Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

His statistics minus context would have guaranteed him election on the first ballot. A 143 OPS+, a career .308 batting average, six seasons with at least 100 RBIs, plus 427 home runs.

Impressive numbers made more so because of where he played on the field. The unofficial title of “Greatest Hitting Catcher” was deservedly given to Mike Piazza as his career concluded and as he approached Hall of Fame eligibility.

However, speculation of performance-enhancing drug use combined with the era in which he played kept him from being a sure-fire inductee. It took four years before he cleared the 75 percent threshold.

Piazza earned his spot in Cooperstown by garnering 83 percent of the electorate and would soon be announced as the second player to be inducted as a New York Met. Joining him was Ken Griffey Jr. — who interestingly surpassed the record for the highest voting percentage previously held by the other Hall of Famer who entered as a Met, Tom Seaver.

A 62nd round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Piazza became the lowest-drafted player to get enshrinement. He was named the 1993 National League’s Rookie of the Year after hitting 35 home runs. Piazza would establish himself as one of the premier power hitters in baseball before a whirlwind sequence of trades over an eight-day span in May 1998 landed him with the Mets. It turned out to be one of the best deals the franchise has ever made.

The numbers he put up in Los Angeles are no doubt impressive, but his greatest achievements — and his greatest impact on an organization — came during his seven-and-a-half years in Queens: leading the Mets to consecutive postseason appearances including the 2000 National League pennant, six All-Star appearances, and the unforgettable home run in the first game in New York City following the events of September 11th. On his way to becoming the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in baseball history, Piazza compiled 220 of them with the Mets while also driving in 655 runs. He still holds the highest slugging percentage in team history, ranks second in OPS, and third in homers.

In his retirement statement, Piazza left no doubt about where his closest loyalties lie.

“One of the hardest moments of my career was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye,” he said. “My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career, and for that, I will always be grateful.”

The post OTD 2016: Mike Piazza Elected to the Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized.

A hitter digging into the batter’s box sixty feet, six inches away from Greg Maddux might not initially be intimidated.

After all, Maddux was listed at six-feet tall and one-hundred seventy pounds, never relying on blazing fastball velocity to put hitters away. “The Professor” often wore glasses off the mound, which almost emphasized his unassuming persona.

However, what Maddux, 56, lacked in velocity he made up for with impeccable command, late movement and changing of speeds.

The Hall of Fame righty pitched to contact, despite his 3,371 career strikeouts, relying on guile to carve up hitters and navigate through lineups at will.

Blessed with good health and longevity, Maddux was the epitome of a workhorse. The eight-time All-Star tossed 200+ innings in 18 of his 23 major league seasons and went an incredible fourteen consecutive years of 200+ innings pitched from 1988 through 2001. Only Don Sutton (20), Phil Niekro (19) and Cy Young (19) posted more seasons with 200+ innings pitched.

His 5,008.1 career innings pitched are the thirteenth-most in major league history, and that doesn’t include the additional 198 innings he tossed in the postseason (the sixth-most postseason innings pitched of all time).

Maddux’s propensity for pitching deep into games and on seemingly so few pitches, is stuff of legend. So much so that baseball writer Jason Lukehart coined the term “Maddux” to highlight a start in which a starter tosses a complete-game shutout on fewer than 100 pitches. No pitcher has recorded more such starts since 1988, the first year of accurate pitch-count tracking, than Maddux with 13.

In that same span, Maddux has recorded 72 starts where he went at least eight innings and threw fewer than 100 pitches. To put that in greater perspective, if you took the six pitchers with the highest number of aforementioned games pitched since 2010, they’d still be three games shy of Maddux’s total since ’88.

Since the inception of the Cy Young Award in 1956, only four pitchers have won the honor at least four times: Roger Clemens (7X), Randy Johnson (5X), Steve Carlton (4X) and Maddux (4X). Of those pitchers, Johnson and Maddux are the only two to win four-straight Cy Young Awards, with Maddux taking home the hardware from 1992-1995.

The Cy Young Award wasn’t the only piece of hardware Maddux took home in 1995, as the Braves won their first World Series since 1957. Maddux posted a 2.84 ERA over five starts that postseason, with a 1.88 ERA in his three starts that included the National League Championship Series and World Series.

Despite the shortened season in ’95 due to the strike that began in August 1994, Maddux posted a 19-2 record, leading all qualified pitchers in ERA (1.63) and WHIP (0.811), while second in fWAR (7.9).

Hitters were rarely given free passes from Maddux, as the control artist was simply masterful on the mound. In fact, of his 740 career starts, Maddux allowed no more than one walk in 463 of them (63% of his total starts), which is the most such starts in major league history.

The Maddux household no doubt features a large trophy case, as the 355-game winner not only won four Cy Young Awards and a World Series ring but also 18 Gold Glove Awards, the most of any player. That included a stretch of 13 straight years of taking home a Gold Glove Award from 1990 to 2002.

Mets fans were well aware of Maddux’s brilliance, as the righty made 66 career starts against the club. Only Steve Carlton made more career starts against the Amazins’ (76). The Mets were the opponent Maddux faced the most during his career, as he went 35-19 with a career 3.36 ERA in 428.1 innings pitched.

What makes Maddux’s career even more impressive is the fact that he pitched during the height of the steroid era, and yet, still excelled on the mound. No pitcher recorded a higher fWAR in the nineties than Maddux (69.8), while he posted the second-lowest HR/9 among qualified pitchers with a 0.42 mark.

Since retiring from the game following the 2008 season, in which he tossed 194 innings and won his final Gold Glove in his age 42 season, Maddux has kept busy. He’s worked as a special assistant in the front offices for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers, and served as a volunteer pitching coach for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, while his son, Chase, pitched for the team.

Maddux is back with the Rangers this spring, brought in as a special instructor and aiding his brother Mike Maddux, who was hired as the team’s pitching for a second stint this past offseason.

Following his work with the Rangers this spring, Maddux is gearing up to host a celebrity poker tournament at Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas from April 28-30.

The three-day event, which includes the poker tournament, private dining experience and party, is partnered with the Baller Dream Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2020 that provides various levels of support to alleviate stressors families encounter when dealing with cancer.

Maddux’s daughter, Paige, is the Foundation’s Regional Program Director, having previously worked at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego as the Director of Philanthropy for over five years.

Throughout his legendary playing career and beyond, Maddux and his family have donated considerable time and money to help many different causes. After running a celebrity golf tournament for two decades, Maddux is more than happy to lend his time and celebrity stature for a great cause.

Maddux is indeed a Hall of Famer both on and off the field.

I had the privilege of speaking with Maddux during spring training, where he discussed his game preparation, individuals who aided in his development and the upcoming celebrity poker tournament.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Maddux: All the Reds. I grew up a huge Reds fan, so it was Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, George Foster and Tony Pérez.

MMO: From past interviews you’ve given, along with your Hall of Fame speech in 2014, one individual you give a lot of credit to early on in your career was Ralph Meder, who was a former big league scout and local Nevada coach. What did Meder impart on you?

Maddux: He taught me my pitching fundamentals which is movement is better than location; location, change of speeds and then velocity.

We learned how to throw a ball with movement on it, sink, run and all of that, as opposed to see how hard we could chuck it.

MMO: Did you grow up throwing what would be your signature two-seamer?

2+ Minutes of Greg Maddux's Front Door Two Seamers. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/h2H2NIxPKy

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 12, 2023

Maddux: That was what I threw growing up. Mr. Meder taught me that when I was about sixteen.

When I first started working with him, that was one of the first things he changed. He changed my arm angle from straight over the top to kind of a three quarter-ish type thing. He was trying to teach me a fastball with the most movement.

He kind of changed the arm angle a little bit. I started throwing two-seamers, and it started sinking and moving.

MMO: Was that also the same time that you started focusing on locating your pitches to both sides of the plate?

Maddux: That was later on; I started to learn that in A ball. Jim Wright was the first coach that kind of challenged me to throw a glove-side fastball down and away to righties or into lefties and keep my movement on that as well.

That was the one thing I worked on my whole career. I remember that was the big thing for me was to be able to locate my fastball on both sides of the plate with the same type of movement.

