WSJ: Drinking With Mike Piazza

Domaine de la Rombacne Conte…mmm, squeezisito!

Mr. Piazza made this assertion halfway through a recent lunch at Gotham Bar and Grill in Manhattan. The ex-Met lives in Miami with his wife and two daughters but was back in New York for a few days, making a charity appearance and visiting friends. “I love coming back to New York. It’s always really emotional for me,” said Mr. Piazza, taking up a glass of Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs Champagne that Gotham wine director Eric Zillier had just poured. Mr. Piazza sniffed the wine. “That smells really good. I love Champagne—Cristal, Dom Pérignon.” He laughed. “As an athlete you’re drawn by the status.”

...But any potential wine project would have to wait until he was finished with his memoir, “Open Mike” (“I stole the title from an L.A. columnist,” he admitted). The book, which will be published in 2013, covers his time as a player and his philosophy of life. What else was he doing with his time? Well, there were his two young children. And there was golf. He’d been playing a lot of golf. “It’s a really humbling game,” he said.

My last question was perhaps even more obvious. Where did Mr. Piazza rate himself on the list of all-time great catchers? In the top 10? Top five? “I’m a humble person, but I’d definitely put myself in the top five. I’d say Johnny [Bench] first for his charisma and talent—then I’d say Roy Campanella—he won three MVPs, after all. And Yogi Berra. If I put myself over Yogi, people would say, ‘Who does he think he is, he put himself over Yogi?’ ” Who indeed? On the other hand, Mr. Piazza has that other possible future title: the Garibaldi of Sicilian wine.