“Everybody is contributing, which allows me to flounder along at my own pace.”MIKE PIAZZA PHOENIX – Even though Mike Piazza hasn’t hit the ball well on a consistent basis since coming off the disabled list, he has found ways to make significant contributions, both as a catcher and as a Constitutional scholar.
Yesterday was an example of both, as Bobby Valentine and Masato Yoshii commended the slugging catcher for his work calling pitches, and as Piazza waxed legal about the virtues of the First Amendment.
“Today, all the credit is due to Mike,” Yoshii said after pitching six scoreless innings in the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks, lifting his record to 2-3.
Yoshii did not shake off Piazza one time in the game and the two were working like a precision machine.
“We clicked pretty good out there,” Piazza said. “Today we knew exactly what we wanted to do. He was putting the ball on both sides of the plate and had good control. If he can do that, hopefully you’ll see a lot more performances like that.”
What wasn’t clicking was Piazza’s bat. The All-Star catcher (1-for-4 yesterday) has yet to put together a multi-hit game since coming off the DL, a fact that would bother him more if the other hitters around him, like John Olerud, Edgardo Alfonzo and Robin Ventura, weren’t doing well enough to keep the team at .600 (18-12).
“Everybody is contributing,” Piazza said, “which allows me to flounder along at my own pace.”
Floundering? Only Piazza could come up with a term like that to analyze his own production. The catcher has hit in four straight games, but his hit yesterday was a cheapy “I’ll take it” infield hit. However, Matt Williams robbed him on a scorcher in the first inning to even things out.
Piazza was asked if he thought Armando Benitez’ little hand gestures after getting out of the last two ninth innings were unnecessary, and he put it in nice perspective.
“I think a lot of stuff guys do is unnecessary,” he said. “But you can’t stop guys from doing it. It’s schtick. At the same time, you can’t afford to stifle personal expression. It’s stamped on the Constitution.”
