Welcome, This is the Yahoo! Message Board for Mike Piazza Club community.

First of all I wanted to say that you and the
Mets played a great game tonight against a tough team.
I'm glad that you guys aren't just going to give up
like some would. I wish you good luck on tomorrow's
game!<br>Also, I have been waiting for someone to come up with
the OFFICIAL Mike Piazza Club, forever, and now it's
finally here. Thank you so much!

I just joined this club, and being the HUGE
Braves fan that I am, I also love Mike Piazza. Atlanta
always has been and always will be my team, but I love
ya Mike, and wish you the best in
everything.<br>~MANDIE~

Well, it was a long game 5, but I watched a lot
of it, while cleaning and doing homework. It was a
great game so I enjoyed every minute of it.<br>Good
luck on Game 6 and maybe 7!<br><br>*(^.^)* Julie

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The Yahoo! Clubs are designed to bring you and
your favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to
the message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and other Mike
Piazza fans.<br><br><br>Playoff baseball is supposed to
be grueling, but catcher Mike Piazza looks like he's
been through a war. Piazza, whose left thumb was
already hurting after the opening round of the playoffs,
departed from New York's 4-3, 15-inning victory in Game 5
with two innings to go, the pain simply unbearable.
Through five games against the Braves in the National
League Championship Series, Piazza has been hit twice
with a bat on backswings by Gerald Williams and Ryan
Klesko. In addition, the Mets slugger has also been on
the receiving end of violent collisions at home plate
with Atlanta's Bret Boone and Keith Lockhart.
<br><br>The incidents against the Braves have left the Mets
catcher with an aching left hand and a deep bruise on his
left forearm, not to mention the lingering effects of
a slight concussion sustained in one of the home
plate collisions. "I'm looking for a donor,'' Piazza
joked yesterday (Monday) while conversing with
reporters. "Maybe I could call Arnold Schwarzenegger and get
his left arm." <br><br>"It's weird,'' he added. "I
can't explain why I'm so banged up. Maybe I've done
something wrong. Maybe I need to do a good deed like
helping an old woman across the street.'' <br><br>Piazza
plans to be back on the field for Game 6 tonight,
October 19, at Turner Field. Atlanta leads the best-of-7
series 3-2, but the Mets have momentum from two straight
victories. <br><br>"I feel a little better,'' Piazza said
after the Mets arrived at their downtown hotel. "I'll
give it all I have.'' <br><br>The injuries are
obviously having an affect on the All-star, as Piazza is
batting only 3-for-20 (.150) with no homers and one RBI
in the NLCS. The former Dodger knew during his first
at-bat after his collision with Lockhart at the plate
that something was definitely wrong. "My whole arm
felt numb,'' Piazza explained. "There was a tingling
in my fingers and a real hot sensation throughout
the arm.'' He has considered switching to a lighter
bat to cope with the pain in his arm and hand, but a
decision has yet to be made.<br><br>"Mike is a warrior,''
backup catcher Todd Pratt said. "I know he's not hitting
like he wants, but that could change with one swing.''
<br><br>What are your thoughts on the NLCS, Piazza fans? Post
to the message boards on Yahoo!
(<a href=http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mikepiazzaclub
target=new>http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mikepiazzaclub</a>) and tell Mike Piazza
and his other fans how you
feel. Be sure to tell your friends about the Athlete
Direct Clubs on Yahoo! -- Where Athletes and Fans
Interact!

You guys played a great series against the
Braves, and have everything to be proud of...especially
you. A lot of guys wouldn't have hung in and played
with the pain that you did. <br>Congratulations on a
great run!

