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April 14, 2005
Old Mike, New Mike
Flashback with me to September 21, 2001. On that day, the Mets played their first home game after Spetember 11th against the much hated Braves. They won 3-2 in a memorable game for one specific reason. Mike Piazza. Remember? How could you not… Bottom of the 8th, one out, Steve Karsay on the mound for the Braves and Desi Relaford on first (pinch running for Edgardo Alfonzo). Mike Piazza steps up to the plate and during his at-bat, rips a ball to centerfield. A monster shot that sent the crowd, which had been fairly somber and queit all night for obvious reasons, nuts and gave the Mets the 3-2 lead, which after a fun Armando Benitez 9th inning, the Mets held onto. Depending on who you are and where you are from as a Met fan, that homerun means many different things. But, and I doubt you can find someone to disagree on this, it was a show of Mike Piazza’s greatness… his ability to lift himself up and rise to the occasion. It was a special moment, especially for me, as a 14 year-old just well, confused about the world. That’s also the night that Mike Piazza became Mike Piazza to me. He had been on the Mets for a little over two years already, but that was the night he transformed into that truly special star for me. And, as much as it saddens me to say it, that Mike Piazza… he’s gone. Entering Wednesday night’s play, Mike Piazza was hitting .150/.261/.350 in 20 ABs. And unfortunately, that’s just a continuation of a trend… Year OPS OPS+ 2000 1.012 159 2001 .957 150 2002 .903 140 2003 .860 124 2004 .806 108 Now, obviously I don’t expect him to put up a .611 OPS this year, but this might help explain what’s going on with him a little better… Year AVG IsoP 2000 .324 .290 2001 .300 .272 2002 .280 .264 2003 .286 .197 2004 .266 .178 In the same time, his IsoD has gone up from .106 in 2000 to .129 in 2004, helping keep his OPS up a little. Mike Piazza can’t be expected to hit .300 anymore and even a .280 mark might be pushing it at this point. But the bigger issue, if he can hit, let’s say, .270, is that his IsoP has fallen down hard. And that’s why Mike isn’t the same Mike anymore. No one is afarid of him anymore. No one is going to intentionally walk him (but I bet you Beltran will get plenty of IBBs ahead of Piazza) because they are afraid he will take them deep. Just watching him hit, you see a player flailing at outside breaking balls, a hitter behind fastballs… he’s just not Mike Piazza anymore. So what does that mean? Well, hopefully at some point soon he’ll be dropped in the order. It’s nice to start him there at the beginning of the year as a sign of respect, but eventually, a move has to be made. But that still doesn’t make Piazza a bad player. Despite his (overrated) defensive liabilities, he can still hit some and especially well for a catcher, so even with some defensive issues, because of his bat, he is a more than capable and an above average catcher. But sadly, we don’t get to see many special Mike Piazza moments anymore. He’s just not that player anymore. So, in his last year with the Mets, there will still be a few, so cherish them when they happen… just like we all cherish that homerun in 2001. 15 Responses to “Old Mike, New Mike”Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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Nice Jeremy.
It’s funny, I really didn’t like Piazza much when he was on the Dodgers and I really didn’t warm up to him until ‘99 or so. He seemed too greedy the way he held out negotiations with LA and I thought at the time that the Mets gave him too much money.
The “Piazza Era” was certainly something special. Part of me hopes that Mike will get one more shot at a World Series in NY, even if it’s as a bench player next year.
The Mets better retire #31 when he’s gone too. Personally, I think it’s a travesty that Mister Koo (or anyone for that matter) is allowed to wear #17. Doc may have wasted his career, but he was also something special to all of us who can remember.
Er, I mean, #16 and that would be Minky. I think I’m going to bed now…
17 is another guy who’s number shouldn’t be available.
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/PHOTOFILE/AADC020.jpg
AGREE WI THE # 16- MAYBE NOT RETIRE IT, BUT DON’T ISSUE IT- AN UNOFFICIAL RETIREMENT
Great article on Mike - I have always loved that guy. How he did not win the MVP in 99 or 00 is criminal. I have often been infuriated with the NY press’s handling of Piazza - unfortunately, too many Mets fans fail to appreciate getting to watch the best hitting catcher in baseball history.
