Mike Piazza (HOF 2016)

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 0:00  
I'm Mike Koser, and this is Lost Ballparks.
 
Red Barber (Radio Broadcast)  0:03
Join us now for another Brooklyn ball game here at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, USA.

Jack Buck (Radio Broadcast) 0:08
Hello everybody this is Jack Buck with Carl Erskine at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Radio Broadcast :12
From Sunny Shibe Park in the city of Philadelphia.

Mel Allen (Radio Broadcast) :16
This is Mel Allen greeting you from Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Radio Broadcast :18
Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.

Jon Miller (Radio Broadcast) :20
And more than 50,000 of you are right here at Memorial Stadium we know that for sure.

Vin Scully (Radio Broadcast) :24
Just the start of things so pull up a comfortable chair. If you wanna take your shoes off, go ahead, wiggle your toes and we hope you'll have a cold Schaefer or two throughout the evening.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  0:32 
Welcome to the third episode of the Lost Ballparks Podcast. Today we are talking with Mike Piazza. He had a remarkable baseball career after being taken in the 62nd round of the draft in 1988. The 62nd round! Mike Piazza went on to have a 16 year Hall of Fame career, finished a lifetime .308 hitter, was a 12 time All-Star, NL Rookie of the Year, 10 time Silver Slugger award winner, and is widely considered one of the greatest hitting catchers in baseball history. Mike Piazza!

Mike Piazza :59
 Yes, sir. How's it going?

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 1:01
It's good. Listen, I really appreciate you taking time to do this today.

Mike Piazza 1:03
Yeah!

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 1:04
 Okay, so you grew up in Philadelphia and your family had season tickets for the Phillies at the Vet and your Dad and Tommy Lasorda were lifelong friends. So anytime the Dodgers would come to town, you got to be the Dodgers bat boy. So is it true that at 14 during one of those times that they were in town and you were taking some BP, You hit one out?

Mike Piazza  1:23 
Yeah, well, I think might have been around 13. I think you're correct. There was a rain delay. Manny Mota was a coach and Manny Mota threw really great BP, right over the top. And the guys were kind of done hitting and he said, "Michael, jump in there and get some cuts in the cage. " I just jumped in the cage and just started hitting rockets. I mean, the story of myself being a low round draft pick, obviously, it's very well documented. But I tell people all the time I wasn't like this, nobody, you know, coming out of nowhere who had never played the game before. I mean, I was an all state high school player in Pennsylvania two years.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 1:56
and a ticket to Miami.

Mike Piazza 1:57
Yeah, exactly and had a scholarship to University of Miami in my freshman year, which then I wasn't playing much and went to Miami Dade. But to get back to that moment, I mean, I'm crushing the ball in the cage. And then Tommy told the story when he was walking down there. And he just said, in his colorful language, you know, who the HELL is that hitting? Because all the guys were kind of done hitting and my dad's like, "that's Michael hitting!" And he came and was watching me and he was completely blown away. Mouth on the floor stunned. First time he ever saw me hit. He couldn't believe it. And then the next year, I think I was 14 I went out on the cage. And I was hitting actually one time, Alejandro Pena,

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 2:35 
Alejandro Pena. Yeah. He was a good pitcher. In fact, he picked up the win in the 1988 World Series after Kirk Gibson's famous home run.

Mike Piazza  2:43 
Yeah! And Tommy's like "Mike, get a helmet, grab a bat." And he was throwing live BP early at the Vet with the cage and all. Live BP  with fast balls and sliders! I get in there against Alejandro Pena, at 14 years old. And I'm hitting line drives off the you know, off the wall off him. And Tommy again, you know, they were absolutely stunned. I mean, they couldn't believe it.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  3:04  
Alright, so fast forward a little bit to high school. Ted Williams, ends up at your house, watching you take batting practice.

