. While Piazza spent five plus seasons with LA, he wore blue and orange for seven plus seasons. He hit more of his homeruns as a Met than a Dodger (220 vs. 177). He had more at-bats (3478 vs. 2707), runs (532 vs. 443), hits (1028 vs. 896), runs batted in (655 vs. 563), doubles (193 vs. 115), total bases (1885 vs 1548), and walks (424 vs. 283) while with the Mets. His on base percentage (.373 vs. .372), and slugging percentage (.537 vs. .532) were almost identical.

Piazza’s average while with LA was higher than on the Mets however. He hit .314 as a Dodger and .295 as a Met. Mike's most productive season came as a Dodger hitting .362 in 1997. It’s hard to believe that less than a year later the Dodgers traded the all star slugger. Mike’s career average began to drop in 2002 when he hit lower than .300 for the first time, not at all unusual for an aging catcher.

Another factor weighing in the Mets favor is Mike’s post season play. With the Dodgers, Piazza played in the division series once. With the Mets, Mike played in two division series, two league championship series, and one World Series. He also played in the 2006 division series as a member of the San Diego Padres.

When Piazza released his retirement statement, while thanking all fans who supported him, he especially thanked Mets fans for their unbelievable support and cheers. Without saying so, it was Piazza’s way of saying he would like to go into the Hall as a Met. Besides, the most emblematic event of Piazza’s career might very well be the homerun he hit on September 21, 2001 that ultimately won the game against the Braves. That was the game where baseball returned to New York after the 9/11 attacks.

An event that should help mark the inaugural season of Citi Field should be the retirement of Mike Piazza’s number 31. When Mike walked off the field with Tom Seaver on the final day of Shea Stadium back in September, we all witnessed the two greatest players in Mets history. Seaver’s number 41 has already been retired, now it’s time for Mike’s to be too. And in another few years, Mike will hopefully join Tom as the only other Met to be enshrined at Cooperstown.

The Nerve...

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:40:46 -0400

Mike Piazza’s drive to left center in the 8th was a little too close for comfort. Hey Mike, you had hit two dingers already.

"It is what it is"

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:08:13 -0400

There is no doubt that Mike Piazza is the Mets all time hero. What a perfect evening. The Mets win and the Mets fan show how classy they can be by bombarding Piazza with standing ovations every trip to the plate.

The Return of a Hero

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:59:01 -0400

It was Friday, May 22, 1998. A few days prior, I remember there being a buzz that Mike Piazza, recently traded in a mega deal from the Dodgers to the Florida Marlins...

Never Forget 69

The Legacy of Mike Piazza

The Nerve...

"It is what it is"

The Return of a Hero