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The Yahoo! Clubs are designed to bring you and
your favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to
the message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and other Mike
Piazza fans.<br><br>Mike Piazza's inspired play
epitomized the admirable style of play the Mets exhibited in
the NLCS, but the Braves rallied to beat New York
last night and now advance to the World Series against
the Yankees. During the series, every time that it
appeared as though the Mets were finished, Bobby
Valentine's determined club fought its way back. Likewise,
Piazza kept getting knocked down mentally and physically
with injuries and setbacks, but he kept getting back
up. After taking a beating from the Braves throughout
the series, the catcher finally took a swing back in
Game 6. Following a sacrifice fly in the sixth to
begin the rally from an early 5-0 deficit, Piazza drove
a two-run home run into right-center field off John
Smoltz in the seventh to tie the game at 7.<br><br>It
was all for naught, however, as Atlanta rallied to
win in the 11 inning on a bases-loaded walk off of
Kenny Rogers. The Mets, who had taken leads of 8-7 and
9-8 in the game after trailing by five in the first
inning, nearly became the first team in postseason
history to win three games in a row after losing the
first three. Unlike the 1969 season, though, there were
to be no miracles for the Mets in 1999. The world
will have to wait for at least another year for a
Subway Series between the Mets and the
Yankees.<br><br>What Could Have Been:<br>Piazza's regular-season
statistics against the Yankees<br>Games: 6<br>At-Bats:
24<br>Batting Average: .458<br>Runs: 4<br>Hits: 11 (3 doubles
and 3 home runs)<br>RBIs: 10<br>OBP: .500<br>SLG:
.958<br><br>What are your thoughts on New York's exit from the
playoffs, Mike Piazza fans? Post to the message boards on
Yahoo! (<a href=http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mikepiazzaclub
target=new>http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mikepiazzaclub</a>) and
tell Mike Piazza and his other fans how you feel. Be
sure to tell your friends about the Athlete Direct
Clubs on Yahoo! -- Where Athletes and Fans Interact!

Well, the Mets did have a great NLCS against the
Braves. I have loved the Braves since I was like 10 years
old, but I can tell you that I am truly going to miss
seeing the Mets. The games between the Mets and Braves
are just so exciting and entertaining and you never
know who will win. I think I may be switching my teams
soon to the Mets, but even if I don't Mike Piazza will
always be on my favorite players list. I feel sorry for
the guy because it has just not been his week or
whatever. It seems weird that he would be hit by the ball
and have collisions so many times in the same week,
but yet he still hit a homerun in game 6. <br>Mike, I
want you to know that I WAS cheering when that ball
went out, and you tied the game up too, so it wasn't
your fault that the Mets lost.<br><br>Julie

Come on everybody!  Let's start a conversation about something!<br><br>Julie

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The club is designed to bring you and your
favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to the
message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and his other
fans.<br><br><br>Despite Mets General Manager Steve Phillips's assertions
that Mike Piazza won't be switching positions, New
York columnists have been clamoring for the all-star
catcher to move over to first base. They've insisted that
the rigors of catching have caught up to the former
Dodger, as evidenced by all the injuries he suffered in
the playoffs and his subsequent offensive falloff.
The consensus is that if the Mets wait too long,
Piazza's offense will suffer -- in the regular season and
the playoffs. Catchers traditionally see their
offensive stats decrease later in their careers.<br><br>If
John Olerud opts to sign elsewhere, the Mets will have
an opening at first base. Piazza obviously wouldn't
be a Gold Glove first baseman, but with a lot fewer
bumps and bruises, Piazza could be even more effective
with his bat.<br> <br><br>What do you think the Mets
should do, Mike Piazza fans? Would you welcome a move to
first base by Piazza? Post to the message boards and
tell Mike and his other fans how you feel. Remember to
tell your friends about the Athlete Direct Clubs on
Yahoo! -- Where Athletes and Fans Interact!

I think it would be a little strange to see Mike
Piazza at first base, and not behind the plate as a
catcher, but I believe he could play any position well.
Also, he probably wouldn't get hurt as much if he
played first base.<br><br>*(^.^)* Julie