Mike Piazza 3:13 
You know my dad, with his relationship with Tommy was very close with the scouts and there and there was a local Scout, his name was Ed Liberatore. And he was an old time scout used to be with the Dodgers then went to the Baltimore Orioles. And he knew Joe DiMaggio. He knew Ted Williams, he knew Dick Allen, all these guys from Philly, who were really good players. He was a scout. I mean, he would go to the game and he would write reports or if there was a good kid playing in the, in the area, he would go check them, you know, for the team and write reports. So he was very well connected, but he was very close with Ted and Joe DiMaggio. And Ted Williams was at the George Washington Motor Inn in King of Prussia, PA doing an autograph show, like, like a card show. Eddie was there and my dad was there because my dad was a big Ted Williams fan and he goes, "you know, Teddy," he goes, "Vince's kid is a really good looking high school player. He's a good looking hitter." And Teddy's like "Well, where's he live?" He's like, "Oh, 8-10 minutes from here like Valley Forge, Phoenixville area." And he's like, "let's go see him hit!" Because he told him - he told him that I had a cage in my backyard and an automatic machine. And Sunday morning. Like before he went to the show, he came out. My mom gave him breakfast. And I'm going out in the cage hitting and he came out - watch me hit!

Tommy Lasorda  4:29 
And they told him that he was a better hitter at this age than Ted Williams was at his age. Nobody knew about that, that Ted Williams had spoken those words.

Mike Piazza  4:41 
He said there's absolutely no doubt you're going to hit in the major leagues. That's what he said that day.

Ted Williams (audio from that day in Mike's backyard) 4:45
Damn! This kid looks good. He really looks good!

Teenage Mike Piazza  4:47 
Thank you.

Ted Williams (audio from that day in Mike's backyard) 4:48
I'm not kidding you. You look great, buddy. You do.

Mike Piazza 4:50 
Crazy!

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 4:51
When you step into the cage. Are you nervous? Are you shaking?

Mike Piazza 4:53
Oh, without a doubt. Yes!

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 4:54
Here's the greatest hitter of all time. Watching you hit.

Mike Piazza  4:58
It's true. And I remember He asked me, "do you have my book?" and I said, "I memorized it." So I knew his book. And I still when I teach hitting today, that's one of the main things I stress is his book, get a good pitch to hit. Have a quick bat. And proper thinking, are the three Ted Williams rules to hitting.

Ted Williams (audio from that day in Mike's backyard)  5:17 
I want you to cock and stride. Don't swing. Cock and stride. Stay back like you did then. Stay back that's right now going from there, don't go up to get the ball, get everything back here. So you can swing from here rather than go out and get it.

Mike Piazza  5:33 
I knew of Ted Williams. I knew the legend. I knew his incredible abilities as a hitter. And that was something that inspired me and helped me become a good hitter as well.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  5:41 
Hey, by the way, that turning point event in your life doesn't happen without your dad. It was your dad who set up your very first makeshift batting cage in the basement where you were hitting balls into a mattress that eventually grew into a giant structure that he built in the backyard. A zoning inspector stopped by and said, "Hey, what the heck is this?" And I love your dad's response, "It's my son's ticket to the big leagues."

Mike Piazza  6:04  
Yeah, I'll even tell you another funny story. I was just home recently visiting my family. And I saw this kid. He's older now, when I was maybe 11-12- 13. He was probably 14-15-16. And he used to walk by my cage every day with his friends and they would go down - there was a reservoir - used to be a reservoir down the street from our house, maybe like a half mile away. And they used to go down there and do what teenage kids do, you know, and things like that. And he would walk by my cage at night and I was hitting and he would say "he thinks he's gonna be a big baseball star!" And I'll never forget that. And I saw him today. His name is Layne Huey, he lived up the street from us, and he would walk home and then he goes, "Oh, you're gonna be a big baseball star Mikey." I see him today. He goes, "I remember that. Like it was yesterday." So yeah, I mean, call the irony there. It's kind of crazy. And it was obviously, even though he wasn't being malicious or venomous. He was just kind of making fun of me  like kids do and it was inspirational to me. I remember those things. And he does as well. So that that's another funny story about those days.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  7:15 
Yeah. And how good by the way does it feel to yeah, you get drafted in the 62nd round and you think about all those teams and all those players that that passed on you or that went before you and then not only do you make it to the big leagues, but of course you'd become a legendary Hall of Famer. 16 years career, .308 hitter, 12 time All Star, NL Rookie of the Year, 10 times Silver Slugger, 427 career Homers. So how great is that?

