Piazza's attitude and discipline keep him on top

Sporting News, The, April 24, 1995 by Bob Nightengale

He was Tommy's boy. It didn't matter that it was his youngest brother, and not he, who was Dodgers Manager Tom Lasorda's godson. It didn't matter that he warranted a chance because of his skills. Or that he already had the finest hitting mechanics in the organization the day he became a Dodger.

He still was considered Tommy's boy and clearly paid the price.

He was ostracized by some of the minor league coaches, shunned by a few administrators and ridiculed by some of his minor league teammates.

It got so bad playing in Class-A Vero Beach (Florida State) in 1990 that he up and quit. Went home. He was tired of being castigated for his father's relationship with Lasorda, and thought enough was enough.

"He went through some tough times, boy," Lasorda says. "I was just hoping and praying they would leave him alone. I knew he could do it if given the opportunity because he was on such a mission.

"My God, now would you look at him."

Today, Mike Piazza just so happens to be the greatest catcher in baseball.

Only in America.

"I prayed to the good Lord that he would make my son a big-league ballplayer, but who ever dreamed this?" Vince Piazza says. "I mean, there's only two professional ballplayers that ever came out of Norristown, Pa. One is a manager. The other is my son. And they're on the same ballclub.

"You talk about believing in faith."

Mike Piazza, who has batted .319 with 59 homers and 204 RBIs the last two seasons, proves every day that this is no accident.

Do you know where he was on New Year's Eve? He was in a basement batting cage, swinging at pitch after pitch, perspiring profusely, and he couldn't have cared less about Dick Clark and Times Square.

Do you know where he is each day after Dodgers spring training games? Standing in the batting cage for at least another hour, swinging until his hands are sore.

Do you know where he is each morning? On the field with catching instructor Mike Scioscia, working to improve his defensive skills.

Piazza shrugs his massive shoulders, and laughs softly at this obsessive behavior. People don't understand. Most never will.

They see him playing cameo roles on "Married ... with Children" or "Baywatch." They see him as a guest on MTV. They see him playing golf with Charles Barkley. They see him being mobbed for autographs in the Forum Club at Lakers games. They see him hanging out with Rocket Ismail. They see him sliding home on ESPN commercials.

What they don't see is his heart and desire, instrumental in transforming a 62nd-round draft choice into the finest catcher in the game.

"I'll never take this game for granted, never," Piazza says. "I've worked too hard to get here. It's something I've always been taught, and lived by. I know this can be gone as easily as it came."

Piazza, drafted by the Dodgers only as a favor to his father, is considered a celebrity now. Even in Hollywood, where you're taught to act cool around stars, the guidelines are forgotten when it comes to Piazza.

Men want to be seen next to him. Women want to go out with him. Kids idolize him.

There have been at least a dozen letters sent to the offices of the Beverly Hills Sports Council from women informing Piazza that they've named their babies after him. One woman has his name on her license plate. One woman in Bakersfield, Calif., even named her horse after him.

The adulation, the goofy way people act when they see him, Piazza says, is flattering. It's nice to be recognized as an honest-to-goodness celebrity at 26.

"But what people forget," Piazza says, "is that I'm only known because of my success on the ballfield. Nobody knew who I was three years ago. I used to walk across this (spring-training) complex when I was in the minors, and nobody would ever stop me for my autograph."

Dodgers scout Mel Didier says: "I was involved in a recent survey, and they asked me if I could pick any player in the National League to start a team, who would I pick.

"I thought about it, went over every player on every team, and came up with only one guy: Mike Piazza. He is that good. "

In these days of self-promotions, marketing strategies and photo opportunities, it's gratifying to see a kid who still reveres the game of baseball.

You know something," Piazza says, "I got a $15,000 bonus when signed. If they had asked, I would have paid them. This game means everything to me, and I'm not about to cheat it."

Back in form

It's nice to see that Mitch Williams is back.

In his first outing against the Giants, he sent two batters to the hospital. He plunked J.R. Phillips, who was X-rayed for a possible broken wrist And he hit Jeff Reed, who was X-rayed for a possible broken finger.

As an added bonus, Williams threw two wild pitches.

"I played golf with the guy," Angels teammate Chuck Finley says, "and he's everything I thought he would be. His swing is violent. He drank Coke hard. He throws hard. He's out of control, but he's fun to be around. The nice thing is he's a lefthander, so all of that is normal."

Rising in the West?

The Padres and Mariners are sharing much more than a spring-training facility this year: The two small-market clubs believe they're legitimate contenders.