The 1999 Silver Slugger Team, released by
Hillerich & Bradsby, as chosen by managers and coaches.
<br><br>American League <br><br>Carlos Delgado, first base,
Toronto; Robert Alomar, second base, Cleveland; Alex
Rodriguez, shortstop, Seattle; Dean Palmer, third base,
Detroit; Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle, Manny Ramirez,
Cleveland and Shawn Green, Toronto, in the outfield; Ivan
Rodriguez, catcher, Texas; and Rafael Palmeiro, designated
hitter, Texas. <br><br>National League <br><br>Jeff
Bagwell, first base, Houston; Edgardo Alfonzo, second
base, New York; Barry Larkin, shortstop, Cincinnati;
Chipper Jones, third base, Atlanta; Sammy Sosa, Chicago,
Larry Walker, Colorado, Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal, in
the outfield; Mike Piazza, catcher, New York; and
Mike Hampton, Houston, pitcher. <br><br>Piazza's 1999
Statistics:<br>141 G<br>534 AB<br>.303 Batting Average<br>100
R<br>162 Hits<br>40 HR<br>124 RBI<br>.361 OBP<br>.575 SLG

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The club is designed to bring you and your
favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to the
message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and his other
fans.<br><br><br>Last Thursday (October 28), when the FOX Entertainment
Group took its hands off the day-to-day operation of
the Dodgers, Chairman Peter Chernin tried to wash his
hands of the worst move made on FOX's watch -- the
disastrous trade of Mike Piazza. "That [the Piazza trade]
was originally suggested by [former general manager]
Fred Claire," Chernin said at a news conference to
announce that former studio executive Robert Daly would be
taking control of the Dodgers. "We were not dreaming up
those things." <br><br>Claire, who was fired by FOX a
month after Piazza was dealt to the Marlins in a
seven-player deal, was furious at Chernin's comments. "For
Peter Chernin to make that statement is totally unfair,
totally uncalled for and totally inaccurate," Claire
insisted. "And you can underline all of those things. It is
very upsetting to hear something like that by Peter
Chernin. I think the fans understand. I know they do. I
never did anything that I would not take responsibility
for. If I had made that trade, I would take
responsibility for it. That does not show me much at all. It
disappoints me, surprises me that Peter would make such a
statement. He should know better." <br><br>The Piazza deal,
made after the all-star catcher and the Dodgers
couldn't agree on a new contract, was the first of many
moves made under the FOX ownership that left fans angry
and frustrated. The Piazza trade was not only a
public-relations problem -- losing the team's most popular player
and one of the best ever to wear a Dodger uniform --
but, like other questionable moves, it failed to
improve the team on the field. <br><br><br>Who do you
think is telling the truth, Piazza fans? What do you
think Mike's view of this whole situation is? Post to
the message boards and tell Mike Piazza and his other
fans how you feel. <br><br>Remember to tell your
friends about the Athlete Direct Clubs on Yahoo! -- Where
Athletes and Fans Interact!

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The club is designed to bring you and your
favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to the
message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and his other
fans.<br><br><br>Despite Mike Piazza's numerous injuries he suffered in
the postseason and the throwing problems he endured,
the Mets are committed to keeping him behind the
plate next season. GM Steve Phillips has already come
out and said so, and Piazza said he would only
consider a move to another position if asked. The Mets
still might have first base open if John Olerud departs
via free agency, but Piazza doesn't seem to be an
option, although it would save much wear and tear on him.
<br><br>Phillips considered Piazza's throwing enough of an issue,
however, to replace catching coach Bruce Benedict with
advance scout John Stearns. "That's our hope, that we do
something to address his [Piazza's] throwing," Phillips
admitted. A healthy Mike Piazza next season will translate
into better results on the defensive end, however. In
the playoffs alone, Piazza suffered through a
sprained left thumb, which swelled from a reaction to a
cortisone shot, a mild concussion in a home-plate collision
and a bruised shoulder, which affected his throwing.
The ailments led to Piazza making three throwing
errors in the NLCS as the Braves stole five bases on him
in Game 6. Piazza was in so much pain that the Mets
were forced to remove him after the ninth inning in
the final game.<br><br><br>What are your predictions
for next year, Mike Piazza fans? Post to the message
boards and tell Mike and his other fans what you
think.<br><br>Remember to tell your friends about the Athlete Direct
Clubs on Yahoo! -- Where Athletes and Fans Interact!