Mike Piazza  7:37  
Yeah. And it's funny because the year I was drafted, I had actually gone back and played in a semi pro league in Pennsylvania called the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League, which was an adult league. And it was not a bad league. I mean, it was collegiate players and older guys that still wanted to play baseball, not softball, and some younger guys.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 7:59
Yeah.

Mike Piazza 8:00
And there was some guys who'd played minor league ball that were pretty good that just wanted to get out and play a couple nights a week. It was very competitive. So when I had gone back after I was drafted in junior college, I was playing in a few games there just to stay sharp before that. I was signed by the Dodgers and the Phillies came and looked at me and they didn't like me. I mean, they just - they just weren't interested. And then when I was in A ball and the Dodgers were gonna release me after I had my troubles in the minor leagues there. I called Lee Elia. I found out what hotel they were staying at -  the Clearwater Phillies in Vero Beach. And I got Lee Elia, his room, like around noon, like lunchtime.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 8:36
Wow. So you're like tracking this guy down?

Mike Piazza 8:38
Yeah. And I talked to him. I said, "Lee, I think the Dodgers are going to release me would you be interested in signing me I'd love to be a Philly. I grew up in Philadelphia." And and he said, "Mike, I'm sorry." I think Del Unser was the minor league director at the time. And he says "I think we're actually going to be contracting a little bit next year releasing some guys, we're just we're just not interested." And so every time when I played Philly, oh, my god, man. And I killed them. I mean, every time I went in there, I mean, I'd go into the Vet sometimes and have some of my best games. I just remember that conversation. I'm sure the Phillies at one time, when if Lee Elia was still there was not. He probably wasn't the most popular guy in the office meetings after that.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 9:18 
Right. Cuz you could have been had for a song at that point.

Mike Piazza  9:21 
I could have been had for nothing. I mean, I, as I said, I mean, they just literally would have just had to bring me to spring training and give me a shot.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 9:29 
Well, this speaks to the fact that at the beginning of your career, I mean, it was not just a bed of roses. I mean, you had to really work to get to where you wanted to go. In fact, at one point while you're playing minor league baseball, you briefly stopped playing.

Mike Piazza  9:41 
When I had gone through those issues. And some of them were political. I mean, because as much as people love Tommy, and he was a gregarious figure, he was a very jovial figure people knew him. There was some people that obviously were not happy and it was political. I mean, some of the minor league guys were jealous and Tommy was very opinionated. And if he didn't like a player, he would say this guy can't play. And if the player was developed by a coach or a coach liked them in the minor leagues, it created friction. So I was playing with some of these coaches that didn't like Tommy or at least, I don't wanna say didn't like them, but we're very much politically opposed to him. So when I was not having success, or I was struggling, I mean, FP Santangelo, who's a broadcaster now for the Nationals, or at least he was recently, he told me a story, we would play the West Palm Beach Expos. And Felipe Alou was the manager. And I was sitting - I mean, I wasn't even playing. And Felipe Alou would look at the lineup when the Vero Beach Dodgers were playing the West Palm Beach Expos - in their posted lineup, and FP told me the story that he looks down and he says, (imitating Felipe Alou) "I can't believe the Piazza kid's not hitting that MFer can hit!"

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 10:50 
Yeah, I mean, it's crazy. Like why would they not have you in the lineup?

Mike Piazza 10:53 
It was just funny. I mean, you know, I was laughing - it just it was what it was. But yes, getting back to the original story. The Dodgers were gonna release me and I called the Phillies and fortunately, Reggie Smith intervened on my behalf. And really, pardon the pun went to bat for me.  And the next year, the Dodgers decided to give me 250 at bats, and I went to Bakersfield and  hit 29 home runs.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 11:19 
And how sweet is it? In '92 when you finally do get the call to the big leagues, and you're playing your first game at...

Mike Piazza  11:26 
Wrigley Field was my first big league game and I had never been there. I had never been to Chicago  - is my first time I get called up to the major leagues and lo and behold, we're playing at Wrigley Field. I remember coming out at the game, it just freaked me out. It was - I had never seen anything like it, you know, the organ going and the fans and it was the daytime obviously. And I started and I went 3-3. I remember Mike Harkey was the first pitcher that I faced and he was a big right hander, I think outta Fullerton. And the first at bat  I said to myself, I'm going to take a strike because I want to enjoy this at bat. I don't want to like swing at the first pitch and make an out. So I took the first pitch and I ended up walking my first major league at bat which is kind of appropriate. And then the next at bat he threw me a fastball right down the middle and I jumped on it.

