the fashion was to post gay jokes

Interesting choice of words.

But the “Mike Piazza” within the pages of this book is a sad, lonely man who seems little closer to adulthood than the brat who blew off Roy Campanella’s funeral 20 years ago.

The saddest book I ever read. It always makes me cry.

Mike Piazza really, really, really gives a damn what everybody thinks about him.

My ears are burning.

BY THE WAY, talk about burying the lead. From Page 268:

On one baseball website, the fashion was to post gay jokes under my same name. They called it Piazza-posting.

Fixed. Yes, it really is in there.

BY THE WAY, talk about burying the lead. From Page 268:

On one baseball website, the fashion was to post gay jokes under my same name. They called it Piazza-posting.



Fixed. Yes, it really is in there.

And I half expected the first post of this thread to be Admiral Akbar warning me that it's a trap.

On one baseball website, the fashion was to post gay jokes under my same name. They called it Piazza-posting.

I thought it was a same=homo pun.

I recall the Rear Admiral Piazza thing pre-registration, of course, but I am struggling to recall the frequency of posting gay jokes, other than the "that's what (S)HE said!" type, not that those are any less offensive, I suppose. I'm not very good at searching the site, but I would be interested to revisit some of the Piazza threads from that time.

I don't think that Clemens was intentionally trying to conk Piazza, but if I'd just been beaned after hitting a pitcher like a drum, I might not be quite so objective about it, so I can't really blame Piazza for not wanting to kiss and make up, even at this late date. IMO their feud was little more than a standard case of home run/retaliation that was magnified by the megatalents of the the players, the identity of their teams, the reputation of the pitcher, and the high profile of the game in which the final drama occurred. The bat shard part was just too fastmoving, bizarre and unique for anyone even to try to make any rational sense out of it. AFAIC it was just one of those weird things that makes sports so compelling, and in the heat of battle those things will happen.

I remember lot's of Piazza jokes, some were great, and they were frequent.

I covered a handful of Mets games when Piazza played for them, and he was a pretty unusual interview.

He had a surface serenity about him: he seemed pretty thoughtful.

He also was professional about his media responsibilities.

And he also had what I guess what they later called a 'metrosexual' sense of hygiene/decorum, which only in a pro sports locker room/clubhouse could be confused with homosexuality. He didn't scratch himself, fart, burp, or other inanities in a crowd, and he knew how to dress and groom himself properly - which did kind of stand out, a little. But that's not his fault.

A lot of athletes - Mussina the Stanford grad would be my favorite example - take some time to compose their thoughts after taking a question because, well, there's a lot going on up there.

Piazza was not in that intellectual class, obviously - yet he wasn't dumb by baseball clubhouse standards, either. He didn't just lapse into mindless cliches; he was willing to take on a reasonable question and try to provide a usable answer, which is much more than a lot of superstars are willing to do.

The Scully hullabaloo didn't surprise me: He had a genuine sentiment/remembrance of the time, and he said so. It would be an egregious error for a journalist not to check his facts, and ideally anyone else would, too. But that's Piazza. I think he gave an honest account of his emotions, which he typically did.

The idea of the rich parents and how that may have left him defensive - that fascinates me.

It also feels genuine. Are we ready to rip into people who tell their own tales, even if they haven't figured out how to dissect the exact reasons they feel that way?

Whatever base he started from, where Piazza ended up is pretty damn impressive....

Obviously, during that incident in question, Clemens was revved up, but I don't know that he threw at Piazza or that he threw that bat at Piazza. When he flung that shard of bat, it seemed totally reflexive, and as I remember he was surprised that it came within the vicinity of Piazza.

It's amusing that much is made here of Clemens, but nothing much is made of Pedro's admission that he intentionally threw at 90% of those batters he hit. Cry me a river.

The very next AB after Mike hit a GS off him, and the Mets had given him one of the worst beating of his career? And he wasn't throwing at him? C'mon. He was at least brushing him back, making him move his feet. Clemens is a tough hombre. Ultra competitive.

Now I see that Andy seems to be allowing for the possibility that Roj was just brushing him back, and the ball kind got away from him a little. OK. But you throw at a guys head, and sh1t can happen. Sh1t like hitting the guy's head with a baseball.

Now I see that Andy seems to be allowing for the possibility that Roj was just brushing him back, and the ball kind got away from him a little. OK. But you throw at a guys head, and sh1t can happen. Sh1t like hitting the guy's head with a baseball.

As I said, I can't blame Piazza for thinking what he clearly thinks, regardless of what Clemens' actual intent was. I like the way both he and Clemens approached the game.

------------------------------------------------

Howie: Good take and well expressed. I'll buy Piazza's book when it gets remaindered and look forward to reading it.

"Howie: Good take and well expressed."

thanks: I should do this for a living!
joke, yes, but I really do appreciate the cogent response.

that was a nice post, howie

It's amusing that much is made here of Clemens, but nothing much is made of Pedro's admission that he intentionally threw at 90% of those batters he hit. Cry me a river.

Pedro is the patron saint of pitching for BBTF. Clemens not so much.

It's amusing that much is made here of Clemens, but nothing much is made of Pedro's admission that he intentionally threw at 90% of those batters he hit. Cry me a river.

That thread's been done.

No, that thread was underdone.

Pedro is a colourful character and has a sense of humour, while Clemens doesn't come across that way. Just speaking for myself that gives Pedro way more lattitude in my books. Break my fingers with a ball-peen hammer and I probably won't like you very much, but do it in an amusing, or self-depricating fashion and I'll probably still want to have a beer with you afterwards.

This view may not explain other people's takes on the matter.

Break my fingers with a ball-peen hammer and I probably won't like you very much, but do it in an amusing, or self-depricating fashion and I'll probably still want to have a beer with you afterwards.

When will you next be in Alabama?

Not that I have anything against you or your fingers, but I do find your theory intriguing & am interested in testing it.