Mike Piazza Biography

Baseball Player

Mike Piazza is an All-Star catcher and power hitter. He was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft (the 1390th player overall); he beat the odds and made it to the major leagues, becoming the National League rookie of the year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993. In 1999 he signed a groundbreaking 7-year, $91 million contract with the New York Mets; the next year he helped the Mets into the World Series, where they were defeated by Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. Piazza's burly good looks have made him one of the Internet's favorite sports heartthrobs.

Extra credit: Piazza bats and throws right-handed... Other big hitters on Who2 include Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.