MMO: You debuted with the Chicago Cubs at a very young age (20 years, 141 days old) and had some growing pains your first two seasons. You’ve talked about how going to winter ball one offseason and working with Dick Pole (Cubs’ minor and major league pitching coach) really helped with your changeup and ability to “work slow.” Can you expand on that?

Maddux: The reason I was 6-14 (in 1987) was I didn’t know how to pitch slow. My fastball was okay and my health was good, but I wasn’t changing speeds properly.

I went to winter ball and worked with Dickey on my changeup. That got a little more consistent along with the command of my fastball, and then I was able to have a chance to get hitters out in the big leagues.

MMO: What memories stand out from when you hit free agency following the 1992 season?

Maddux: At first, I was a little upset; I kind of got fired in Chicago. They kind of kicked me out, and I ended up going to Atlanta and got to play with some of the best pitchers in the game and played for one of the best managers in the game. It was a great experience.

I think we won all eleven years that I was there, and they won a couple before and after me. It was just a great experience, great people and created friendships with my teammates and neighbors. It couldn’t have been better.

MMO: There’s so much expanded technologies and improved analytics to better serve organizations and players in today’s game. You were such a student of the game and I’m curious, how would you go about studying and preparing for a start?

Maddux: I’d probably do it the same way: use the analytics to my advantage. The bottom line is you have to pitch with what you got.

I understood myself as a pitcher and things I could and couldn’t do with the baseball, the pitches I could and couldn’t throw. I’d grab some stuff out of it that would probably help me with my pitch selection.

And a lot of the stuff I wouldn’t listen to. I didn’t have a very good slider, so if the hitter has a very low average on sliders, I probably still wouldn’t throw them, man. I’d stick to my strengths and try to get them out the way that was best for me.

MMO: You own the most Gold Gloves of any player with 18. Were you someone that always took defense seriously and worked a lot on PFPs?

Maddux: One hundred percent. It’s part of the game and I felt like if I could make 90 plays a year, that’s thirty innings of scoreless baseball. I looked at it that way.

If I made all the plays I was supposed to make, then my team had a better chance to win, and I had a chance to have a lower ERA when the season was over.

MMO: You tossed 200+ innings in 18 of your 23 major league seasons, including 14 consecutive seasons. What do you attribute your success to staying so healthy and being so consistent for the majority of your major league career to? How important was Keith Kleven (physical therapist/athletic trainer) and his program for your longevity?

Maddux: Keith Kleven helped me out a lot with being able to take care of my shoulder, elbow, legs, everything.

A lot of it was just good luck, a lot of catching a break. Never taking one off the arm or the foot where you break something or twist a knee sliding into second.

A lot of it was just good luck but I did take care of myself, and I tried to prepare myself to pitch over 200 innings every year.

MMO: Did you work with Kleven throughout your whole career?

Maddux: I worked with him from high school all the way until I was done playing.

MMO: I find the mental side of the game so interesting and obviously so crucial to success. I spoke with Bob Tewksbury – who is now a mental skills coach – and he sung the praises of Harvey Dorfman. Did you work with Dorfman during your career, and if so, how did he help you?

Maddux: Absolutely. Harvey was a big part of it. Harvey enabled me to think properly, worry about the things I could control, stuff like that. He helped me a lot off the field with my family life and just how to treat people and teammates. I was very lucky to have him.

MMO: Tewksbury spoke about how he would use visualization techniques on the mound to reset and help clear his head. Is that a technique you utilized?

Maddux: Yeah, absolutely. You had to be able to think properly and you had to recognize when you were nervous and realize that you could still think and pitch when you were nervous. Harvey helped me out with that.

I did do some visualization. You always had a certain couple of pitches that you would go back to. Pitches you threw the right way and just get a quick little snapshot of that before you started your delivery.

MMO: In an interview you gave with MLB Network a few years back, you were discussing some of the differences between your era of pitching and today’s pitchers. I was really fascinated by your quote in which you said, “I tried to get hitters out in the strike zone. I think the majority of pitchers today try to get hitters out, out of the strike zone.” Can you expand a bit on what your pitching philosophy was and how it was so effective for you?

Maddux: My philosophy was to try to keep it in front of the outfield. Very simple. I felt like the team that keeps the ball in front of the outfield the best is the team that’s going to win. It’s going to probably happen in just about every spring training game down here and about every game once the season starts.

The philosophy today is they seem to be looking for guys who get hitters to swing and miss, they want no contact. I think that’s why you see the higher pitch counts, and that kind of limits the innings the guys are able to throw once the season is all said and done.

MMO: On an individual basis, was there a season or two that stands out in your mind as your best?

Maddux: Obviously, the 1995 season when we won the World Series. That one stands out more than all the others because we won, we finally got that ring. That was a pretty special year.

Your first year is pretty special and when you first get called up, but easily the ’95 season.

MMO: What memories do you have from facing the New York Mets and pitching at Shea Stadium?

Maddux: I loved pitching at Shea Stadium. It was a great atmosphere and great place to pitch. Really great golf courses when we weren’t pitching. I enjoyed New York.

It seems like the more you go back to New York, the more you enjoy it even more each time. That was one of the places that kept getting better and better with more time you spent in it.

We played the Mets tough it seems, especially with Atlanta. We had a lot of success against them, so obviously we had more fun playing them.

MMO: And you were close to playing in New York, with the Yankees, when you hit free agency in 1992, is that right?

Maddux: Yeah, real close. I thought I was going to go there and then Atlanta jumped in at the last second.

Back then there was no Interleague [play], and I knew the National League, and I enjoyed hitting and running the bases. I liked the strategy better in the National League. I’d rather face the pitcher than the DH. Those were some of the big reasons why I stayed in the National League.

MMO: Do fans still bring up the “Chicks dig the long ball” commercial you appeared in with Tom Glavine?

Maddux: I still hear that from time to time. We both had won a Cy Young or two at the time and no one really knew who we were. And then we did that commercial and all of a sudden people knew who we were. It was a lot of fun doing that.

MMO: Tell me about the celebrity poker tournament you’re hosting at the end of April. How did you get involved and what can folks expect from the three-day event?

Maddux: My daughter works for the Baller Dream Foundation, and it’s her gig. She asked if I would do it, and I said yes.

I used to run a charity golf tournament for about twenty years, and we no longer do that. She’s doing all of the work, all I have to do is show up and try to round up some celebrities.

It’s for a good cause; I’ve been to a few of her events. The Baller Dream Foundation helps kids with cancer. They do stuff for them, and they help older kids and younger adults. They raise money and they take them on fun trips and things they would like to do, I hate to say it, but before it’s too late.

If they want to go to a ballgame in Seattle or go fishing in Alaska or go to Disneyland, they make sure all their family gets to go and everything as well.

MMO: Is this your first event with the Baller Dream Foundation?

Maddux: It’s the first event I’ve done with them. I’ve supported them for probably the last two or three years. But as far as actually running an event, it’s the first one. It’s also the first one with Circa in Las Vegas.

MMO: You’ve donated a lot of time and money to charity. How long have you been giving back in that capacity, and what does it mean to you and your family?

Maddux: It’s pretty cool. I think we started giving back as soon as we had enough money to give, I’m sure like most people. I think before we had money we gave time and when you have the resources to give back, we’re more than happy to do that and give some time as well.

We’ve usually supported mostly charities in Las Vegas; we like to keep it in the neighborhood. It’s what you do; you always give back. You’re given so much that you like to give back when you can.

MMO: Are you a good poker player?

Maddux: Not really. If I sat down at one of the games in Vegas and if there were ten people there, I might be better than one, maybe two. But they’re pretty good there. With my teammates I was pretty good.

MMO: Which celebrities will be attending this event?

Maddux: Goose Gossage, Wally Joyner, a couple hockey players from the Knights, Tito Ortiz, Roger Clemens, David Wells, Joe Staley, A.J. Cole, Evan Mathis, Derrek Lee, Kenny Lofton, Darren Banks.

We’ll still probably add a couple as we get nearby. You know how celebrities are, they don’t like to look too far in advance. [Laughs.]

