Michael Joseph Piazza is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1992 to 2007.
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67 Facts About Mike Piazza
2.
Mike Piazza currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball team.
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3.
Mike Piazza played most notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, while having brief stints with the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics.
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4.
Mike Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1988 MLB draft as a favor from Tommy Lasorda to Mike Piazza's father.
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5.
Mike Piazza was the last player selected and signed in his draft class to play in the Major Leagues.
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6.
Mike Piazza made his major league debut in 1992 and the following year was named the National League Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star for the first of 10 consecutive seasons.
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7.
Mike Piazza immediately impressed with his ability to hit for power and average.
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8.
Mike Piazza helped the Mets reach the 2000 World Series, the only World Series appearance of his career.
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9.
Mike Piazza is regarded as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball history.
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10.
Mike Piazza had at least one RBI in 15 straight games for the Mets in 2000, the second-longest RBI streak ever.
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11.
In 2016, Mike Piazza was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 82.
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12.
Mike Piazza, was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and attended Phoenixville Area High School.
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13.
Mike Piazza is the second-oldest son of Vince and Veronica, with brothers Vince Jr.
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14.
Mike Piazza grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan, and admiring Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Piazza Schmidt.
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15.
Vince Mike Piazza earned a fortune of more than $100 million in used cars and real estate, and attempted several times to purchase an MLB franchise.
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16.
Mike Piazza saw that Mike had potential in the sport, and began encouraging his son to build his arm strength at the age of five.
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17.
When he was 16, Mike Piazza received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from Ted Williams.
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18.
Vince Mike Piazza 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.
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19.
Mike 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, Mike Piazza transferred to Miami-Dade Community College.
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20.
Lasorda asked Mike Piazza to give up his first base position and learn how to catch to improve his chances of reaching the major leagues, and helped him attend a special training camp for catchers in the Dominican Republic.
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21.
Mike Piazza drew a walk in his first plate appearance and then doubled to deep center field in his first official at-bat, against Mike Harkey of the Cubs.
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22.
Mike Piazza hit his first home run on September 12,1992, against Steve Reed of the San Francisco Giants.
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23.
Mike Piazza won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1993 after appearing in 149 games, hitting.
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24.
Mike Piazza was selected to the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first of 10 consecutive All-Star appearances.
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25.
Until Joc Pederson passed him in 2015, Mike Piazza's 18 home runs before the All-Star break was a Dodgers' rookie record.
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26.
Mike Piazza finished second in NL MVP voting for the second straight year, behind Larry Walker.
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27.
Mike Piazza played seven seasons for the Dodgers until he was traded to the Florida Marlins on May 15,1998, after an offseason in which Mike Piazza wanted a new contract before being eligible for arbitration; he wanted $105 million for seven years while the Dodgers offered six years for $76 million.
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28.
Mike Piazza blasted the Dodgers when his demands were criticized by fans and the media, blaming Vin Scully in particular.
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29.
Mike Piazza only appeared in five games with the Marlins, where he hit.
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30.
Mike Piazza helped the Mets to two consecutive playoff appearances in 1999 and 2000.
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31.
Mike 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.
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32.
Mike Piazza became known as the Monster after coach John Stearns was caught on tape during the 2000 National League Championship Series after a Piazza hit saying "The Monster is out of the Cage".
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33.
Mike Piazza was involved in a bizarre incident during the 2000 World Series.
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34.
Mike Piazza suffered a concussion and was forced to miss the 2000 MLB All-Star Game.
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35.
Clemens and Mike Piazza would go on to face each other again in the first inning of World Series Game 2.
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36.
Mike Piazza gave a long stare at Clemens and slowly started walking towards Clemens to confront him, and Clemens asked the umpire for a new ball as if nothing had happened.
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37.
Mike Piazza later caught for Clemens when both were on the NL team in the 2004 All-Star Game.
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38.
On May 5,2004, Mike Piazza surpassed Carlton Fisk for most home runs by a catcher with his 352nd.
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39.
On July 21,2006, Mike Piazza collected his 2,000th career hit in the major leagues.
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40.
Mike Piazza signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics on December 8,2006.
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41.
Mike Piazza then pointed his bat in the stands at the fan he believed threw the water bottle to get the attention of security.
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42.
Mike Piazza made a return to Shea Stadium during the "Shea Goodbye" closing ceremony on September 28,2008, where he received the final pitch in the history of the stadium from Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.
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46.
Mike Piazza's interest grew from his friendship with former Italian soccer player Maurizio Franzone.
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47.
Mike Piazza is one of the best-hitting catchers of all time, hitting 427 career home runs, 396 of them while he was playing the catcher position, a Major League Baseball record for career home runs by a catcher.
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48.
Mike Piazza is one of only three players in history to win ten Silver Slugger Awards, along with Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.
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49.
Mike Piazza's pitch framing, in particular, ranks seventh-best among all catchers going back to the first data in 1988.
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50.
On May 8,2010, while receiving an award, Mike Piazza said to reporters that if he got into the Hall of Fame, he would like to be inducted as a Met, for whom he played seven-plus seasons.
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51.
Mike Piazza managed the USA team in the 2011 futures game wearing a Mets cap to the event.
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52.
On January 9,2013, Mike Piazza failed to be elected to Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving only 57.
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53.
Mike Piazza stated that he would address the performance-enhancing drugs and steroid rumors in his book Long Shot.
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54.
Mike Piazza again failed to make the Hall of Fame in 2015, receiving 69.
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55.
Mike Piazza was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame on September 29,2013.
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56.
Mike Piazza's autobiography, entitled Long Shot, was released in February 2013.
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57.
Mike Piazza has appeared in the movie Two Weeks Notice and has acted in various TV shows and commercials.
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58.
On May 3,2013, Mike Piazza debuted with the Miami City Ballet, saying a few lines in the role of a hit man in the troupe's production of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.
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59.
Mike Piazza wants to increase the reputation of ballet among sports fans as a result of his daughters' attendance at a ballet school.
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60.
On January 29,2005, Mike Piazza married Playboy Playmate Alicia Rickter at St Jude's Catholic Church in Miami, Florida, before 120 guests, including Brande Roderick, Lisa Dergan, Anjelica Bridges, Al Leiter, John Franco, Ivan Rodriguez, Eddie Trunk, and his best friend Eric Karros.
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61.
On February 3,2007, Mike Piazza's wife gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Nicoletta.
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62.
Mike Piazza is known to be a fan of heavy metal music and is featured on the album Stronger than Death by Black Label Society.
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63.
Mike Piazza is an accomplished drummer and has performed on stage with various bands.
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65.
Mike Piazza appeared in the follow-up video Champions of Faith: Bases of Life.
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66.
Mike Piazza is avidly involved in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.
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67.
Mike Piazza maintained a penthouse apartment on 18th Street in New York City.
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