Radio Broadcast from that day  12:09  
There's a drive to right centerfield. Mike Piazza - his first major league hit, he'll go into second and he'll stop right there. So Piazza will want that baseball. The godson of Tommy Lasorda, as he doubles in his second major league at bat.

Mike Piazza  12:24 
After my third hit that day, Mark Grace was on first base and he said, "Son, it's not that easy."

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 12:34
Grace was great.

Mike Piazza 12:36
I know! And then actually the next game in Pittsburgh, I started and my first at bat there I got a base it off Randy Tomlin. So my first four at bats in the big leagues. I was 4-4.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  12:46 
And you're like, what took you so long to call me up? Yeah. And one

Mike Piazza  12:49 
Yeah. And one of the biggest things that I had experienced is I went to Mexico, after my year in Bakersfield and Raul Cano, who was the general manager of Mexicali, they had signed a working agreement with the Dodgers and he came up to scout a couple of players in Bakersfield - drove up from Mexicali. He said to them, "I want Piazza!" And they go, "Well, you know, you can't have him." He goes, "No, I want Piazza." And then finally, he came to me, he's like, "do you want to play for Mexicali?" And I said, "Yeah, sure." And Burt Hooton was the pitching coach that year, and I went down there and I hit 16 home runs and ended up facing pitchers that had big league experience, like Vince Palacios and guys that you know, Mexican guys that have gone down there and played in the winter league to make some extra money. Because, you know, I tell people, it's a whole different world. I mean, players in the big leagues even would go down and play winter ball to make a little bit of money because some, you know, rookie salaries back then was 100 grand when I was a rookie, and before me, it was like 40-50 60,000 bucks. So, of course, it's nothing to sneeze at. But compared to what guys are making today in their early years. It wasn't a lot so guys would go down there and play winter ball. So it wasn't unheard of to see major league players that were playing winter ball. So it gave me a lot of confidence that I knew I could hit in the big leagues after kind of like my AA year.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 14:09 
And hit you did. You finish your career with 427 home runs. And in your Hall of Fame speech, you mentioned that there was one that meant more than any other...

Mike Piazza's Hall of Fame Speech  14:19 
Many of you give me praise for the two run home run on the first game back on September 21, to push us ahead of the rival Braves. But the true praise belongs to police, firefighters, first responders who knew that they were going to die, but went forward anyway.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 14:34
 It's the first game that the Mets are back in New York at Shea Stadium after the attacks on 911. September 21, 2001. What do you remember about that day?

Mike Piazza  14:43 
I do remember that we vividly as far as the emotions and the sadness and the anger and all the emotions that you go through in an unspeakable tragedy like that. And then having all the emotions of not knowing whether or not we should be playing not knowing what was the right time to come back. And when we did, it was like we got to go out full bore, we have to just jump in the water. And fortunately, it was the right time. And fortunately, I had great teammates around me and my faith in God and I was able to pray and calm myself down and put myself in a state of concentration. And when I was in the right place at the right time, it's indescribable. I mean, again, I just thank God for giving me the the strength and the courage and the concentration to execute in that situation. And fortunately, it's a tremendous honor that people still remember that home run and that home run has been very, very much celebrated even today.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 15:39 
I still get goosebumps Mike, when I watch this point of the game, Mets are at the plate, bottom of the eighth inning, trailing the Braves 2-1, Desi Relaford is at first base, and you are at the plate about to make history.

Radio Broadcast  15:55 
(sound of the crack of a bat) and it's hit deep to left center. Andruw Jones on the run. This one has a chance. Home run Mike Piazza!!! And the Mets lead 3-2.

Mike Piazza  16:02
Truthfully, it wasn't one of my prolific swings. And I'm not saying it in a negative way because I remember that at bat because Steve Karsay was pitching and he threw pretty hard. I mean, he had a good arm and he had a good curveball. After he threw the first pitch, I took a strike too. And I was like, damn, I think that might be the best pitch I get. So I was thinking maybe he could waste one or maybe throw one in off the plate. So I was - I wasn't quite sure - the fortunate thing in my career is that I always had good hand eye coordination and arm strength. So if I got my arms extended, and I had a good base under me, I could drive the ball. So the ball was - he was going away, it came back over the plate. And I just just put the barrel on it.