MMO: You’re working with the Texas Rangers this spring as a special instructor. What are some of your duties with the club?

Maddux: I’m down here for about twenty days of spring training, and it’s to help my brother pass off his philosophy to the pitchers. I spend time with the pitchers and try to get them to understand the importance of taking PFPs, defense, pitch selection and all of the little things that go around it.

Just kind of an extra coach for twenty days and trying to help out where I can.

MMO: Do you have any aspirations of getting back in the game on a full-time basis?

Maddux: I will say I’m enjoying the time down here. At the same time, I also enjoy retirement. I think we’re doing it the right way.

We did it right in our younger years and we’re starting to enjoy it now. With all the traveling and everything that we’ve been doing now, we’re going to see different parts of the world and enjoy retirement.

MMO: When you look back on your legendary career, what are you most proud of?

Maddux: Probably just the longevity of it and the success. I was able to do something I loved for a long time and enjoyed all 22 years of it. I enjoyed practice and never had to get a real job. I never had to grow up.

It’s pretty special being able to do it as long as I could.

MMO: Thanks very much for some time, Greg. It was great chatting with you.

Maddux: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Follow Greg Maddux on Twitter, @gregmaddux

For more information on the Baller Dream Celebrity Poker Tournament, visit here.

The post MMO Exclusive: Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux appeared first on Metsmerized.

The newest members of baseball’s hall of fame are Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff. They will be enshrined in Cooperstown this summer. A preview of the 2024 hall of fame candidates shows a few former Mets on the ballot, as well as one former star who seems to be a lock to be elected in his first year of eligibility.

Adrián Beltré

Let’s start with Adrián Beltré, the former Dodger, Mariner, and Ranger (who also spent one season with the Boston Red Sox in 2010). He had 3,166 hits, 477 home runs and 93.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR)–third-most among third basemen behind only Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews.

While it’s not common for a player to receive the necessary 75% of the vote in his first year on the ballot, Beltré dominated at his position for many of his 21 seasons. He was a four-time all star, and won five gold gloves. He likely will get the votes for induction in 2024.

Billy Wagner

One former Met to watch when the 2024 votes are counted is closer, Billy Wagner. Wagner jumped from 51% of the vote in 2022 to 68.1% in 2023. The fireballing lefty from Virginia was one of the dominant closers of his era with 422 saves, a 2.31 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He will be in his ninth year on the ballot next year, meaning he has two chances remaining at election. Wagner ranks sixth on the all-time saves list, and from the late 1990s through 2007 was one of the best in the game.

Todd Helton

Todd Helton, the former Colorado Rockie, barely missed getting “the call” in 2023, netting 72.2% of the vote.The Rockies’ great slugging first baseman, who had 369 home runs and 2,519 hits, was a .316 lifetime hitter, and the 2000 MLB batting champion. He needs only 2.8% more of the vote in his sixth year. With 11 more ballots with his name next year, and he’ll be in. Helton, despite “Coors Field bias”, deserves to be in Cooperstown and will likely have his day next January.

Carlos Beltrán, David Wright, José Reyes

Three of the core players from the mid-2000s Mets will be up for election in 2024, with Carlos Beltrán in his second year of eligibility, and David Wright and José Reyes both in their first year. Beltran had nine all-star seasons, 435 home runs, 2,725 hits and a cumulative 70.1 WAR as great switch-hitter. In 2023, he received 46.5% of the vote. His connection to the Astros’ cheating scandal clearly factored into this percentage, but as time goes on, the sign-stealing caper may fade more into history, and Beltrán may be able to secure his rightful spot in the baseball shrine.

Wright, the sentimental choice of Mets fans, had a very good career that was cut short by spinal stenosis. Wright was a seven-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger who hit .296 with 242 home runs. He head a career WAR of 49.2. Had Wright been able to play at full strength from 2015 (when he was first sidelined and missed most of the season) through 2020 (when he would have turned 38 years old), he would have had a very good chance at induction in Cooperstown.

Reyes, though he will be on the ballot, will not have a chance at being elected into the hallowed hall. Reyes had 517 stolen bases, and posted a 37.5 career WAR. He won the 2011 batting title while he with the Mets. He left via free agency after that season, and returned in 2016 after stints in Miami, Toronto, and Colorado. Reyes also was involved in a domestic violence incident, which contributed to his release by the Rockies.

Other Notables

Alex Rodriguez, who belted 696 home runs and had over 3,00 hits, received just 35.7% of the vote in 2023, his third year of eligibility. A-Rod, who had multiple issues with performance-enhancing substances, is active in baseball, working on ESPN Sunday night telecasts with Michael Kay. He seems to be in decent standing with MLB, but not so with the writers who hold his Hall of Fame fate.

Joe Mauer and Chase Utley (ever popular with Mets fans) will be on the ballot for the first time in 2024. Mauer’s achievements include three batting titles, three Gold Gloves, four All-Star selections and the 2009 AL MVP award. Mauer was a .306 career hitter, with a 55.2 career WAR. His WAR number ranks favorably against that of other catchers in the hall.

The post Preview of the 2024 Hall of Fame Candidates appeared first on Metsmerized.

Poor Billy Wagner… arguably the best left-handed reliever in the game and once again he failed to get enough votes for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

And while Wagner was undoubtedly one of the most glaring snubs, he certainly was not the only one as Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, and former Mets Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent all failed to make the grade.

But hey, congratulations to Scott Rolen on his election to Cooperstown!

It’s just too bad that he’ll be all alone on that podium in June. Thanks, BBWA… for nothing.

Meanwhile, back to this weeks quiz!

In this edition of So You Think You Know the Mets we want you to name all the Hall of Famers that were once members of the Mets.

Let’s see how many one-time Mets you can come up with in three minutes…

Think you can name all 17 Hall of Famers?

Show us what you got!!

Good Luck…

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The post So You Think You Know the Mets: What the Hall? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen has entered baseball infamy as he has accumulated enough votes to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rolen enters as the lone ballot Hall of Famer this year and will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December.

Several players with Mets connections have missed the 75% cut-off this year, including Jeff Kent, who was in his last year of eligibility. Carlos Beltran, Gary Sheffield and Francisco Rodriguez are among the other notable players with Mets connections to miss the cut. Beltrán and Rodríguez were on the HOF ballots for the first time this year.

Former Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey only received 0.3% of the HOF votes and has been kicked off the ballot for not receiving at least 5%.

Latest Mets News

The Mets have officially announced the signing of outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year deal. Formerly with the Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds this past season, Pham will facilitate a role as the team’s fourth outfielder and may even see time in the designated hitter spot if needed. To make room for Pham on the 40-man roster, the team designated left-handed Tayler Saucedo for assignment.

We’ve signed Tommy Pham to a one-year deal.

Welcome to the squad, @TphamLV! pic.twitter.com/oNvsL8jzLZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) January 24, 2023

The New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand is reporting the Mets may have found the next sidekick to legendary radio announcer Howie Rose. Long Island native and voice for the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones Keith Raad has emerged as the favorite to be hired for the position as he apparently “wowed” his interview with Audacy, the parent company of WCBS Radio, and Rose himself. The role could one day lead to being the main radio voice of the Mets with Rose cutting down on radio time this past season.

Latest MLB News

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is under investigation by MLB following allegations of domestic violence involving the mother of his 10-month-old daughter and child abuse, according to The Athletic‘s Britt Ghiroli and Katie Strang. The report says the mother of Clevinger’s child had been in contact with MLB officials since June about physical, verbal and emotional abuse towards her and their 10-month-old child.

After the Los Angeles Angels’ ownership decided to take the team off the market, the Miami Marlins ownership has reiterated the team is not for sale. In a statement to the LA Times, Bruce Sherman said, “The Miami Marlins are not for sale, have not been for sale under my ownership, and will not be for sale in my lifetime. It is irresponsible to report otherwise. It is and will continue to be a privilege to own this great organization. I look forward to seeing our loyal fans at Opening Day on March 30th.”

Kansas City Royals infielder Adalberto Mondesi is being traded to the Red Sox, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The Royals will receive Josh Taylor in exchange, while Boston will also receive a player to be named later. The move comes with Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story having elbow surgery that will sideline him for most of the 2023 season.

