Piazza: Catcher, Slugger, Icon, Star

by Greg W. Prince

A franchise and fan base in perpetual search of validation finally had its ticket punched as 2016 dawned. Mike Piazza, who held records in one hand and a city’s rapt attention in the other, gained election to the Hall of Fame. Within weeks of this long-awaited announcement, the ballclub with whom he chose to cast his eternal lot, the New York Mets, made a date to retire his number.

In Catcher, Slugger, Icon, Star , Greg W. Prince—cocreator of Faith and Fear in Flushing , “the blog for Mets fans who like to read,” and author of Amazin’ Again , the story of the 2015 National League champions—explores the parallel paths Piazza and the Mets set out on in the early 1990s and how their individual journeys merged into a mutual quest for transcendence. From marriage of convenience to lifetime bond to a state of baseball grace reached only once before in team history, Piazza examines how the stranger from Los Angeles became New York’s favorite son and why Mets fans continued to rally to Piazza’s cause years after he took his final swing for them.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Baseball

280 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2017

Reviews

[Alex Nagler · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOW BATTING...MIKE PIAZZA

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg Prince, the consummate storyteller, weaves the career of Hall of Famer Mike Piazza into the fabric of Mets fandom as only he can. Through the lens of the ultimate Mets writer, Prince tracks Piazza’s early career with the Dodgers from the perspective of the Mets, so that his Mets career falls neatly into context and his legacy as only the second player inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame as a Met is fully elucidated. The details in the book bring back all the memories of Piazza’s glory years with the blue and orange, including the 1999 playoffs and the 2000 Pennant winners. From the run-in with Roger Clements to the dramatic September 21st home run against the Braves (my wife will have to forgive the tear-stain on that page), Piazza’s imprint on New York and on Mets fans is securely documented in this loving tribute.

To be sure, this book is written for Mets fans and is from a Mets perspective. Readers who are expecting a biography of the great Piazza will be disappointed, as will Dodger fans since his days in LA are documented only tangentially. This book provides no new insights into Piazza the person and includes no interviews or personal reflections from Piazza. But, for Mets fans who want to relive the Piazza era with the aid of Mr. Prince’s vivid prose, this is a wonderful read and should adorn all Mets fans’ shelves.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Mets writer, Greg Prince, penned this book on one of my favorite players. Piazza became a Met in my second season as a Met fan and he's definitely a touchstone to me. Discovering more about Mike's Dodger years was enlightening and revisiting the 1998-2001 Mets is always welcome.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you look at Mike Piazza's Hall of Fame plaque, you see 5 teams so an outsider might wonder why Piazza insisted that he wear a Mets cap on that plaque. That same person might also wonder why Piazza is such an iconic figure in Mets history. Greg W. Prince gives us the answers and much more in this outstanding and essential new book. Prince doesn't give us another Piazza biography, he tells us why Piazza is one of the most important and beloved figures in Mets history by placing his time with the Mets in historical context. Piazza didn't just play the game well, he helped lead the transformation of the Mets from insignificance into a World Series team. Prince tells us how and why this happened as only he can while taking you back to the moments when you were on the edge of your seat waiting for Piazza's bat to send a baseball high and deep into the Flushing night.