Jeff Pearlman Book: Mike Piazza Took Steroids
Jeff Pearlman's new book about Roger Clemens was excerpted on Deadspin, and includes a section on Mike Piazza and his alleged steroid use. Here's a quote from the book:
"There was nothing more obvious than Mike on steroids," says another major league veteran who played against Piazza for years. "Everyone talked about it, everyone knew it. Guys on my team, guys on the Mets. A lot of us came up playing against Mike, so we knew what he looked like back in the day. Frankly, he sucked on the field. Just sucked. After his body changed, he was entirely different. 'Power from nowhere,' we called it."
In Piazza's first two minor league seasons, 1989 and 1990, he hit .268/.318/.444 and .250/.281/.390. After a breakout 1991, in which he hit .277/.344/.540 as a 22-year old in A+ ball, Piazza went on a stretch of 11 seasons in which he didn't post an OPS under .900.
almost 3 years ago
Eric Stephen
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Carlos Santana
Had this line as a 22 year old in A+
.323 / .431 / .563 / .994
after he was traded to a tougher A+ league
.352 / .452 / .590 / 1.042
Did we trade Mike Piazza:)
So was the guy talking about Mike when he was 20/21 when he said we all came up with Mike because those were the only two years he didn’t dominate the ball. Actually for where he was drafted even those seasons were better then you would have expected. I used to think Piazza was helped by steroids but his numbers in 2007 for a 37 year old catcher were damn good so I don’t know.
It had to be someone
from 89-90 because you are right, those were his only 2 non-dominating seasons.
Did we trade Mike Piazza:)
Yes. :(
by Eric Stephen on Mar 24, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Hopefully not
Just for sanity reasons I can’t root for Santana anymore.
by Brendan Scolari on Mar 24, 2009 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
re:
I have to root for him otherwise I’ll feel foolish for all the angst the trade cost me if he fizzles. I’d rather Ned look silly then myself.
True
but no one knows what the future holds for a guy in High-A, so its not like you’d look like an idiot.
I just can’t handle thinking of what might have been. If it was a Hamilto-Volquez type deal where we got fair value then thats fine, but this monstrosity is going to bring Dodger fans regret for years.
by Brendan Scolari on Mar 24, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Speaking of Santana
Shapiro compared his throwing arm to a young Pudge in today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer.
I heard
Carlos Santana was 7 feet tall, and he consumes opposing pitchers with balls of fire from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.
by Eric Stephen on Mar 24, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
re:
I followed him when he was a 3rd/OF and I was told they moved him to catcher because he liked speed for the outfield and mobility for 3rd base but that he had a cannon for an arm. Maybe they should make Baez a catcher, he’s been clocked over 90 throwing from 1st to 3rd.
Chuck Norris
is Carlos Santana’s butler.
by Brendan Scolari on Mar 24, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Anything's Possible
But nothing cited is irregular.
A minor leaguer having a breakout in high-A? Not shocking.
Also
When I found this on deadspin, the extended quote says he openly admitted it to reporters off the record and it helped him?
WAT
Yeah I saw the "admission"
I was more concerned with the “he sucked” quote because I recalled Piazza tearing up the minors. I was a little surprised to see how ordinary his 1989-1990 seasons were.
by Eric Stephen on Mar 24, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Not defending him, necessarily...
…but logistically, a lot of players “suck” out of high school before figuring it out later.
Carlos Santana had one of those seasons in 2007 as a catcher before figuring it out.
by Chad Moriyama on Mar 24, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't doubt it at all.
At this point its almost become guilty until proven innocent. Not that big of a deal though, its not like there weren’t players on every other team using as well.
by Brendan Scolari on Mar 24, 2009 12:45 PM PDT reply actions
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