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Mike Piazza awaits the start of the 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame press conference, By Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken-

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Mike Piazza

Michael Joseph Piazza is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2007. He is now the manager of the Italy national baseball team. He was born September 4, 1968,  in Norristown, Pennsylvania, raised in Phoenixville, and graduated from Phoenixville Area High School. He is the second-youngest son of Vince (1932-2021) and Veronica, and he has five brothers: Vince Jr., Dan, Tony, and Tom.

Piazza graduated from Phoenixville Area High School in 1986, then moved to South Florida and played his freshman year for the Miami Hurricanes; after earning no playing time that season, Piazza transferred to Miami-Dade Community College. 

Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Mike Piazza

1. He is currently the manager of the Italy national baseball team

Mike Piazza, the Hall of Fame catcher, said in a tweet that he has committed to managing the Italian national baseball team. Piazza stated that he will lead the club to the 2020 European Baseball Championship and the 2021 World Baseball Classic.

Italy’s national baseball team competes in international baseball tournaments. As of 2020, the Italian national team was rated 17th in the world.

2. He  has appeared in a variety of TV episodes and commercials as well as the film Two Weeks Notice

Piazza has been in the film Two Weeks Notice, as well as other TV shows and advertisements. During the 1994-95 MLB strike, Piazza and a few other striking players appeared as themselves in an episode of Married With Children on November 27, 1994.

3. He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame

Piazza with the Marlins on May 18, 1998, three days after being traded by the Dodgers and four days before being traded to the Mets, By Jon Gudorf Photography –

5. He was featured in Champions of Faith

Piazza is a practicing Roman Catholic. His Catholic mother instilled faith in him and he was included in Champions of Beliefs, a DVD documentary exploring the connection between Catholic religious faith and sports. He also appeared in the sequel video Champions of Faith: Foundations of Life.

6. He is also an active participant in Chicago’s National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame

Piazza greets the crowd at Citi Field before catching a ceremonial pitch alongside Mookie Wilson. By D. Benjamin Miller –

Piazza is also an active member of Chicago’s National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that recognizes outstanding Italian-American athletes in the United States. From 2000 to 2019, the Hall of Fame and Museum were housed in a 44,000-square-foot (4,000 m2) facility on Taylor Street in the heart of Chicago’s “Little Italy” district.  The Hall of Fame is presently located on the city’s northern outskirts.

7. He is known to be a fan of heavy metal music fan

Piazza is a heavy metal music fan and featured on Black Label Society’s CD Stronger Than Death. Hendrix Wylde, Zakk Wylde’s son, is also his godson. He frequently co-hosts Eddie Trunk’s Friday Night Rocks show on WAXQ (“Q-104.3 FM”) in New York City and was a featured guest on an episode of That Metal Show. He is also a skilled drummer who has shared the stage with several bands.

8. He made his debut in Miami City Ballet

On May 3, 2013, Piazza made his Miami City Ballet debut, uttering a few lines as a hit man in the company’s production of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. Piazza hopes that his children’s attendance at a ballet school will raise the profile of ballet among sports fans. Miami City Ballet is an American ballet group situated in Miami Beach, Florida, directed by artistic director Lourdes Lopez. Toby Lerner Ansin, a Miami philanthropist, launched MCB in 1985. Ansin and the founding board recruited former New York City Ballet main dancer Edward Villella as the inaugural creative director. 

9. He has acted and appeared in various TV shows

Piazza has been in the film Two Weeks Notice, as well as other TV shows and advertisements. During the 1994-95 MLB strike, Piazza and a few other striking players appeared as themselves in an episode of Married With Children on November 27, 1994. 

10. He is one of the best-hitting catchers of all time

Piazza with the Marlins on May 18, 1998, three days after being traded by the Dodgers and four days before being traded to the Mets, By Jon Gudorf Photography –

Piazza played in 1,912 games in the major leagues, accumulating 2,127 hits in 6,911 at-bats for a. 308-lifetime batting average, 427 home runs, 1,335 runs batted in, an on-base plus slugging percentage of.922, and an on-base percentage of.377.  Piazza is one of the best-hitting catchers of all time, with 427 career home runs, 396 of which came while playing catcher, a Major League Baseball record for lifetime home runs by a catcher.