Radio Broadcast  16:47 
Take a look at this! He's got as much power as anybody - he got the arms extended. A long home run! And a curtain call!

Mike Piazza  16:58 
And yeah, I was able to extend the bat and drive the baseball to center, which was one of the things I always prided myself doing is hitting a ball from foul pole to foul pole. So it felt great, it really still still feels good today.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  17:12 
Again, you talk about trying to find the strength just to play the game and you hit that ball in such a critical moment of the game.

Mike Piazza 17:18 
I'll tell you, it's one of those things to where you just thank God for everybody in your life that has trained you and helped train you because it really comes down to that and preparation. And that breeds confidence. Even though that moment transcended the game a little bit. It still went back to everything I'd worked on my whole life and trusted myself and believed in myself. I mean, I can feel the energy. When you're in the right place at the right time. And especially as a player and you feel everyone pulling for you. You do feel it. I was blessed in my career to hit many big home runs.

Radio Broadcast  17:58 
Fly ball, deep right field, This baby's over! Mets win! Mets win! Mike Piazza with a home run off of Trevor Hoffman!

Mike Piazza  18:05 
And I always love those moments too. Because I trained myself. When I was coming to the ballpark that day, I knew there was a better than average chance that I would come up to the plate when the game was on the line. late in the evening. So people say well, why did you always you know you had a knack for coming through in the clutch. I said because I had already visualized it. And I already walked myself through that many times before that moment presented itself.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 18:28 
In May of 2004. You had another big career moment, hitting home run number 352 breaking the record for most home runs by a catcher previously held by Carlton Fisk. Did he reach out to you?

Mike Piazza  18:39 
Yeah, actually, I think he sent me a telegram or a letter or just congratulated me and I was never a huge Carlton Fisk fan because I grew up obviously in a National League town and I'd never seen him play. I was more of a Johnny Bench, Bob Boone, Steve Yaeger, Ted Simmons, I watched those catchers and I never saw Carlton Fisk so when I was coming close to his record I really of course - we were film watching the the home run against the Reds in the (1975) World Series.

Radio Broadcast 19:10 
The 1-0 delivery to Fisk, he swings, long drive left field, if it stays fair it's gone, home run! The Red Sox win!

Mike Piazza  19:18 
But I didn't really understand and appreciate really what a great catcher he was to be honest with you. But when he did call me I then became specially connected to him in that way and then started taking an active interest in his career and and what a great player he was. And of course, he had longevity. He played a lot longer than me because he played for Chicago and played more games but ultimately that didn't diminish his defensive ability and he was a very good defensive catcher as well. And I used to like the way you know, he caught (Luis) Tiant and all those guys from the Red Sox in the 70s as well which is pretty cool.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  19:52 
A month later after you broke the record June 18, 2004, Four of some of the greatest catchers in baseball history gathered together to honor you, honor you at Shea.

Audio from that day at Shea Stadium 20:01 
A former 62nd round draft pick stood alone atop an elite list of catchers as the home run champion, Mike Piazza's 352nd home run made history.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  20:15 
Literally catching royalty. Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter. Pudge Rodriguez. You probably had to pinch yourself that night.

Mike Piazza  20:22 
Yeah, that was pretty cool because the Tigers were in town and I think Lance Parrish,

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 20:26
Oh that's right Lance was there too.

Mike Piazza 20:28
 But yeah, that was pretty crazy, Yogi obviously, God rest his soul was there and that ceremony I personally at the time, I had always been a more of a quiet guy - wasn't - I didn't think of myself so much as a self promoter. So when that day was drawing near, I was getting nervous too, because I was like, Oh my gosh, how's this gonna look? And I don't want to seem like I was being self aggrandizing. But when the ceremony did happen, and a lot of the pictures were taken, it was pretty amazing. It was pretty awesome. To have that collection of catcher's there and actually a year maybe year and a half before I passed Johnny Bench for the National League record, I think it was like 327 or 326. So when I passed him, he actually came out and had a ceremony the year before, which was pretty cool in its own right.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 21:16
Oh, yeah. Anything with Johnny Bench.

