Throughout Mike Piazza’s professional baseball career, the man considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of the sport has garnered several accolades and accomplishments, in turn rewarding himself with enormous wealth. The former baseball catcher played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007 for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers where he spent much of his career. He also had brief stints with the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics before retiring in 2007. He had a colorful life and career timeline which is detailed below.
Bio of Mike Piazza
Of Italian and Jewish (Slovakian) ancestry, MichaelJoseph Piazza was born on September 4, 1968, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Vince and Veronica Piazza. He is the second oldest son of his parents and grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania with his brothers; Vince Jr., Danny, Tony and Tommy.
His father played baseball as a boy and was hopeful of an MLB career until he was 16 when he left school to support his family. Although he didn’t get the chance to play the sport of his dreams, his hope was rekindled when he saw the potentials in his young son, Mike. At this, he rekindled the flame and set his son on fire guiding him in the right direction. From the age of five, he trained Mike in this sport and encouraged him to develop his arm strength.
His training defied timing and occasion; throwing hundreds of pitches each night at his son to clear much-needed snow to practice hitting and practice on Christmas Eve after he hit the big leagues, Vince was all for seeing that the son who shares his attention on baseball succeeds. Plus, he made sure Mike met the right people and had the right inspirations needed to make him one of the greats in the hitting and catching game. Vince may not have played in the majors or even the minors, but he kept his passion for the sport blazing. He made a fortune of over $100 million in used cars and real estate and tried several times to buy an MLB franchise
Mike Piazza grew up a fan of his state team, the Philadelphia Phillies and also looked up to one of their best players as well as MLB’s best player, Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt. He served as bat when the Dodgers – led by Vince’s childhood friend Tommy Lasorda, who would later play a major role in his son’s future career – traveled to Philadelphia.
At 12, he has the privilege of receiving personal instruction from the comfort of his backyard batting cage from Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who was thrilled with the youngster’s talent and didn’t hesitate to give it to him. to say. Williams further advised him to keep his swing and not let anyone change it, he then autographed Williams’ copy of The Science of Hitting. With such focus and training, it was no surprise that Mike ended up not only playing his beloved sport, but also becoming one of the best of all time.
He attended Phoenixville Area High School and graduated in 1986. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Miami where he joined the Miami Hurricanes in his freshman year. He would then move to Miami-Dade North after the season as he had no playing time.
Career
Mike Piazza launched his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers following his pick as the team’s first baseman in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft as the 1390th overall pick. His project was a favor for Piazza de Lasorda’s father but for the player it was a perfect platform to advance his career.
At Lasorda’s suggestion, Piazza became a catcher to improve his chances of promotion to the major league. Interestingly, he adapted easily and became an excellent hitter afterwards, especially for a catcher. After seven years with the Dodgers, he continued to play for other notable clubs. He was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1998 and after one week, to the New York Mets with whom he played for seven full seasons; from 1998 to 2005. He helped the Mets reach the 2000 World Championship Series, the only World Series appearance in his career. Next, he spent a year with the San Diego Padres, after which he played his final season in the league as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics before his retirement which came after the 2007 season.
The Piazza is considered one of the best power hitting sensors ever. Among his career highlights, he was named National League (NL) Rookie of the Year in 1993, won 12 All-Star Games including 10 consecutive wins, won a record 10 Louisville Silver Sluggers Awards and finished in the top 10 voting MVPs seven times: twice runner-up and once in third place. He had at least one RBI in 15 consecutive games with the Mets in 2000, the second-longest RBI streak of all time, and played in eight different playoff series in five different seasons.
Additionally, he has compiled impressive stats which include: 6911 at-bats, 1048 runs, 2127 hits, 427 homers, 1335 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, .308 batting average, .377 on-base percentage, and . 922 on base plus slugging.
After retirement, Mike Piazza bought the Italian football team AC Reggiana 1919 in 2016 in hopes of moving the club from Italy’s third division to Serie A. However, after two seasons in Serie C under his management, the club was dissolved after continuing financial problems, declared bankruptcy in July 2017.
After three failed attempts, Piazza was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Met in 2016. Before that, he was already a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame since 2013. In February 2013, he released his memoir titled Longshot
His net worth
The former baseball player is in the league of sportsmen and rich women. He earned much of his wealth through his numerous contracts and prize money. Although the value of the receiver’s wealth is quoted in several figures, his net worth is estimated to be around $70 million.
Is Mike Piazza gay? – Spouse
During his days with the Mets, rumors swirled that the catcher was gay. However, he has since addressed the issue and made it clear that he is not gay. What other evidence could there be than his longtime heterosexual relationship with his wife?
Mike Piazza was married to Playboy Playmate Alicia Rickter on January 29, 2005, at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Miami, Florida. The couple have two daughters: Nicoletta born February 3, 2007 and Paulina born August 3, 2009 and a son Marco born July 2013.
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