Truth be told, I almost didn't read this one either. As much as I was a fan of Mike Piazza when he was with the New York Mets, there was some really negative word-of-mouth when this book originally came out. Most of it had to do with some really nasty stuff Piazza included about the legendary Dodger broadcaster and resident God Vin Scully. If you recall, Mike had a very famous break-up with the Dodgers. In the book, Piazza puts some of the blame on getting booed by the Los Angeles fans on Vin's shoulders. He claims Scully incited the crowd with his comments.
What????
Anybody who listens to Vin Scully regularly knows that this is not something he's capable of. He is as balanced as any baseball broadcaster ever. When the book came out, Vin actually told the press how confused he was by the whole accusation. Piazza really was misguided and very stupid with his comments. As a result, he lost me as a fan a bit. And I haven't worn his jersey ever since.
When the brouhaha died down, I actually decided to read "Long Shot." And, frankly, most of the book is an extension of the asinine attitude the author displayed with the Scully comments. Sad to say, Mike Piazza comes off as an immature baby. Always not feeling loved enough. Always thinking people are against him. Always complaining about something. While it's chock full of interesting "inside baseball" tidbits, Mike's negative attitude emerges throughout and he's clearly somebody you don't want to be friends with.
At least, that's the way it is through the first 300 pages of the book. And then something marvelous happens.
There is an epilogue so introspective and thoughtful that you wonder whether it actually came out of Mike Piazza's mouth. I considered whether some book editor or maybe the co-author suggested he do it after seeing how snarky and immature the first 300 pages were. Whatever the reason, Piazza looks as himself in the mirror and makes some deep and painful judgments about himself. He peels back his onion so much that the rawness of his words and emotions really impressed this reader. Indeed, at the heart of a lot of it is Mike's Catholic faith and he uses that as a basis to atone for the bad things he's done. And to help do some good in the world with the ample time he probably has left.
Suddenly, "Long Shot" for me became very worthwhile reading. I will also note that, while not belabored, Piazza occasionally makes mention of the Mets organization and his inferred viewpoint that the franchise took a decidedly wrong turn the day the Wilpons (and idiot son Jeff) took full control. It has been downhill on a slippery slope ever since. This has been something that I've been saying for the past 15 years.
So, for that point alone, Mike Piazza wins me over. And that epilogue is the saving grace for a book that, at its very end, I can say I liked.
Heck, I may even wear his jersey again to Met games. As long as they're not playing the Dodgers.
Dinner last night: Steamed Chinese vegetables.
1 comment:
Interesting evaluation, especially on the epilogue. A friend of mine tells me Piazza is a Catholic deacon (as is the friend, who's a well-known sportswriter in the NYC area). We see very little of him these days; he's married with a child and appears to have little to no connection with MLB or any of its teams. On the rare occasions he pops up, he looks much more at peace than I remember him during his playing career. God really does work in mysterious ways.
Post a Comment