Former Marlins and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Jesus Aguilar and the Oakland Athletics are in agreement on a contract, pending physical, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and Robert Murray of Fansided. The deal will give Aguilar an average of about $3 million.

The New York Yankees and catching coach Tanner Swanson agreed to a new deal to keep the coach in the Bronx, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. The deal is for three years with a team option for a fourth year. Yankees catchers ranked as some of the best defensively in MLB last season and much of that is attributed to Swanson’s coaching.

Pitcher Jordan Yamamoto has signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to MMO‘s Michael Mayer. Yamamoto had a 6.00 ERA across three different levels in the Mets minor league system in 2022.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago talks about possible locations for MLB expansion teams.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: Angel Pagan is purchased by the Chicago Cubs from the New York Mets.

2010: “Melody Queen of Shea Stadium” organist Jane Jarvis passes away at 94.

The post Morning Briefing: Several Former Mets Fall Short of Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo Credit: Jason Bridge of USA Today

It was revealed Tuesday the Baseball Writers of America Association (BBWAA) voted Scott Rolen into the Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class. Rolen will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December.

Rolen received 76.3% of the vote, crossing the 75% threshold needed for induction. Todd Helton narrowly missed with 72.2% and Billy Wagner had the third most votes at 68.1%.

Rolen’s defensive prowess at third base pushed him over the top. Rolen ranks 10th all-time in WAR for third basemen (70.1), and he’s viewed as one of the better Hall-of-Fame defenders at third along with the likes of Brooks Robinson and Adrian Beltre (who will likely get in on his first ballot next year or second ballot in 2025).

Some notable players who missed induction include:

• Billy Wagner (68.1) – 8th year
• Carlos Beltran (46.5) – 1st year
• Jeff Kent (46.5) – final year on the ballot
• Andrew Jones (58.1) – 6th year
• Gary Sheffield (55.0) – 9th year
• Alex Rodriguez (37.5) – 2nd year
• Bobby Abreu (15.4) – 4th year
• Jimmy Rollins (12.9) – 2nd year
• Francisco Rodriguez (10.8) – 1st year

Players have 10 years of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot. Once players fall off the ballot, their fate rests with the Era Committees. (The three Era Committees rotate every three years, and players have to be placed on the ballot via an overview committee.)

Some players who were knocked of the ballot due to not receiving at last 5% of the vote include: R.A. Dickey (0.3), Matt Cain (0) and John Lackey (0.3).

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MLB writers are notorious for being sticklers when casting their ballots for Hall of Fame inductees. This year in particular, a certain former Met is getting learning that lesson.

Carlos Beltrán made his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot at the end of the 2022 MLB season. The former Met retired in 2017 and appeared to be a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Beltrán finished his career with 435 home runs, 2725 hits, 1587 RBI, and 70.1 bWAR. To go along with his stellar offensive numbers, Beltrán also played a premier position in centerfield. In his career, he won three consecutive gold gloves from 2006 to 2008 and finished with a total of 38 DRS.

Unfortunately for Beltrán, the question does not lie in his number, but in his character. Shortly after retiring, the 2017 World Champion Astros’ cheating scheme was revealed, leaving MLB to reprimand coaches, front-office officials, and the organization as a whole. However, while the players were granted immunity from the report, Beltrán was the only player name listed in the report, hurting his reputation and potentially denying him his rightful spot among MLB’s all-time greats on a first ballot.

Along with being punished now, Beltrán dealt with hardships after the news initially broke. Originally hired to be the Mets manager for the 2020 season, Beltrán was forced out of the role on January 16, 2020, only 76 days after being hired. He remained out of the game entirely for two years before eventually landing a part-time TV analyst role with the Yankees.

Due to his role in the 2017 Astros’ cheating scandal, Beltrán is almost certain to fall short of the 75% of votes to make the Hall of Fame. According to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, Beltrán has received 55.5% of votes as of publishing. To reach 75%, Beltrán would need to be on 93.2% of the remaining unknown ballots.

Denying Beltrán a first-ballot entrance into the Hall of Fame would be criminal. While half of the known ballots have left Beltrán’s box unchecked, one writer came to his defense. Bob Nightengale of USA Today highlighted Beltrán’s 20-year career in his Nightengale Notes and wrote about where he stood among his MLB peers:

“Beltran is the only center fielder in baseball who accumulated at least 70 WAR, and is not in the Hall of Fame. He’s the only switch-hitter in baseball history to reach 2,500 hits (2,725), hit 300 homers (435), and steal 300 bases (312). He has the best stolen-base percentage (86.45%) among any player who stole at least 200 bases.”

Beltrán’s imposing numbers were no stranger to the postseason as well. In 65 games, Beltrán slashed .307/.412/.609/1.021, clubbed 16 home runs and drove in 42 runs. While he’ll be remembered for striking out to end the 2006 NLCS, he clubbed three home runs against the Cardinals that series and carried the Mets offense to game seven.

Along with his counting stats, Beltrán received many accolades in his career. He was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, nine-time all-star, three-time gold glove recipient,  and two-time silver slugger. Off the field, Beltrán also won the Roberto Clemente award in 2013 for his creation and involvement in the Carlos Beltrán Foundation, which inspired young people to strive in sports and academics.

The decision on Beltrán for the Hall of Fame should be an easy one. He was one of the greatest centerfielders of all time on both sides of the ball during his peak, all while putting together more than respectable counting stats. The Astros’ scandal may seem egregious to some, but Beltrán was promised immunity as a player and was unfairly singled out by MLB. The Astros kept their championship, Alex Cora and AJ Hinch still manage games, and Beltrán should be recognized in the Hall of Fame.

Hall of Amazin’s

The Mets currently have two other former players on the Hall of Fame ballot with some chance of election: Billy Wagner and Jeff Kent.

Wagner was historically great during his MLB tenure. He finished his career with a 2.31 ERA, 187 ERA+, and an astounding 33.2 SO%. Wagner also recorded 422 saves during his career, which is the sixth most in MLB history and second most among left-handed relievers (former Met John Franco is first with 424). At the end of his career, Wagner was a seven-time All-Star, finished within the top ten for Cy Young voting twice, and won a Rolaids’ Reliever of the Year.

While his regular season numbers are spectacular, the biggest gripe against Wagner is his abysmal postseason numbers. He recorded a 10.03 ERA, allowed 21 hits in 11 2/3 post-season innings, and recorded three saves in 14 post-season games.

Wagner has currently received 72.3% of the votes from known ballots. For him to make it, Wagner needs to be on 77.6% of unknown ballots. He has a fair shot of making it and may see more votes due to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling falling off the ballot. It is Wagner’s eighth year on the ballot.

Better known for his days as a Giant, Kent was an offensive force at second base. He was a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and NL MVP winner in 2000. Among MLB second basemen, Kent hit the most home runs (377), fifth most doubles (560), third most RBI (1518), recorded the ninth-best OPS (.855), and fourth-best slugging percentage (.500). Kent is also the only second basemen in MLB history to have six consecutive 100 RBI seasons.

Despite impressive numbers, Kent’s chances of making the Hall of Fame are slim to none. He currently has received 51.3% of known ballots and needs to be on 97.1% of the remaining ballots to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Unfortunately, it is Kent’s 10th and final year on the ballot. If he fails to receive 75% of the ballot votes, then Kent will fall off the Hall of Fame ballot and his fate will be left to the Veteran’s Committee.

The post Beltrán Unlikely To Make Hall of Fame; Wagner On Edge appeared first on Metsmerized.

Howard Johnson, Al Leiter, Gary Cohen, and Howie Rose will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame as the 2023 class of inductees, the team announced on Wednesday.

Additionally, Jay Horowitz, the team’s longtime media relations guru, will receive the team’s Hall of Fame Achievement Award.

Johnson, Leiter, Cohen and Rose will officially be inducted on Saturday, June 3 in a pre-game ceremony prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field. The four new additions means that there is now a total of 34 inductees in the Mets Hall of Fame.

The organization also announced that they will host a Zoom meeting on Thursday, January 19 at 11am with Johnson, Leiter, Cohen, Rose and Horowitz.

