History of Mike Piazza in Timeline
Mike Piazza is a retired American professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in MLB (1992-2007). He is a Hall of Famer known primarily for his time with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, though he also played for the Marlins, Padres, and Athletics. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Offensively, he was exceptional for a catcher, hitting 427 career home runs, with a record 396 as a catcher. He also recorded a .308 batting average and 1,335 RBIs. He was slated to manage Italy's national baseball team in 2020 and 2021 but was unable to due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
1948: Defensive Metrics Report on Catchers Begins
Since 1948, a report ranked Mike Piazza third among all catchers since 1948 in improving the performances of his pitchers.
September 4, 1968: Michael Piazza's birth
On September 4, 1968, Michael Joseph Piazza was born. He is an American former professional baseball catcher.
January 1983: Attended 76ers game
In January 1983, Mike Piazza watched the Philadelphia 76ers court side in their game when Julius Erving performed his famous Rock-a-Baby dunk, which Piazza cited as one of his indelible childhood memories as a sports fan.
1986: Graduation from High School
In 1986, Mike Piazza graduated from Phoenixville Area High School.
1988: Piazza played at Miami-Dade
In 1988, Mike Piazza played first base at Miami-Dade, hitting .364 with three home runs and driving in 23 runs in 29 games.
1988: Drafted by the Dodgers
In 1988, Mike Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers as a favor from Tommy Lasorda to Piazza's father.
1988: Defensive Metrics Data Collection
Since 1988, Mike Piazza's pitch framing ranks seventh-best among all catchers based on new defensive metrics.
September 1, 1992: MLB debut with the Dodgers
On September 1, 1992, Mike Piazza made his MLB debut with the Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs. He drew a walk in his first plate appearance and then doubled to deep center field in his first official at-bat.
September 12, 1992: First home run
On September 12, 1992, Mike Piazza hit his first home run against Steve Reed of the San Francisco Giants.
1992: Debut in MLB
In 1992, Mike Piazza started his 16 season career in Major League Baseball.
1993: Named NL Rookie of the Year
In 1993, Mike Piazza won the NL Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .318, slugging 35 home runs, and driving in 112 RBI. He was also selected to the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
November 27, 1994: Piazza appears on Married...with Children
On November 27, 1994, during the 1994–95 MLB strike, Mike Piazza and other striking players appeared as themselves in an episode of Married...with Children.
1996: Finished second in NL MVP voting
In 1996, Mike Piazza hit .336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBI, finishing second in NL MVP voting, behind Ken Caminiti.
1997: Best season with Dodgers
In 1997, Mike Piazza had his best season with the Dodgers, hitting .362, with 40 home runs, 124 RBI, an on-base percentage of .431, and a slugging percentage of .638. He also became the first catcher in MLB history to get 200 hits in a season.
1997: Piazza's best year as a Dodger
In 1997, Mike Piazza had his best year as a Dodger, batting .362, hitting 40 home runs, and had 124 RBI, leading to a runner-up finish in voting for the NL Most Valuable Player Award.
May 15, 1998: Traded to the Marlins
On May 15, 1998, Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile were traded by the Dodgers to the Marlins in return for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, Manuel Barrios, and Jim Eisenreich. Piazza appeared in five games with the Marlins hitting .278.
1998: Traded to Marlins and then Mets
In 1998, Mike Piazza was traded to the Marlins and then a week later to the Mets, where he spent most of the remainder of his career.
1998: Traded to the Mets
In 1998, the Marlins traded Mike Piazza to the New York Mets. Piazza finished the season batting .328 with 32 home runs and 111 RBI, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit more than 30 home runs in a season while playing for three different franchises.
1999: Tied career highs
In 1999, Mike Piazza tied his career highs of 40 home runs and 124 RBI.
2000: Incident with Roger Clemens
During the 2000 World Series, Roger Clemens threw a pitch that broke Piazza's bat, with the barrel heading towards Clemens. This followed an earlier incident where Clemens hit Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing a concussion.
