NEW YORK - CIRCA 2001: Mike Piazza #31 of the New York Mets bats against the Atlanta Braves during a Major League Baseball game circa 2001 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Piazza played for the Mets from 1998-2005. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
On a day headlined with the New York Mets and Carlos Beltran, a positive story about Mike Piazza went overlooked. The Mets renamed the street Clover Park sits on to “Piazza Dr” in honor of their hall of fame catcher.
With all the buzz surrounding his former teammate for a season, it was hard to avoid the inevitable questions about Beltran. Piazza will be managing Italy in the 2021 World Baseball Classic and joked about the situation at first, saying there will be no use of camera but plenty of pasta and coffee in the dugout.
Piazza expressed his disappointment in the various cheating scandals and said it was a low moment in baseball. He also said something like this would have never happened during the era he played in. During Piazza’s period, baseball’s steroid era was at its pinnacle, which made a severe impact on its future.
The honor of the street named after him brought Piazza to tears, especially when discussing all of the years he getting ready for the season in Port St. Lucie. His dad, Vince, could not be in attendance as he deals with health issues, but he played a significant role in the development of the hall of famer.
Piazza has no other interest in managing past the WBC. He enjoys his life with his family, along with his role as an alumni ambassador for the Mets. With Beltran officially out, it would be wise to float an offer his way to see if Piazza bites.
This post was published on 2020-01-17 09:00