As far as retiring Gooden’s or Keith’s numbers - no f’in way! I may be biased, but when you are 13 -15 years old and you learn that your favorite players are drug addicts, it breaks your heart. I remember Hernandez testifying to his cocaine use in a trial at Pittsburgh in either 84 or 85. I was 12/13 yrs old, and it borke my - I’ve never forgiven him - even with the 86 heroics. As far as I am concerned, you do not retire the numbers of athletes who are confessed drug abusers and who throw their careers away. I don’t care how good they were.
Then where do you stop? Babe Ruth sure as hell drank alot; lets unretire his number. I hate to tell you this, but alot of players drank or used. I’m not saying it’s right, but the jersey is retired for being a great player, not for being a great guy.
I agree that his defense is not bad. He calls an excellent game (I believe stats show Met staff ERA over the past few yrs is @ 1 run lower w/Mike in there) and great on plays at the plate (as opposed to Vance Wilson, who’s probably the WORST I’ve ever seen on tag plays at the plate).
i cringe everytime i see those numbers on someone other than our ‘86 team. who cares keith or doc’s off field problems…they were heroes to me on the field for those glory years. those numbers need to be put on the wall.
For the teams sake, let’s hope Willie moves him down in the lineup. If he doesn’t get moved down, the fans are gonna boo Mike and it’s just too bad.
Yes, he still calls a good game and is good at blocking the plate, and does everything well defensively except for throwing runners out. But his offense has really gone down fast.
I’ve never been a Piazza fan. I’m not saying he hasn’t been a great asset over the years, and I respect his contribution to the team, but I never really liked him. Always struck me as kind of a self-important pretty boy. His defense is at best okay, and the good aspects are compromised by how bad he is at throwing runners out. Yes, he still calls a decent game, but with his offense crumbling, I think it’s time to look at replacing him.
Keith Hernandez definitely needs his number retired. One could make a case either way on Gooden, since his flash of greatness was so brief, but Hernandez was a great player and leader for years, both with the Mets and elsewhere.
The Mets have been mum in recent years about the lack of necessary retired numbers.
For some reason a little known and/or publicized fact is that slow players (or players with slow player skills) decline with age a lot more rapidly than do fast players. Piazza of course is one of the slowest players in baseball.
A steep decline from a player like Piazza is not unexpected.
BTW, that is why you see such steep decline from catchers. It is not that they are catchers. It is that most of them are slow, and thus have a steep againg curve.
Boy, I am giving away all of my secrets on this web site. Shhh… It might be that I am harkening back to my early childhood when I was a rabid Met fan…
Let’s give Mikey a shot here before saying he’s through. I’m sure you guys have all seen his splits from last year by position:
C: AB 181, 331/419/552
1B: AB 240, 229/324/383
Now, I’m not saying he’s gonna hit .330 but I think he still has something left in the tank. So far he has only 27 at bats, let’s see where we’re at after about 150. He’s always been a streaky hitter, the only difference now is that the cold streaks seem to last a little longer and the hot streaks are a little shorter but he’s still capable of those 4 homers in 5 games type of stretches…
Some great points made by each of you. Let’s start with the “unofficial retirement” of numbers. My first vote is Keith Hernandez - despite the issues, he was simply the best defensive first sacker that I’ve ever seen (I’m a 40 something, so I’ve seen a few). Is there a defensive play more perfect than Keith orchestrating a 3-6-3 double play or his aggressiveness in charging the batter on a bunt? His method of holding runners has never been duplicated (umps also cracked down on the fair/foul territory) but who else has tried? Not a bad hitter either…
Gary Carter - love him or hate him, “The Kid” had a wonderful career with Montreal and the Mets. He played with a lot of grit and determination, always hustled, and had some darn big hits for the Mets. Doc and Darryl - OK, lot’s of issues here, they both could have been the best….Watching Doc was reminiscent of young Vida Blue. Both could and should have achieved greatness. Imagine what Darryl could have accomplished had he stayed focused and clean - how many of us dreamed as little leaguers of possessing the raw talent and natural skills of a Darryl?
Mike Piazza - don’t count him out just yet. I think that Mike has some moments of greatness ahead of him. He will settle in and have a good year. I believe that he is still capable of a 290/25/85 year - what’s wrong with that given the talent around him?
Keep the faith folks - the 6 game winning streak (despite the 5 game losing streak) is an early sign of more good things to come. This is a good team.
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