What Mike Piazza had sweatily rubbing on his back is none of your business, sir! Is that what bothers you, that he was a bottom? I'll have you know that Mike Piazza is twice the man that you...oh, catchers equipment? Yea, I guess catchers equipment can do that.

I enjoyed watching Piazza - Haven't really enjoyed the Mets as much since.

I remember one game early in his Mets career where he grounded into a DP to end the game and didn't hustle - if he had he would have clearly been safe. I never saw him not hustle out a ball again. Also thought the ball he hit to end the 2000 WS off Mariano was gone - typical Shea Stadium.

That all being said, calling him the best hitting catcher, while technically correct, is deceiving. The position is too important to give him a pass for being so extraordinarily bad at it. If you need a catcher for a game, would you take him over Bench?

Not saying he doesn't deserve to be in the Hall (ignoring the PED issue b/c I would bet the ranch he was a major user), just wish they would leave it at great hitter.

The position is too important to give him a pass for being so extraordinarily bad at it.

Except that he wasn't.

Yes, he was.

He was bad at throwing, in an era when steal attempts were at a low point. He was good at the other stuff a catcher does.

Bad would have been a vast improvement. He was an abomination at throwing and seemingly decent at the other stuff.

(I doubt anyone on this board other than Tufts can properly evaluate how a catcher calls a game. Blocking the plate is a rarely used skillset. He was very good at blocking balls - I do have to give him that.)

Just wondering, who do you think was actually a worse overall defensive catcher in his era?

I don't want to crap on the guy but this is similar to when major leaguers are referred to euphamistically as "average," that is synonamous with atrocious.

Even if it wasn't a great base-staling era, his lack of arm certainly put more pressure on pitchers and gave runners the advantage of taking a bigger lead.

He threw out 23% of basestealers, which is bad, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it an abomination. Have you seen what the Pirates catchers are doing this year?