The Conservative Cave
The Bar => Sports => Topic started by: Ralph Wiggum on May 20, 2008, 04:55:23 PM
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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3405188 (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3405188)
Mike Piazza is retiring from baseball following a 16-season career in which he became one of the top-hitting catchers in history.
"After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it was time to start a new chapter in my life," he said in a statement released Tuesday by his agent, Dan Lozano. "It has been an amazing journey ... So today, I walk away with no regrets.
"I knew this day was coming and over the last two years, I started to make my peace with it. I gave it my all and left everything on the field," he said.
The 39-year-old Piazza batted .275 with eight homers and 44 RBIs as a designated hitter for Oakland last season, became a free agent and did not re-sign. He was not available to discuss his decision, according to Josh Goldberg, a spokesman for Lozano.
Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft, Piazza became a 12-time All-Star, making the NL team 10 consecutive times starting in 1993.
"He was one of those hitters who could change the game with one swing. He was certainly the greatest-hitting catcher of our time and arguably of all-time," said Atlanta pitcher Tom Glavine, Piazza's former teammate on the New York Mets.
Piazza finished with a .308 career average, 427 home runs and 1,335 RBIs for the Dodgers (1992-98), Florida Marlins (1998), Mets (1998-05), San Diego Padres (2006) and Oakland Athletics (2007).
"It's the end of a Hall of Fame career," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "It was a privilege to manage him for the short time that I did."
Piazza's 396 homers are easily the most as a catcher, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Carlton Fisk is second with 351, followed by Johnny Bench (327) and Yogi Berra (306).
See you in Cooperstown, Mike. :cheersmate:
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he had a great career. and I still haven't forgiven the dodgers for trading him.
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I'd be surprised of he doesn't have some sort of degenerative cartilage problem in his knees before it's all said and done. He was a damn-good 2-tool hitter though.
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He also could call a pretty good game for his pitchers. He wasn't as aggressive in his pitch calling as, say, Paul LoDuca or Brian Schneider, but he could call a good game.
There's a thread on MetsBlog that concerns SNY possibly hiring Piazza as an analyist. I agree with that.
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hard to believe he's been around that long...
adios mike...
you were a good one !!