Mike Piazza 21:17
He came out and gave me an old Cincinnati jersey of his and it was a nice pregame ceremony so yeah, I was blessed to have some really cool catching moments - catchers moments and we kind of made the catchers club I guess like the quarterbacks club, you know, like a little fraternity.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 21:33 
Yeah, and that's the guy you grew up watching, Johnny Bench! You know?

Mike Piazza  21:36 
Yeah, no, yeah, I was big fan of Johnny Bench. And I grew up in Philly. So I would watch Bob Boone and Tim McCarver and Bo Diaz, you know, a little later and guys like that, and when I signed with the Dodgers, too, I knew like a premonition that eventually I would end up behind the plate. So yeah, I was watching Johnny. How can you not love Johnny Bench? I mean, he kind of transcended the position he was one of those freak athlete guys who just could do everything. I mean throw rockets and had great hands and was graceful back there and caught with one hand. He was the guy that pioneered - took away the pancake mitt, you know, because when I was with the Dodgers, one of my coaches was Johnny Roseboro used to come out and have that pancake mitt, you know, like the old days you know, the wire mask and all these dudes that played in the 50s and the 60s like Hegan and obviously Campy and all the great players from the Yankees, the catchers from the Yankees. They had that pancake mitt. So Johnny revolutionized the position.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 22:33 
Yeah, I mean, think about it. Imagine catching someone like Walter Johnson or Bob Feller with one of those pancake mitts?

Mike Piazza  22:40 
Yeah. You know, you know, the thing about those mitts as well is Johnny Roseboro, God rest his soul, his right fingers looked like someone took like a hammer - put on the table and just banged his fingers with a hammer because if he pointed and he said go that way, you'd have to double check the direction because his hand would be one way and his finger would be going another way. So yeah, that pancake mitt really screwed up a lot to catcher's fingers man. It wasn't good. And Johnny was the first guy to get the glove company to go hey, you know make it like a first baseman's mitt.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 23:12 
Hey, a couple ballpark notes before we wrap up.

Mike Piazza 23:14
 Yeah, yeah.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 23:16
Shea Stadium gets demolished in 2008, 2009. When it comes down to how much nostalgia did you feel toward that old ballpark? Obviously you had some great moments there.

Mike Piazza  23:25 
One of the things about Shea Stadium was we definitely had a distinct home field advantage there. It wasn't a fun place to play. And truth be told, it wasn't. It wasn't a pleasant experience from the locker room standpoint. I mean, it was a - it was a little aged down there. And my first year I had signed, the toilets had backed up in the clubhouse, and I remember navigating over toilet water, which leave it up to your imagination on that one. Trying to get to my locker so I could get dressed for the opening game in '99 and I'm like going like wait a minute! I went from  Dodger Stadium in California to toilet water here. And hitting wise, look, it was tough to hit there in April and early May when the weather was bad. It was tough, but it made me tougher. I think you have to become mentally tough there to play. It was a great hitters park down the lines. yeah, I mean in  day games, it would carry better, but I don't think you'd ever find a hitter in history say hey, I love hitting at Shea Stadium. It was not a hitter's park. But I do remember it being a distinct home field advantage because the other teams did not like playing there as well.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 24:28 
Okay, old Yankee Stadium first time there.

Mike Piazza 24:30
 Loved it!

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 24:31
And obviously post renovation but still I mean, this is the same area where legends roamed.  Babe Ruth and DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. What was that like the first time you played there at Yankee Stadium?

Mike Piazza  24:40 
Loved it. It had a unique sort of crest on the field. I guess the way the field was built for drainage. I saw the ball extremely well there. I loved it when Bob Sheppard announced my name.

Audio recording of Yankees PA Announcer Bob Sheppard 24:52
Welcome to Yankee Stadium.

