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    Long Shot
    Long Shot
    Long Shot
    Audiobook15 hours

    Long Shot

    Written by Mike Piazza and Lonnie Wheeler

    Narrated by Mike Piazza and Holter Graham

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    About this audiobook

    In this New York Times bestselling autobiography, baseball legend Mike Piazza takes readers into his exceptional and storied career—from the rumors and controversies to his proudest achievements.

    In this remarkably candid autobiography, superstar Mike Piazza takes readers inside his life and career to show what it takes to make it to the major leagues and to stay on top.

    Piazza was drafted in the sixty-second round of the 1988 MLB draft, a courtesy pick because of a family connection to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. No one expected Mike Piazza to play in the major leagues except Mike and his dad—not even the Dodgers. But with talent, determination, and a formidable work ethic, long shot Piazza learned the demanding position of catcher and not only made it to the majors, he became one of the great players in the history of the game.

    With resolute honesty Piazza addresses the issues that swirled about him during his career: the rumor that he was gay, the infamous bat-throwing incident with Roger Clemens, and the accusations of steroid use that plagued nearly every power hitter of his era. But above all, Long Shot is the story of a superstar who rose to the top through his talent and his deep drive to succeed.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateFeb 12, 2013
    ISBN9781442362659
    Author

    Mike Piazza

    Mike Piazza grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixty-second round of the 1988 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He was National League Rookie of the Year in 1993 and was a twelve-time All-Star selection. He holds the record for most home runs by a catcher (396) and held the record for highest batting average in a season by a catcher (.362) until it was recently broken. He lives with his family in Miami Beach, Florida.

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    • 3/5
      During Mike Piazza’s years with the Mets (1998-2005), I loved the guy. I was a HUGE Piazza fan, so much so that at one point, I was seriously considering getting a tattoo of his uniform number, 31. The beanball that Roger Clemens threw at him in 2000, which cost Piazza an appearance in the All-Star Game that year, and the Subway Series that year—during which Clemens inexplicably threw a bat shard at Piazza, claiming he thought it was the ball—roused my indignation. I still believe that Clemens is the biggest jerk to ever don a major league uniform.But I never thought I would consider Piazza to be a kind of a jerk—until I read his autobiography.He calls the book “Long Shot,” and in the epilogue, he mentions his fervent hope that his story will serve as an inspiration to his readers. He spends much of the book, however, whining and complaining about how unfair he was treated throughout his major league career, and he misses no opportunity to demonize everyone who (in his perception) slighted him in the least. His father loom over Piazza’s story—indeed, he dominates the guy’s life—so comprehensively that it’s impossible to conceive of Piazza’s career if his father hadn’t been there to pave the way (and in some cases bully people) for Piazza’s opportunities. Tommy Lasorda—although he is not literally Piazza’s godfather—played that role for him, negotiating opportunities for Piazza and making sure that he got what he wanted. But Lasorda, along with many other teammates and acquaintances of Piazza’s, didn’t even attend the guy’s wedding. As Piazza admits, despite his seventeen years in the majors, only two of his teammates chose to attend his wedding. He also admits to being a “brat” for almost the entire time he was in the majors. Throughout this book, he asserts that he wasn’t a good teammate and that he was fairly selfish—and he recites his achievements at random moments, citing the length of certain homeruns and rattling off statistics that admittedly put him among the game’s elites.But Piazza doesn’t seem to understand that the way to make yourself look good in your autobiography is not to simply brag about your numbers and enumerate your various accomplishments—and you certainly don’t impress anyone by repeatedly expressing your bitterness over never being named MVP or claiming that you’re the target of some widespread conspiracy among Latino players.I learned a lot about Piazza the man—his fondness for heavy metal music, his abstinence during much of his young adulthood, his devotion to his Catholic faith, and his conservative political beliefs (which should not have come as a surprise to me—did I really think that a multi-millionaire who held a press conference to proclaim his heterosexuality would be a liberal?).Ultimately, Piazza comes across as a disgruntled brat, despite his claim, in the email that announced his retirement, that he was grateful for his amazing journey through the big leagues. Before I read the book, I was a huge Piazza fan. My fanaticism is considerably tempered now. I will be forever grateful that he played the majority of his career with the Mets, and I will cherish all of the great memories he created on the diamond. But Piazza the man? Not so much.