Mike Piazza

Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA) is a U.S. Major League Baseball player. He is generally recognized as the top-hitting catcher of all time. He is a ten time All-Star. On May 5, 2004, Piazza surpassed Carlton Fisk for most home runs by a catcher with the 352nd of his career.

Childhood

Mike grew up for the first few years of his life in a small house in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The house was barely big enough to have Mike's entire family inside. His family consisted of his two parents, Vince and Veronica Piazza, and his brothers Vince Jr., Danny, Tony and Tommy. In the backyard was where Mike's earliest baseball memories took place. There was a large enclosed batting cage made of wood, with a net inside. Vince had bought it with some extra lumber. On one side of the cage was a pitching machine. Mike would load this with some old tattered baseballs, then he would go to the other side and hit them. This was Mike's second home; he spend every bit of his spare time here. Even in the winter, Mike would be in the cage, after shoveling snow out and heating the baseballs on the stove inside of his house, and wear gloves while hitting.

Related Topics:
Pennsylvania - Baseball

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Vince Piazza was chilhood friends with Dodgers manager, Tommy Lasorda. Whenever the Dodgers were in town and playing the Phillies, Mike would be inside the clubhouse and the dugout, during the game.

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When Mike was nine years old, he joined his first little league team, the A's. Mike's coach, Abdul Ford-Bey tought him and his teammates the fundamentals of the game. The next year, Mike was on a team called the Cardinals where the coach made him play catcher. Mike did NOT like catching, ironically. He actually wanted to be a pitcher. A few years later, when he was thirteen, Mike led his team to the the semi-finals in the playoffs, and hit the game winning home run.

Related Topics:
Pitcher - Home run

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Then Mike had some more luck go his way. One day when he was thirteen, while Mike was busy hitting in his batting cage, his father came in and gave him some good news. He told Mike that whenever the Dodgers were in town, Mike could be the batboy and meet the players. He spent several years at this position, and became friends with some of the players.

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