The Mets need a catcher this year. Are you available?
Yeah, well. Uh, no. You know what? I think you have to put the cars in the junkyard. It's really tough to bring it back. We'll let the babies take over. They'll be fine. It's tough. They had a lot of injuries and a lot of frustration, but hopefully that's what will make the good times even sweeter — all the frustration.
Mike Piazza was interviewed by New York Magazine while attending the 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner to benefit the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis at the Waldorf on Tuesday.
Piazza was asked if he kept in touch with people in the Mets office, and he responded, “Yeah, occasionally. It's tough for me. My recent undertaking, I was just working for the Italian Baseball Federation. They had a World Cup in Italy. I was in Italy for three and a half weeks. I just got back from that. But I know a bunch of people in the front office. Charlie Samuels, who's their clubhouse director. He's been there forever. Yeah, I talk to them every now and again ... And, um, you know, follow them. Unfortunately, they didn't have a great year. But, you know, things will get better for them.”
Do you think the Mets are the unluckiest team in baseball?
No. I don't believe in luck. No. Look, we had a lot of frustrations when I was there. That's just the unfortunate thing of playing for the Mets. The highs are extremely high, and the lows are really low. It's really like a roller coaster. There's really not a lot of middle ground with them. [Piazza's wife interjects: "The Chicago Cubs are the unluckiest team in baseball."] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly! The Mets have won two World Series. There's no question. Things will get better.
Piazza was asked about the dimensions of Citi Field (AKA Gil Hodges Memorial Park), and whether he could hit more than 12 Home Runs there. The humble former catcher replied, “Not now! [Laughs] In my heyday? Maybe. There wasn't really a park I didn't ... Let's just say I didn't fear any park.”
Sorry Mike, you would have hit at least 30 in the new park. Hell, he could hit 30 out of Yellowstone!
Probably the weirdest analogy Piazza had was when:
Is there anything old and run-down about Shea that you miss?
Well, Shea is kind of like that good friend who you always have fun with but he never buys lunch. You know, you can kind of do without him. You like him, but at the end of the day, do you really miss him? I dunno. [laughs].
I always likened Shea to a toilet. Although ugly, it is still our toilet, and we had a comfort level with it.
Piazza had spent some time this year with the Italian National Baseball Team this year for the World Baseball Classic, and again for the World Cup, which was in Italy.
It was great having Piazza in town, and it wouldn’t surprise me if one day he might don a Mets uniform again, possibly as a coach.
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