It would be really weird seeing him at first. But
it's so true, he wouldn't get hurt as much. Just look
at how many times he got ran over, and hit in the
last couple months of the season. I've been a Mike
Piazza fan since I was 8 (1993), and got his R.O.Y. Card
out of a box of cookies! And ever since then I've
been a true fan, I can't believe I've kept those cards
for so long, 'cause I don't think I've kept anything
else from '93; I can't even remember anything from
'93, except for getting the
cards!<br>-Laurena&lt;3<br>(Lauren)

I don't think Mike's going anywhere. He's always
been a squatter, and will be until the last 2-3 years
of his career. He'll go into the Hall as another
Mets catcher (hopefully Carter gets in on this year's
ballot), and this year Mike'll take us to the Series if we
get him a pitcher or two to work with.

Hey, is ad_mpiazza really Mike, or just some dude
playing around? I looked back at the early messages and
everyone thinks this is really Big Mike, but what the?
<br>Truth baby, I want it, I can handle it. My e-mail
address is i_talianstallion@... if you're not
really Mike and want to keep it hush. Either way, e-mail
me, I'd appreciate it. Laters.

I think it could really be him, 'cause this is
and "official" club, and in other clubs, they have
chat tmes, and sometimes if you look at their web
pages in the latest news or whatever, it will say the
Club chat time. But who knows, you can fool only so
many people.<br>-Laurena&lt;3

Read today that if John Olerud is not re-signed,
Piazza may move to first (although grudgingly).<br><br>I
think it would be great. Yes, he is a fantastic
catcher, but he won't be as hurt at the end of the season
as he usually is and as a first baseman he could
easily hit 50 HRs a year.<br><br>Any thoughts on that?

Welcome to the latest edition of Athlete Direct's
Mike Piazza newsletter. As a member of the Mike Piazza
Yahoo! Club, you are encouraged to become part of the
community. The club is designed to bring you and your
favorite athlete closer than ever before. Post to the
message boards, chat in the chat rooms, enter the
contests and interact with Mike Piazza and his other
fans.<br><br><br>Rumors persist that the Mets are interested in bringing
in Ken Griffey Jr. (Who wouldn't be?). There are
numerous things to consider, however. For instance, why
would an organization gamble by, "giving up the farm"
for a player who could flee the coop in a year when
he's eligible for free agency? In addition, Griffey is
a 10-and-five player (a ten year veteran with five
years on one team), and has the right to veto any
trade. "Would we take that risk?" a Mets source said.
"We've done it before [with Mike Piazza], haven't
we?"<br><br>Griffey will command an unbelievable amount of money,
though, and the Mets already have a payroll that tops
most of the others in baseball. If Piazza earns an
average of $13 million per season and Griffey is asking
in excess of $18 million, that adds up to more than
$31 million a year for two players from 2001 through
2005. The Mets also have over $50 million tied up in
left-hander Al Leiter and third baseman Robin Ventura over
the next three years. Keep in mind that second
baseman Edgardo Alfonzo has more than $15 million coming
to him between 2000-2002 as well, and there are
escalator clauses in his contract that could boost that
figure even higher. Therefore, four players the Mets
already have under contract will earn more than $140
million between 2000 and 2005. The other 21 players on
the team aren't going to play for the minimum. In
fact, several are already in possession of multiyear,
multi-million-dollar contracts. To get a player of Griffey's caliber,
the Mets would have to at least partially break up a
team that made it to the playoffs last year for the
first time since '88. <br><br>Is Piazza in danger of
being shipped to Seattle? Probably not. Piazza has a
limited no-trade clause in his contract. Each year of the
deal the catcher names four clubs he cannot be traded
to, and the Mets get to name four clubs they won't do
business with when it comes to talking about trading
Piazza.<br><br><br>What are your thoughts on the Griffey rumors, Mike
Piazza fans? Post to the message boards and tell Mike
and his other fans what you think.<br><br>Remember to
tell your friends about the Athlete Direct Clubs on
Yahoo! -- Where Athletes and Fans Interact!