Mike Piazza 24:55
And 40,000 people booed or 50 when we played there, I loved it. There's nothing better than being booed like that, you know and then you have Bob Sheppard you know with the voice Columbia University linguistics professor like, (imitating Bob Sheppard) "Mike Piazza number 31." It was just cool. I loved it. And I saw the ball really well there. And of course, I mean, if you don't get up, I mean, even though the Yankees played the Yankees propaganda before the game, you know, like "Pride of the Yankees" and playing all the the Lou Gehrig and Mr. October films, to intimidate the team,  the opposing team before the game, I don't know how you couldn't get fired up to play at Yankee Stadium. I loved it. And of course, when we played them in the inner league series, before, obviously, the World Series, it was amazing, because then the inner league baseball games were really exciting.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  25:45 
Yeah and of course, nobody's gonna forget game 2 of the 2000 World Series, Roger Clemens is on the mound, you're at the plate, you swing at a pitch, it shatters your bat, the barrel of the bat goes flying towards the pitcher's mound, Roger Clemens picks up the bat and throws it at you as you run down the line.

Joe Buck (Broadcast Audio) 26:04 
The barrel of the bat comes back at Roger Clemens, and he fires the bat back toward Piazza who is going down the first baseline.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 26:13 
I watched that the other day and I still cannot for the life of me figure out what he was doing. And you talk about this in your book, too. Yeah, that whole story. But that was a crazy surreal moment. I remember watching it on TV thinking, "What are you doing?" Yeah, and it's just

Mike Piazza  26:27 
Yeah, and it's just one of those moments, even though I had a story book career, I did have a few bizarre moments in my career as well. I think also part of that was leading up to that moment, there was so much hype from media. I mean, it was almost like, you could cut the tension with a knife before that series. So I think looking back at it, you just see the result. I mean, I think Roger and again, I can't speak for him. And I don't really know what he was thinking. I'm sure a lot of people don't. But one of the things I remember was just so much attention and tension in that moment that I think once that moment happened organically, he just kind of exploded.

Joe Buck (Broadcast Audio)  27:06 
That is all Roger Clemens there. A moment started by, created by Clemens.

Tim McCarver (Broadcast Audio) 27:11
In my view right now, Roger Clemens is dead wrong. You can't take the better part of the bat, the fat part of the bat and fire into foul territory near Piazza.

Mike Piazza  27:21 
I don't know. I think he just kind of had a "lost it" moment.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 27:26
 It was nuts!

Mike Piazza 27:27
At least just from my perception. It was not, you know, it's one of those things that maybe at the end of the day, even though it is something that I don't consider one of the highlights of my career it is definitely makes it more interesting. That's for sure.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks)  27:37  
Hey Mike, listen, man, I so appreciate the time.

Mike Piazza 27:29
Thank you.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 27:30
 And for those who kind of want all these details and really get into the story, I highly recommend Mike's book "Long Shot", which is on amazon.com. It is such a fascinating read.

Mike Piazza 27:51
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I mean, I appreciate that. I worked hard on it. And I didn't leave a lot of stuff out. It's a little salty for young kids. So have the parents, right,  I wanted to be very authentic. So parents who are listening and they want to buy it for their kids, I would kind of proofread it first, because it is very real.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 28:07 
It's a great read. Hey, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Man. I hope you have a great night.

Mike Piazza  28:12 
I enjoy what you do, man. So hopefully we'll talk again soon.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 28:15 
Sounds good. Thanks, Mike.

Mike Koser (Lost Ballparks) 28:17
 And really enjoyed that conversation. I think he was destined for greatness. I mean, when you're in high school, taking batting practice in your backyard, with Ted Williams watching and giving instruction to you. Chances are if you're able to apply what he's telling you, good things are gonna follow. And boy did they! On next week's Lost Ballparks. When you think of the Big Red Machine, obviously Bench, Rose, Morgan come to mind. But so do the gentleman who narrated their play on the field. Reds broadcasters Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman. Brennaman, the 2000 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame did play-by-play for the Cincinnati Reds from 1974 to 2019. And his stories are legendary. In the mid 70s, the Reds were in Montreal to take on the Expos at Jarry Park, and...

Marty Brennaman (Reds Hall of Fame Broadcaster) 29:01 
I'm in the clubhouse after the game is over, waiting to get on the bus and go back to the hotel. We're staying at the Queen E hotel downtown and Bench came up to me and he said, "What are you doing tonight?" I said, "I'm not doing anything." He said, "you're going with me." You know, I get a personal invitation to go out with Johnny Bench.

Mike Koser  (Lost Ballparks) 29:17 
Wait 'til you hear this story! Next week on Lost Ballparks.