“It was an honor informing each of the four new members that they were going to be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “Howard Johnson was the classic combination of speed and power, with three seasons of 30-homers and 30-stolen bases. Al Leiter, who grew up in New Jersey rooting for the Mets, ranks in the top 10 in team history in wins and strikeouts.

“Mets fans are privileged to have two of the very best in all of baseball describing the action with years of institutional Mets knowledge. Gary Cohen is set to start his 35th year of calling Mets games and Howie Rose has been covering the team since 1987. In addition, we are honoring Jay Horowitz, who has passionately worked for this organization for over 40 years, with the Hall of Fame Achievement Award. I’m looking forward to celebrating more Mets history on June 3.”

Johnson and Leiter are being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame for their prowess on the field in a Mets uniform. Johnson put together three seasons of 30-homers and 30-stolen bases (1987, 1989, and 1991), which rank as the most in team history. The two-time All-Star (1989, 1991) and two-time Silver Slugger (1989, 1991) was the first switch-hitter to join the 30-30 club in major league history. He also ranks in the top five in franchise history in home runs, doubles, RBI and stolen bases. Johnson was a member of the 1986 World Series team and he spent nine years with the Mets.

Leiter, meanwhile, excelled on the mound for the Mets and he won double-digit games in seven straight years between 1998-2004. The two-time World Series winner ranks in the top 10 in franchise history in wins, innings, strikeouts and quality starts. Perhaps Leiter’s finest moment in a Mets uniform came in 1999 when he threw a two-hit shutout in a one-game playoff at Cincinnati. He also became the first pitcher to defeat all 30 major league teams. Leiter won both the Roberto Clemente Award and the Branch Rickey Award for his charitable endeavors.

As richly deserving as Johnson and Leiter are of being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame for their heroics on the field, so too are Cohen and Rose for their expertise off it. Cohen began calling Mets games in the booth in 1989, right up until 2006 when he transitioned into the SNY booth. Cohen, who is the second-longest tenured Mets play-by-play announcer in team history, makes up one part of SNY’s famous broadcast booth with Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling.

Rose is known for entertaining the Mets masses with his distinctive voice on the radio as the team’s play-by-play announcer, a job he’s proudly been doing since 1996. Rose has been with the Mets since 1987 having grown up going to Shea Stadium. Inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2012, and welcomed into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, Rose’s signature “Put it in the books” call is a welcome sound to all Mets fans after a win.

Finally, the organization will also honor Horowitz in a classy move. The longtime Mets PR guy joined the team on April, 1 1980 as the director of public relations. He was promoted to vice president of media relations in 2001, and he has been honored on a plethora of occasions for his undying commitment to the Mets. The decision to honor Horowitz is another sign that owner Steve Cohen is determined to pay tribute to all those who have left their mark on the franchise.

Further details will be announced by the Mets in due course. Mets fans can now purchase tickets for the June 3 game vs. the Blue Jays and the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony by clicking here.

The post Mets Announce 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees appeared first on Metsmerized.

Sixty-two Hall of Fame ballots have been publicly released, kept track by Ryan Thibodaux and the Hall of Fame Ballot Tracker team.

Among those early returns we’ve seen increased love for Todd Helton (+11 votes), Andruw Jones (+11), Jeff Kent (+12), Gary Sheffield (+13), and Billy Wagner (+12).

These returning members are trending toward higher voting percentage than last year but only two, Helton and Rolen, have received more than 75% of the votes necessary to earn the Hall of Fame induction.

Two possible Mets inductees are failing to reach the 75% necessary right now but that could change. In his first year of eligibility, Carlos Beltran has received a vote on 52.2% of publicly known ballots. That’s the highest among all first-year entrants.

Beltran would need to be on 79.6% of remaining ballots to reach the 75% necessary for induction.

Now in his eighth year on the ballot, Wagner has received 68.7% of the votes. It’s a small sample but it’s a major increase on his 2022 results when only 51.0% of voters checked the box next to his name. He needs to be on 76.3% of the remaining ballots to earn the nod.

Still it’s not likely either former Met gets elected this year. Based off the data from 2022 there is a steep dropoff in voting percentage on announcement day.

#MLB Two pics, derived from @NotMrTibbs #HOF data

First, vote pct by date, 2022. Note that dropoff on announcement day: pic.twitter.com/DphFPhjC19

— Scott Lindholm 📊 (@ScottLindholm) December 28, 2022

It’s possible there is another year where no player reaches the Hall of Fame when there are clearly deserving candidates.

#MLB 14 ballots received at the @NotMrTibbs #HOF Tracker today–may be a record, if not, it's dern close.

Latest guess, dig on the plus/minus: pic.twitter.com/4pqkErdcwS

— Scott Lindholm 📊 (@ScottLindholm) December 28, 2022

A number of candidates have yet to receive a vote. Players need 5% of the vote to appear on next year’s ballot. Among them are R.A. Dickey, Torii Hunter, and Matt Cain. Ten more players haven’t received votes, all of them except Hunter are on their first year on the ballot.

The only other first-year player than Beltran to receive votes is former Met Francisco Rodriguez, who has earned six.

Hopefully, the voters do right and induct someone into the Hall this year after making it a single-man ceremony for David Ortiz last year. There have been 15 ballots using all 10 votes and only one blank ballot. Let’s see if that trend continues as well when voting concludes.

To view the tracker. Click here.

The post Beltran, Wagner Trending Against 2023 Hall of Fame Induction appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mike Piazza’s journey of going from a 62nd-round draft pick (1,390th overall) at the behest of a Hall of Fame manager to switching positions late in his teenage years and becoming the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of near improbability.

For Piazza, 54, baseball was a way of life and something he innately knew he was destined for.

From a young age, Piazza had access to the major leagues as his father, Vince, was good friends with Dodgers’ coach and later Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda.

Lasorda gave Piazza the opportunity to be batboy on occasion, where Piazza would have the chance to work with players and coaches on his swing. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Piazza spent countless hours training and refining his swing, as his father built him a batting cage in his own backyard.

Piazza’s offensive abilities were evident early on, as one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen in Ted Williams concurred when paying a visit to a young Piazza at his home while in Pennsylvania for a card show appearance.

After attending the University of Miami and Miami-Dade Community College, Piazza was selected by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 Draft due to a recommendation by Lasorda.

Having previously played first base in junior college, the Dodgers decided to convert him to catcher, as that position would give him a greater chance of reaching the majors due to his offensive profile.

The slugging right-handed hitter made his presence known in his rookie season of 1993, when he hit 35 home runs, drove in 112 runs and posted a 153 OPS+ en route to unanimously winning the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award. He became the first National League rookie to hit 35+ home runs and post an OPS+ of at least 150, with only Albert Pujols (2001) joining that list since.

Piazza quickly became one of the more prolific and clutch power hitters in the sport. From his rookie season of 1993 through the 1997 season, Piazza was tied with Mark McGwire for the 11th-most home runs in the majors (167), and posted the fifth-highest wRC+ among qualified hitters with a 162 mark.

While Piazza’s stardom continued to rise, tensions grew between the All-Star catcher and the Dodgers organization in regards to a new contract. On May 14, 1998, the Dodgers traded Piazza along with Todd Zeile to the defending World Champion Florida Marlins for five players, which included Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla and Gary Sheffield.

A mere eight days later, Piazza was on the move yet again in what became a defining day in New York Mets history. The club acquired Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz.

In 109 games with the Mets in ’98, Piazza slashed .348/.417/.607 with 56 extra-base hits and 76 RBI. Piazza’s 168 wRC+ is the highest single-season mark in Mets history (min. 400 plate appearances).

Acquiring Piazza helped change the outlook and landscape of the Mets organization, giving the club a bona fide superstar in the middle of their lineup. The club rewarded Piazza with a seven-year, $91 million contract after the season, which was the richest deal in major league history at the time.

In his ensuing seven seasons with the Mets, Piazza gave Met fans countless memories, including a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the eighth off Terry Mulholland in the Mets’ 10-run inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 30, 2000, a go-ahead, two-run home run off Steve Karsay in the eighth in the first major sporting event held in New York ten days after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and breaking Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk’s record for most home runs hit by a catcher with his 352nd blast as a backstop on May 5, 2004.