2000: World Series Appearance
In 2000, Mike Piazza helped the Mets reach the World Series, the only World Series appearance of his career.
2000: Led Mets to NL Pennant
In 2000, Mike Piazza led the Mets to an NL pennant and a World Series appearance in the 2000 Subway Series.
2000: Set home run record
In 2000, Mike Piazza set the record for most home runs in a season without ever hitting more than one in a game, passing a mark previously set by Rogers Hornsby in 1929.
2000: Highest fielding percentage
In 2000, Mike Piazza's .997 fielding percentage was the highest among NL catchers.
September 21, 2001: Iconic home run after 9/11
On September 21, 2001, Mike Piazza hit a game-winning home run in the first professional baseball game played in New York following the 9/11 attacks.
May 5, 2004: Most home runs by a catcher
On May 5, 2004, Mike Piazza surpassed Carlton Fisk for most home runs by a catcher with his 352nd.
2004: Played first base
During the 2004 season, Mike Piazza began to split his time between catching and playing first base to ease the stress on his knees.
2004: Caught for Clemens in All-Star Game
In the 2004 All-Star Game, Mike Piazza caught for Roger Clemens when both were on the NL team.
January 29, 2005: Piazza marries Alicia Rickter
On January 29, 2005, Mike Piazza married actress and Playboy Playmate Alicia Rickter at St. Jude Catholic Church in Miami, Florida. Angelica Bridges was the maid of honor.
2005: Piazza leaves the Mets
After the 2005 season, Piazza left the Mets to play one season each for the Padres and Athletics.
January 29, 2006: Signed with Padres
On January 29, 2006, Mike Piazza signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres for $2 million.
July 21, 2006: 2,000th career hit
On July 21, 2006, Mike Piazza collected his 2,000th career hit.
August 8, 2006: First game back at Shea Stadium
On August 8, 2006, Mike Piazza played his first game at Shea Stadium since leaving the Mets.
December 8, 2006: Signed with Oakland Athletics
On December 8, 2006, Mike Piazza signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics for $8.5 million.
2006: Piazza represents Italy in World Baseball Classic
In 2006, Mike Piazza represented Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
July 25, 2007: Fan throws water bottle at Piazza
On July 25, 2007, during a game between the Angels and Athletics, a fan threw a water bottle that hit Mike Piazza after he had homered. Piazza pointed his bat at the fan, Roland Flores, who was later arrested.
2007: Piazza's retirement
In 2007, Mike Piazza retired after 16 seasons in Major League Baseball.
March 27, 2008: Roland Flores sentenced for water bottle throwing incident
On March 27, 2008, Roland Flores, the fan who threw a water bottle at Mike Piazza on July 25, 2007, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation.
May 20, 2008: Piazza announces retirement
On May 20, 2008, Mike Piazza announced his retirement from MLB after not being signed to a team for the 2008 season, stating it was time to start a new chapter in his life.
September 28, 2008: Piazza returns to Shea Stadium for closing ceremony
On September 28, 2008, Mike Piazza returned to Shea Stadium during the "Shea Goodbye" closing ceremony. He received the final pitch in the stadium's history from Tom Seaver and together they closed the park.
2008: Defensive Metrics Report on Piazza's Pitching Improvement
In 2008, a report ranked Mike Piazza third among all catchers since 1948 in improving the performances of his pitchers.
April 13, 2009: Piazza receives first pitch at Citi Field
On April 13, 2009, Mike Piazza received the very first pitch at the new Citi Field from Tom Seaver before the Mets' opening game against the Padres.
2009: Piazza is Italian National Baseball team hitting coach
In 2009, Mike Piazza was the Italian National Baseball team's hitting coach at the World Baseball Classic.
May 8, 2010: Piazza expresses desire to be inducted as a Met
On May 8, 2010, while receiving an award, Mike Piazza stated that if he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he would like to be inducted as a Met.