Having Junior on the Mets would be a dream come
true for die hards like myself. However, I don't want
to see the great team that the Mets were in 1999
broken up just for one player who may leave after 1
year. <br><br>If the Mets are really interested in
Griffey, they should wait until he is a free agent and
sign him to a contract. My guess is that Griffey will
remain in Seattle until 2001 season.<br><br>Why is
Piazza even considered in a trade talks? I think he
should definitely finish his career with the Mets.

Better never happen. Yeah, I'd love to have
Griffey in the Orange and Blue, but you don't get rid of
Mike to do it. He's the franchise, and he should get
his ring and enter the Hall as a Met. <br>There's too
much at stake to bring in one player, and if the front
office is doing it to bring us to Shea, it'll backfire,
because they'd give up so much to get Junior we'd be a
.500 team again. Forget Griffey. Get some pitching.

I know I have an opinion on this, I just can't
think of it right now.<br>I'm in California, and I
would love to see him as a Mariner. I have family in
WA, I could go up there in the summer and see Mike
play! He-he-he! =O) <br>I think of baseball like being
in a small house all your life, you're not going to
want to stay in that little house forever, and you're
going to want to explore the world outside that window.
And for him OKing the teams, is like saying what
places you would love to go see, explore, and have
adventures in.<br>I wouldn't want to be on the same team
forever. But it would be nice to see him back as a Dodger
again. he-he! =o)<br>-Laurena&lt;3

<EOM>

I would like to see the METS get all of those
players who have put in there years but always fall short
of making the World Series. Players such as Ken
Griffey JR, Barry Bonds, etc....<br>Yes there are players
on the Mets team also.

Mike, these are the best pic's I've seen!! Thank you!

November 30, 1999<br><br>Hey everybody,<br><br>I
know it's been a while since I have checked in, but
the off-season has been pretty busy for me! Now that
I'm sitting still for a minute, let me fill you
in.<br><br>A couple weeks ago, I was in Las Vegas with my dad
to check out the Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield
fight. I personally thought Evander won more rounds and
took the fight, but as always, Vegas was a great
time.<br><br>I split my time between both coasts in the
off-season, and last week I made my way out to Philadelphia
for Thanksgiving with my family. I <br>had a lot of
great food and an all-around great time. While I'm on
the East Coast, I'll also be attending this weekend's
Giants-Jets football game. Being from Philadelphia, I grew up
an Eagles fan. They're struggling this year, so I'm
not really sure who I'm going to root for!<br><br>I'm
also attending my teammate Bobby Bonilla's charity
bowling tournament benefiting the National Hispanic
Scholarship Fund. It's a fun event, and I've been attending
it for years. There's a lot more to talk about, but
I'll save some of it for next time. I'm also looking
forward to my first online chat, so look for that in the
next few weeks!<br><br>Mike<br><br><br>c 1999 Athlete
Direct, Inc. All rights reserved.

***Heya***<br>I'm glad Mike had a nice
Thanksgiving, and I hope everyone else did too.<br>My
Thanksgiving was ok, I didn't get to see a lot of my family,
because most of them live in Lake Arrowhead (Near Blue
Jay, California) and they couldn't make it down to
Lakewood. But my Mom took my brother and I to see my
Grandma, Aunt, Uncles, and Cousins on Saturday; so that
was very pleasant! It made me very happy!<br>Well, I
have to go, I need to study for a HUGE Spanish
test.<br>L8rz!<br>-Lauren&lt;3

Todd Pratt, Mike Piazza's valuable backup who is
only the fourth player in history to end a playoff
series with a homer, signed a two-year, $1.1 million
contract on November 19. Pratt smacked a 10th inning home
run October 9 that gave the Mets a 4-3 win and a 3-1
victory in the best-of-five National League Division
Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 32-year-old
catcher, playing because Piazza was injured, joined Chris
Chambliss, Joe Carter and Bill Mazeroski as the only players
to hit a home run that ended a post-season series.
<br><br>Pratt batted .293 this year, hit three homers and drove
in 21 runs in a career-high 140 at-bats. The backup,
who made $350,000 this season, gets $500,000 next
year, and $600,000 in 2001. He would have been eligible
for free agency after next season.

Great to see your enjoying your break!! Can't wait for the chat!