Among all time Mets, Piazza ranks first in slugging percentage (.542), second in OPS (.915), third in home runs (220), third in RBI (655) and sixth in fWAR (28.2).

Piazza was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot in 2016, receiving 83 percent of the vote. He joined Tom Seaver as the only two players in the Hall of Fame that were enshrined with a Mets cap on their plaque.

The 12-time All-Star is one of fourteen players in major league history with 400+ home runs and a career batting average over .300, and his career 143 OPS+ is the highest among 66 catchers who recorded a minimum of 5,000 plate appearances and played at least sixty percent of their games behind the dish.

This January, Piazza can be seen on a new FOX reality competition show called “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” in which sixteen celebrities endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process.

Pete Dadds / FOX

Along with the show, Piazza will also be getting back into the dugout as Team Italy’s manager for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. After representing Italy as a player in the inaugural WBC in 2006, Piazza is eager to help promote the game and showcase some of the younger Italian talent on a big stage.

From Norristown, Pennsylvania, to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, Piazza’s journey from a late-round pick as a favor to the family to the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of the greatest examples of resiliency in sports history.

I had the privilege of speaking with Piazza in early December, where he spoke about his early career development, tenure with the Mets and upcoming competition series.

MMO: Where did your love of baseball originate from?

Piazza: Growing up in the seventies was a little different than kids today. They have a lot more distractions with computers and video games. It was just a different time.

We were more into riding bikes, building forts, playing baseball and having pickup games. Going to a baseball game was part of my youth and for a lot of people growing up around the same time.

Growing up in Philly, I was fortunate to watch the great Phillies teams of the seventies; my dad had season tickets. We’d go down and watch [Mike] Schmidt and [Larry] Bowa. I was looking at something online, and that’s what I love about online is that you get to go back and see history with [Greg] Luzinski, [Garry] Maddox and Bake McBride, players and teams I used to watch as a kid. That was something for me.

Right away, it was something I always wanted to do. I always wanted to be a baseball player from a very young age.

MMO: It’s well-documented how influential and crucial Tommy Lasorda was for your career. What did having Lasorda in your corner mean to you?

Piazza: Tommy was amazing. My dad was a little younger than Tommy, and they basically grew up together. They knew each other in Norristown, and Tommy went into baseball, and my dad had to do what he had to do. They always remained close.

I remember when Tommy was the third base coach for the Dodgers; I think it was ’76 before he became the manager. My dad would call him over on the third base-side, and they’d be talking. And I remember being so very impressed that he knew somebody on the team.

I think I was around twelve when I became batboy, and Mark Cresse was a coach and put me in the cage. I think there was a rain delay and there was a cage underneath the stadium in the tunnel, and I started hitting off Manny Mota and Cresse. Tommy was extremely impressed and, at that point, knew I had some talent.

It wasn’t a perfect journey. [Laughs.] No journeys to the big leagues are ever easy, but for me, it was interesting.

He was always in my corner. Even when I got older, he’d send me spikes, gloves and equipment. When I went into junior college, he was trying to get me to the right spot where I could develop. Obviously, he convinced the Dodgers to draft me and change positions and the rest is history.

He was everything to me, and there’s no question that if it wasn’t for him, I would have probably not made it to the big leagues.

MMO: One of the jaw-dropping moments early in your 2013 autobiography, “Long Shot,” was when you write about the day Ted Williams showed up at your home and watched you take batting practice in your backyard. What do you remember about Williams’ visit to your home?

Piazza: That was an amazing experience. My father was very close with the former Dodgers and Orioles scout Ed Liberatore, and Eddie was very close with Joe DiMaggio and Williams.

There was a card show at the George Washington Motor Lodge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and Ted Williams was there signing autographs. Eddie Libertore was talking with him at breakfast one day and said, “My buddy, Vince, has got a kid. He’s a pretty good hitter, and he’s got a cage in his backyard. He practices in his backyard.” And Ted Williams said, “Let’s go see him hit.”

The next thing I know, Ted Williams is coming to my house! I didn’t sleep the night I found out, it was an amazing experience. I have to tell you, aside from just the mechanical part of hitting, which he was working on and complimented my swing, there was also a lot of mental things that were sort of tattooed in my memory.

It was definitely an inspirational moment, a watershed moment in my career that inspired me to work hard. A lot of the lessons he taught me I still teach today and relay to kids today in my coaching.

MMO: How difficult was the transition going from a first baseman to a catcher in your late teenage years? And you went to the Dodgers’ Dominican academy initially to learn the position, is that right?

Piazza: That’s correct. Look, it was definitely difficult for me. I was fortunate at the time that I had a pretty good arm, and I always threw the ball pretty well. There were times when I was actually pitching at fourteen or fifteen, and Claude Osteen, who was the Phillies’ pitching coach and a former Dodger, saw me pitch and said, “I think Mike could pitch as well.”

I was fortunate to have a decent arm, but to sign as a catcher and really have to convert was really difficult. I was fortunate that I was able to have good coaching; I had Johnny Roseboro and Kevin Kennedy, who were my first two catching coaches. They worked with me religiously in blocking balls and throwing and the other intricacies of the position.

One of the first guys that I caught was a guy named Tim Scott, who pitched for the Expos, and was very patient with me. Another guy, Mike Hartley, was in the big leagues for a little bit. I remember these guys were so patient with me and inspired me.

I knew I was raw and had a lot of work to do, but I had great coaches and people in my life who inspired me from Tommy on down. Not everybody was a big fan, of course; there were always people that you’re never going to convince, but fortunately, I had the right people in my corner. I was blessed to have them looking out and helping me.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: One of those people who you seemed to have in your corner was coach Reggie Smith, who fought hard for the Dodgers to consider you as a prospect. He was also the one who went to your home to bring you back to Vero Beach after you initially decided to quit baseball. How did Smith aid in your development?

Piazza: I think Reggie and I had some really interesting similarities. We gelled right away with the hitting part and had a connection with Ted Williams; Reggie Smith came up with the Red Sox when Williams was the hitting coach there.

There was a real connection, and I think we had the same philosophy. Reggie was able to look at my swing and refine it in a way. He didn’t really change it, but he was able to refine it.

In order to get quicker on the pitch inside, he taught me at the time how to make my swing more compact, more off the hips, and not so much of the bat lag. My swing was a little long, and he was able to refine it and taught me some drills that really helped.

When I was having my problems in the Dodgers organization and wasn’t playing a lot and clashing with some of the coaches, they were going to release me. He was in a meeting, and they were like, “Piazza, non-prospect. We should release him.” And Reggie was like, “Let me tell you something, you release this guy he’s going to come back to bite you in the butt. He has something you cannot teach. You cannot teach power. You can’t teach power, and you can’t teach speed.” He said, “I’m sorry, I just do not recommend releasing a guy that has power.”

They finally relented and gave me a 300-at-bat season, and I went to Bakersfield the next year (1991) and hit 29 home runs. That was a turning point in my life.

If it wasn’t for him looking out for me and going to bat for me, pardon the pun, my life would probably be different.

MMO: It’s been well-documented but that eight-day period between May 14, 1998, and May 22, 1998, in which you were traded twice must’ve been a whirlwind for you. What were your initial reactions to being traded to Florida, and then New York eight days later?

Piazza: That was a very interesting time in the game and in my life personally. It was a little bit frustrating being young and coming up with the Dodgers and thinking I would be there my whole career. And then the Dodgers getting sold and for some reasoning that I don’t understand, we just clashed.

My contract was up, and the Dodgers gave me a two-year deal to get me to free agency because they knew they were selling the team, and then they would wait until the next owners took over.

I don’t know why it was, I have no idea why we clashed. Looking back, I think both of us made mistakes; we were both ego-driven and proud.

At the end of the day, as an athlete, the same competitiveness and drive that allows you to excel at a certain level on the field, you can’t extinguish that when you’re talking about your contract because it’s personal. At that point, I took it personally that they didn’t feel that I was worth what I thought I was worth. I was a little bit immature, and we both said something, and it didn’t work out. It was difficult at the end of the day.