2010: Piazza coaches for Italian Baseball Academy
In 2010, Mike Piazza was an instructor for the Italian Baseball Academy when it won the European Baseball Championship.
2011: Piazza manages USA team in Futures Game
In 2011, Mike Piazza managed the USA team in the Futures Game, wearing a Mets cap.
2012: Piazza coaches for Italian Baseball Academy
In 2012, Mike Piazza was an instructor for the Italian Baseball Academy when it won the European Baseball Championship.
January 9, 2013: Piazza fails to be elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
On January 9, 2013, Mike Piazza failed to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 57.8% of the votes. He stated that he would address performance-enhancing drug rumors in his book.
February 2013: Piazza's autobiography released
In February 2013, Mike Piazza's autobiography, entitled Long Shot, was released.
May 3, 2013: Piazza Debuts with Miami City Ballet
On May 3, 2013, Mike Piazza debuted with the Miami City Ballet, speaking a few lines in the role of a hit man in the troupe's production of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.
September 29, 2013: Piazza inducted into New York Mets Hall of Fame
On September 29, 2013, Mike Piazza was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
2013: Inducted into NY Mets Hall of Fame
In 2013, Mike Piazza was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
2013: Piazza coaches for Italy in World Baseball Classic
In 2013, Mike Piazza was the Italian National Baseball team's hitting coach at the World Baseball Classic.
2015: Piazza fails to make Hall of Fame in second ballot
In 2015, Mike Piazza again failed to make the Hall of Fame, receiving 69.9% of the votes needed, 28 votes short of the mark.
January 6, 2016: Piazza elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
On January 6, 2016, Mike Piazza was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 83% of the vote.
April 2016: Jersey purchased for $365,000
In April 2016, the jersey Mike Piazza wore in the September 21, 2001 game was purchased for $365,000, the highest price ever paid for a modern-day jersey.
July 30, 2016: Mets retire Piazza's number
On July 30, 2016, the New York Mets retired Mike Piazza's uniform number, 31, in a ceremony prior to a game against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field.
2016: Piazza Purchases Stake in A.C. Reggiana
In 2016, Mike Piazza purchased a majority ownership stake in the third-division Italian soccer club A.C. Reggiana with an estimated investment of $3 million.
2016: Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
In 2016, Mike Piazza was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
2017: Piazza owned A.C. Reggiana 1919
In 2017, Mike Piazza owned the Italian soccer team A.C. Reggiana 1919 and played for two seasons in Serie C under his leadership.
July 2018: Piazza puts A.C. Reggiana up for sale
In July 2018, after two seasons of ownership and a controversial playoff loss, Mike Piazza put the A.C. Reggiana soccer team up for sale. The club later ceased operations.
December 2018: A.C. Reggiana Declares Bankruptcy
In December 2018, the A.C. Reggiana soccer team, owned by Mike Piazza, declared bankruptcy for the third time in twenty years.
2018: A.C. Reggiana 1919 non-registration
In 2018, the Italian soccer team A.C. Reggiana 1919 was non-registered due to continued financial troubles.
November 13, 2019: Piazza to manage Italian National Baseball team
On November 13, 2019, Mike Piazza announced he would manage the Italian National Baseball team in the 2020 European Baseball Championship and the 2021 World Baseball Classic.
2019: Piazza Easter Egg in Spider-Man: Far From Home
In 2019, a triangular pennant bearing Mike Piazza's surname and uniform number is in the background of Peter Parker's bedroom in the film Spider-Man: Far From Home.
2020: Piazza unable to manage Italian team due to pandemic
In 2020, Mike Piazza was unable to manage the Italian National Baseball team due to the coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 European Baseball Club competitions.
2021: Piazza unable to manage Italian team due to pandemic
In 2021, Mike Piazza was unable to manage the Italian National Baseball team due to the coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 European Baseball Club competitions.
2021: Death of Vince Piazza
In 2021, Mike Piazza's father, Vince Piazza, passed away.
2023: Piazza on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
In 2023, Mike Piazza appeared on the Fox reality challenge series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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