11
2013
Will Mike Piazza’s Admissions Still Wind Up Hurting Hall Of Fame Chances?
An article by 
I am so excited to receive my copy of Mike Piazza’s autobiography, Long Shot, which I pre-ordered several weeks ago.
But of course, I can’t control myself in reading all the news stories about what is actually in the book before I read it for myself.
So that leads me to a very intriguing discussion.
Piazza admitted in his book to using androstenedione and Ephedra before the substances were banned, according to the New York Post. The 12-time All-Star catcher also said in his book that he took Vioxx (an anti-inflammatory), “greenies” (stimulants) and Dymetadrine (asthma medicine), the Post reports.
The New York Times reports that Piazza wrote in the book that he inquired about HGH, not knowing it was a banned substance, but his trainer advised against using it.
So let’s assume that Piazza is clean of HGH. He claims he never used “steroids,” and to this point, we all know he has never had a positive test on record.
But the real question now is how will Piazza’s admission to using these other drugs – mainly the currently-banned substances of andro and Ephedra – affect his chances at the Hall of Fame.
There will likely continue to be a rift amongst the voters. Some will say that since these substances were legal at the time, Piazza was not cheating. However, some will say that he was still enhancing his performance by using the substances, thus tainting his incredible numbers.
If I had to guess, the voters that voted for him this year will vote for him again next year. But then again, some may now change their vote since Piazza admitted to using “substances” during his career.
Of the writers that did not vote for him this year based on the suspicion of drug use, some may change their votes since Piazza admits to have never used “illegal substances.” But of course, the majority will have their initial inklings about Piazza confirmed and therefore will continue to exclude him from Cooperstown.
Talk about a voting conundrum!
I’m not exactly sure if Piazza’s book will help or hurt him. It almost begs the question of why he would even choose to admit anything in the first place. The timing of the book’s release is also strange, since he could have “cleared his name” before the voting occurred.
But then again, would his admission to using drugs clear his name or would it spark even more speculation like it already has?
I want to believe Piazza. I feel like he might have kept quiet if he used banned substances and would have hoped that no test results ever leaked.
He instead chose to be honest, and from what he admitted in the book, he never cheated according to what was and what was not illegal at the time.
I’m eager to see what else he has to say in his book. I just hope that all the juicy excerpts haven’t been revealed already.
The release of this book just keeps Piazza’s name in the news cycle, which will spark much more debate on whether he’s worthy of baseball immortality.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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Last updated: 05/19/2013
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We may be getting to the point where it is extremely hard to figure what is a PED and what isn’t. Piazza says he took” Vioxx (an anti-inflammatory), “greenies” (stimulants) and Dymetadrine (asthma medicine), the Post reports”. Were they all legal at the time? So what is the big deal, I mean, technically tylenol or advil could be considered a PED if you’re sore and take a advil and your soreness subsides does no that help your performance? Put him in and lets get on with the real important stuff like who is playing outfield this year.
If they keep him out because using legal substances at the time, they need to pull out guys already in there. Read Willie Mays’ autobiography (or any old time player’s). There was no shortage of amphetamines and a lot of other “questionable” substances (that were already banned.
No, Piazza will not be harmed by his candor, which is part of what makes him great.
When I hear the jabberwocky perpetrated by the likes of Craig Carton, Murray Chase & Co., I am reminded of an old saying back on the farm… “What can you expect from a pig, but a grunt?”
First, steroids really can’t help you hit the ball and Piazza was a career .306 hitter, which included the years of his decline. He always made solid contact and hit the ball hard.
Second, consider the change in the appearances of Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens versus the lack of change in Piazza’s appearance, especially the head. Bonds morphed into something like Mount Rushmore and Clemens resembled the characters out of South Park.
By pleasing contrast, Piazza’s appearance never really changed. Not much else to explain. No aberrant behavior, no Cro-magnum-like change in appearance.
Third, Piazza’s temperament was always even-keel. If Piazza had been on steroids, do you think he would’ve been able to keep his cool after Clemens beaned him during the season or threw shards of a shattered bat at him in the World Series? Again, Piazza’s cool demeanor will always stand in pleasing contrast to Clemens uncontrollable temperament. It’s called “Class.”
Further, Piazza’s career ran a natural course and his skills declined gradually as one would expect. Absent from his career is the longevity or the super-nova burst in production often associated with steroid use.
You see, the quality that made Mike Piazza great had nothing to do with steroids – his ability to maximize his incredible talent when it mattered most, to rise to the occasion as only a great ball player can – against the Braves on Fireworks night (Mulholland never had a chance) or the first game in New York, again against the Braves, after 9/11, or against the Yankees in the Subway Series when he pasted Clemens with a grand slam home run. Piazza had a flare for the dramatic against the Mets’ greatest rivals. Its who he is – a Hall of Fame Baseball Player and the greatest hitting catcher ever to play the game.
This is sad news because though I am glad Mike is being honest with us, we have seen so many players being honest as well – though not totally honest. There are questions to be asked – how much more was taken, for how long did he take it, etc.
This does open the door to more suspicions as written in the attached. Unfortunately, I think it discredits Mike enough for the Hall. Again, a sad reflection of the times in which Mike just got caught up with but we can’t make exceptions for those whom we like.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/price-piazza-new-book-raises-questions-answers-article-1.1260610
Andro is a joke, I cycled it a few years ago for stamina & I had zero effects of ANY kind, Ive also spoken with others who have done it with the same dissappointing effect.
Alot of the things players ingest TODAY are really hyped up concoctions. They cant be on true STEROIDS because they’re too hard to mask in the blood/urine profiles and they would get caught, so they resort to shark fin, cats nail, & other folklore poop.
The ones that do risk it with stronger chemically proven stuff get busted, like Manny on tittie juice(estrogen or what not).
If anyone believes that McGuire got jacked on Andro like he admitted to, Ive got some great land near the Everglades to sell them, its just G-U-L-L-I-B-L-E .
But the magnetic bracelets are real, right?
It depends on how into the discussion they want to get regarding why this one gets in and the other does not.
My guess is anyone who took a PED as it is defined today is likely to be thrown into the ban along with the others regardless of the legality at the time.
They are not interested in who cheated and who did not they are only interested in keeping steroids of any kind out of the hall to protect the integrity of players who could not use them.
Thanks for your honesty Mike, I think that the only reason he was not voted in was some holier than thou writers who have “suspicions” so that makes Mike dirty!
Really, you have to wonder about these writers who couldn’t even vote in Biggio who apparently was clean!
Your time will come Mike, as the greatest hitting catcher of all time.