Mike Piazza, famed for his opposite-field power and charisma, was a baseball icon from 1992 to 2007. He took home the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1993 with the Dodgers but became synonymous with the Mets, leading the team to playoffs and hitting a historic home run post-9/11. Off the field, Piazza's charming personality and celebrity appearances made him a tabloid favorite. Known as the greatest hitting catcher, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and has lived in Italy with his family since 2018.
Piazza's father was pals with Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. Within baseball, this access sometimes worked against Piazza, but it gave him a relentless drive.
'Not one time did I ever see Mike just jog to first base on a ground ball. Here he is catching 140 games a year, trying to leg out infield singles,' Al Leiter.
'While Piazza was focused, introverted, and sometimes angry on the field, away from it he's chill, charming, and talkative,' said the interviewer.
Piazza, widely considered the greatest hitting catcher of all time, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
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