It was only because the Marlins were dismantling their World Series team that they were able to pull off the trade for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson and [Jim] Eisenreich. They justified and thought the trade would be good for them. I went to Florida and played for Jim Leyland for a week, and I really enjoyed that. It wasn’t an easy week and then ended up in New York.

I do believe a certain amount of life is throwing it up to fate and realizing things don’t happen by accident. I was able to let that control part go and say I’m going to end up where I’m going to end up.

I ended up with the Mets and had a little bit of a tough start and was really exposed to New York sports in a very intense way right off the bat. But after a while, I played hard and the fans started embracing me.

To be embraced as a Met, by a fanbase that doesn’t necessarily embrace players that are not from their team and coming up through the team, to me, is my biggest accomplishment. Not the home runs as a catcher, not my average, not anything else. To be embraced by the Mets fans as an outsider more or less, and coming up with the Dodgers, even though they had a connection to Brooklyn, that’s the thing I am most grateful for.

There are not too many guys who come here that don’t come up through the Mets organization that the fans embrace.

MMO: Did playing in a big market like Los Angeles help make the transition of playing in New York any easier?

Piazza: They’re two entirely different experiences, that’s for sure. I don’t know if it helped, but I’ve said before that I feel that I’m one of the few athletes in basically the history of sports that was able to be in my prime in L.A. and New York effectively. There’s not a lot of guys who can say that.

With that said, the transition to New York was very difficult. It was just different. I grew up with the Dodgers, and the fans embraced me even when I struggled and were patient with me. And then when money got involved it turned very quickly. [Laughs.] I was sort of ostracized and kind of run out of town.

I will say that playing there is not easy, but it’s less difficult than New York only because New York you have seven papers and fourteen or so columnists. It’s a different experience, no question about it.

For me, it was something that I needed to really guard my armor and prepare for and concentrate on. It was a lot of pressure! I had sleepless nights and nights where I was really nervous about my performance, but I was able to focus and get through it. As I’ve said before, it’s something I’m very, very grateful for.

MMO: You were such a feared hitter and seemingly always came through in the clutch. You own a career OPS over .900 with both runners-in-scoring-position and two-outs and runners-in-scoring-position. Can you talk a bit about your approach at the plate, especially in those higher-leverage situations?

Piazza: It’s interesting you say that. I had a discussion with Dwight Howard on the show about this. There were guys that I knew that I would listen to if we were facing a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson, and on that day, you could tell that they really didn’t want to be in the lineup. I had the opposite approach. I always felt to be the best I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be out there in the gladiator arena with the best and going up against the best pitchers.

I also had a gift of focus, and I hope you see it on the show. I saw it at times as, for lack of a better word, the eye of the tiger. I tell kids when I got between the lines a switch went on in my head and I became a different person. Maybe it was schizophrenia, I have no idea. [Laughs.]

I turned into a machine, and I had this feeling that when I failed, I almost became physically sick. I hated the idea of going 0-for-4 and striking out a couple of times. After a game, I was miserable, and it made me sick. It was like this feeling of disgust and resentment if I didn’t do well. That’s why if I got one hit, I wanted to get two; if I got two, I wanted three; if I got three, I wanted four. I never threw those at-bats away later in the game.

There were times where if it was late and close and guys were on, I looked in the stands and I loved it. I reveled in it, and I was like, this is what I’m here for. This is what I’m meant to be and where I’m supposed to be. You have to embrace that as an athlete, and so many athletes don’t understand that, or at least they’re not able to develop that feeling and maturity or ability to want to be on the line, in the box or on the mound with the game on the line.

For me, that was what we did it for, and I had this ability or gift to recognize that.

MMO: I’ve had the chance to interview several pitchers that you caught on the Mets in Glendon Rusch, Al Leiter, Pat Mahomes, Dennis Cook and Steve Trachsel. They all have spoken so highly of your defensive abilities in regard to setting a big target and being a really good pitch framer.

During your career, you were criticized at times for your defense. Yet, with the increased reliance and use of analytics, I feel as if that narrative has turned because of your framing and blocking skills. I’m curious what your take is on your defensive acumen as a catcher, and what you felt your strengths and weaknesses were?

Piazza: That’s a good question. I think because I was a main cog in the lineup, there was probably more scrutiny on my defense because I think there were some coaches who thought I shouldn’t be catching, or at least I’d be best served DH’ing or playing another position.

The best catchers in history like Iván Rodríguez and Johnny Bench [were great at] throwing, and throwing runners out is a very important part of catching, and I’ve never shied away from that. However, there’s a lot more to catching than just having a great arm. Benito Santiago, I was a huge fan and used to love to watch him throw from his knees, and I actually replicated that a little bit and tried it myself.

Once I started catching a lot of games, Tommy Lasorda always made the joke when I wanted or needed a day off, he’d say, “I don’t have a bat long enough for you to hit from the bench.” [Laughs.]

When the pitcher is out of the game, I’m still throwing the ball back to the other pitchers, so my arm strength started deteriorating rather rapidly in my thirties just from use. You only have so many bullets in the holster.

But getting back to my point, yes, throwing runners out is important, and I think that’s something I was most scrutinized for or for not being able to do, especially later in my career.

As you mentioned, there are other things like blocking the plate, which is something I never shied away from, and I got racked good a couple of times; there are some great collisions online. I was never shying away from that. Catching popups, blocking balls in the dirt, just catching the ball or framing, whatever you want to call it. I was larger than most catchers, so guys liked to throw to me.

Coming up with a veteran staff when I came up with the Dodgers in ’93, I had Orel Hershiser, Kevin Gross, Tom Candiotti, Jim Gott, Roger McDowell, Steve Wilson, guys that were really demanding. I was blessed because they were very patient with me, but they were also very hard on me as well. That baptism in fire was great for my career as a catcher.

I also had this feeling, like if I grounded into a double play and I went out there with my head up my butt or just pouting, the pitcher was going to see that. I needed the pitcher to know that I was one hundred percent looking out for him and trying to get him through that game. Even with guys that I didn’t necessarily get along with all the time. I took active pride in that.

I knew I had some shortcomings defensively, but I always felt like there were other things I wanted to overcompensate for. I’m glad and blessed that these guys noticed that. It makes me feel really good.

MMO: The Mets were the first team to play a game in New York since the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11th. Your go-ahead, 2-run home run in the eighth against the Braves is a moment that will forever be etched in time. What memories do you have from that night, and how did you keep your composure during such an emotional time?

Piazza: I was raised in a very religious household, an Italian, Slovakian household. I still believe in prayer, and I believe in mediation, and believe me, it took all that feeling and ability to lift it up to a higher power and let go. We have a tendency in life to want to control every single minutia aspect of our lives, and there are some things we just can’t control.

Before that game and arriving to the stadium and going through all the feelings of that week of just wondering if we should be there, was very difficult emotionally. It’s hard enough to play a major league sport under normal circumstances, but under those circumstances, it was absolutely terrifying in a way because we’re not used to this emotional trauma.

To get out there and then start the program and hear the bagpipes, man, it was heart-wrenching. I didn’t even know if I could play that night. To just look up and pray and say God, please let me get through this night.

The game became secondary until the game started, which I thought was really cool. We all just wanted to get through the night, and I don’t mean rushing through, but we just wanted to get through without any further emotional stress or injury or whatnot. And remember, we were off for a week, so we were a little bit out of our playing shape, or at least the intensity of the everyday experience.

There was a lot of anxiety. But in the end, as I’ve said, it was just blessed. God got me through it and I was in the right place at the right time. I just let it go, and the moment happened.

I can only point it up to my faith, I really can. I don’t remember anything about it; it was almost like I was in a trance-like state and was just very blessed to come through at that moment.

I’m very honored that people still really enjoy it and I’ve always tried to treat that moment as a moment of respect. It’s very flattering and anybody that comes up to me when I’m in public, I’m always blessed and love to listen to people’s stories about that night as well.

MMO: Putting that momentous home run aside, which was bigger than baseball, is there a home run you hit with the Mets that still vividly sticks out in your mind to this day?

Piazza: I had some great moments. And that’s what I love about the Internet: you can go back and share in things.

The 200^th home run against Billy Wagner in the Dome for me was great. A couple of home runs I hit down the stretch in ’98 because those home runs for me were sort of turning the crowd in my favor. The fans were finally realizing that they knew I was starting to rise to the occasion.

It’s funny, when I was playing well down the stretch in September, somebody put a sign up at Shea that said, “100 million is a bargain,” or something like that. At that point, I was like, This is good, I’m starting to make some progress here. Because everyone was like, is he worth the money? Is he not worth the money? These debates were going on ad nauseam for me every day. So, when someone put that sign up, I was like, This is good, this is good. [Laughs.]

The 2000 season and ’99 season, and hitting with John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo, and the great players I played with. I say this all the time, but you can’t have personal success because baseball is such a team game; you can’t drive in yourself every time. If you hit 35 solo home runs, you have 35 RBIs. I needed guys on base. I played with the Roger Cedeño, Rickey Henderson, Olerud and Alfonzo, and these guys were out there all the time. They gave me those opportunities.

We had a lot of fun and had great characters on those teams. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t want to come to the ballpark because I just enjoyed laughing with these guys.

Special moments, special times and went by way too fast. I always love to go back. I miss it dearly.

MMO: You certainly don’t have to answer this, but I’m curious if you and Roger Clemens ever spoke and tried to mend fences after all of the history you two had?

Piazza: I have no problem talking about it. I believe in forgiveness. If he ever wanted to reach out, I would talk to him. I have no problem. And if he doesn’t want to, that’s fine, too. We’re not playing golf any time soon; we’re not buds or anything.

As I’ve said before, it was a difficult time in my life as well, that’s something you don’t ever take for granted. When you’re talking about not just injuring but even worse, it could’ve been a lot worse situation. It could’ve been a career-ending injury if he hit me in the eye. It’s something I’m very sensitive to and still am for that matter.

Time moves on, and I’ve always been very philosophical about things like that. I think it was a challenge in my life and my career that I went through. I tried to handle it as well as I could. You’re never going to make everyone happy, that’s part of life too.

No, we’re not really friends. If he wanted to reach out, I’m not going to run away from anything. I’ve always been accountable, and I always felt like I wanted to be there. It is what it is but it’s fine. I don’t lose sleep over it.

The home run I hit off Jeff Nelson in that game (Game 2, 2000 World Series) was one of my most proud home runs, to be honest with you. Think about the dichotomy there, the paradox there.

And putting all the incidents aside with Clemens, taking all that out, it was really frustrating because I felt like we really had a shot to be a miracle team. We’ve could’ve been the second Miracle Mets. Even though they say it wasn’t the Yankees’ greatest team, that would’ve been a moment that we really wanted to give to the fans.

I always thank God for being there and having the opportunity. Even though we fell short we were there and that’s something I will always take away.

MMO: Al Leiter was convinced that if you guys took Game 1 you were winning the Series.

Piazza: I felt the same way. I don’t know how the analytics crowd talks about momentum, but I believe in momentum. And we had momentum. You could look at the Timo Pérez not scoring on Zeile’s hit, if the ball went out it would’ve been a home run.

We just kind of hit a wall and it was frustrating, no question about it. But it gave a great moment for the city and I’m always a glass half-full guy.

Aug 27, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Former Major League catcher Mike Piazza at Old Timers Day at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: What did you think of Old Timers’ Day?

Piazza: I thought that was great! I’m involved with the alumni, and I love our history. We have some cool things coming up. Retiring Jerry Koosman’s number a few years ago was great, obviously, Keith’s number was great last year, the Old Timers’ game was great.

I thought everybody enjoyed it. I didn’t realize and I do realize how out of shape we all are. [Laughs.] The funniest thing was after the end of two and a half innings, everyone was like, “I’m not going back out there anymore. I’m done!” [Laughs.] Maybe next year we can have a little bit of a better system.

I made fun of Al Leiter because I was like, ‘Dude, you couldn’t even throw me a freaking strike!’ I think he was afraid of giving up a home run, and then he couldn’t even throw a strike. Get a BP guy in there!

It was a great first re-engagement of the Old Timers’ Game. The guys really loved it, and the response was good, so hopefully it’ll be an annual thing now and we can modify it or refine it a little bit to at least make it a little quicker maybe. But the fans didn’t care. It’s just something I hope becomes a tradition again.

MMO: Tell me about your involvement in the upcoming FOX reality series “Special Forces.” How did that come about and what can viewers expect from the series?

Piazza: Incredible experience, it changed my life in a way. It was really an incredible experience as far as the intensity and authenticity of the show. It was one hundred percent authentic, there weren’t any cuts or let’s do this again or craft services or smoothies or air conditioning. It was straight-out intense from day one until the end of the show.

I met some great people on that show and have all become very close. I just tell people to watch it! I think they’re going to enjoy it and think they’re going to laugh and cry.

There were some amazing moments, and I was impressed with everybody. I was impressed with the people who weren’t professional athletes on the show, they showed a lot of guts and determination. It was a real rewarding experience in watching the human spirit.

Pete Dadds / FOX

MMO: Did you undergo any special training prior to shooting?

Piazza: I work out still. I went to the gym this morning, and I consider myself in decent shape. I’m not, by any means, an elite athlete or what I would consider in elite shape. But I did try to up the intensity a few months out going into that.

But there was nothing you could do to prepare for that!  [Laughs.] Literally nothing unless you did the exact exercises.

It was hard; just running in sand with boots on was hard. Getting to the drills was hard. It was pretty intense, and I think people are going to be pretty surprised with the things we had to do, and the bravery and courage the people showed. I was very impressed.

MMO: You’re also managing Team Italy for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. How’s the preparation been? Do you have any aspirations to coach or manage in the majors one day?

Piazza: I really enjoy trying to grow the game worldwide. Anybody who knows me well knows that I’ve always enjoyed that tournament. And now that it’s coming back, I think it’s great.

We have an incredible group of guys. Our philosophy on building this team was a little different than in years past; we may not have the most established major leaguers. We’re going to have guys that are close to the big leagues. I wanted a team that was a little younger, a little hungrier.

We have some really interesting guys. It’s a little fluid right now because we haven’t finalized the roster, but we’ve named the roster, and I think it’s online. We’re going to have some Italian guys, we’re going to have some native Italian guys who we are very proud of playing over here in the minor leagues. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to grow the game.

As far as my philosophy of managing, I have the two-time Minor League Manager of the Year Blake Butera, who manages for the Tampa Rays. He’s more or less my co-manager because, quite honestly, I’ve been a little out of the game for a while, and the trends are different, the scouting is different, the analytics are different. I would be kind of crazy not to have an amazing staff. Chris Denorfia, who played for Team Italy, he’s the Double-A manager for the Rockies, he’s on my staff.

I really feel if I was going to do it (manage in the majors), it would definitely take a lot of commitment. I don’t think you can go into managing and take it in a way that’s not 100 percent authentic. I would have to go back and re-learn a lot of these trends or sort of get a crash course into how the game is different today. There are a lot of similarities; of course, it’s the same game, but I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have an incredible staff.

Blake is like my co-manager; he’s more or less going to be helping me tremendously, which I need. The tournament itself has a lot of interesting rules with pitching and pitch counts, so I need a lot of help with that.

I would say not right now, [but] I never say never. I don’t know if this experience turns out to be a positive experience. But it’s like building a coalition, if these guys say, hey, Mike, we’d love to work with you, we’ll take it from there.

We have a lot of work to do, we’re in a very tough bracket, and the teams are very difficult. Cuba and Taipei are good, and the Netherlands, so we don’t have a cakewalk.

We have a good team; we’d love to get out of that bracket and get to Tokyo, which would be a hell of an accomplishment for us. But first things first, we have to hopefully get out of that bracket.

We have our day off first, so we’re going to play four days in a row, which is really difficult, whereas other teams have a day off in the middle. We’ve been given a really tough pool to ride. It’s going to be tough for us, we’ve got our hands full.

MMO: Thanks so much for some time today, Mike. It was great speaking with you.

Piazza: My pleasure, man.

Follow Mike Piazza on Twitter, @mikepiazza31

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