An Apology and The Lakers

Yesterday Mike Piazza retired from pro baseball. Piazza is a future first ballot hall of famer who was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62 round of the draft. 62 round. that meant that a total of over 1700 other players were taken before Piazza. What makes the story even more mythical is that he was taken as a favor to then Dodgers manager (and Piazza's godfather) Tommy Lasorda. 

Piazza will probably be best known as one of the better hitters in baseball and arguably the greatest hitting catcher of all time. I want to take this opportunity to apologize to Mike Piazza. When he was traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins in early 1998 I blamed him. I blamed him for not taking the 6 or 7 year multi-million dollar deal he was rumored to have been offered by the ball club. As a fan I felt that he had decided to value money over loyalty and had slapped the face of the organization that gave him a chance. I was wrong. Piazza was just going after fair market value and I am sure that given time he would have resigned with the Dodgers. But he and the Dodgers were never given that chance. On May 15, 1998 a Dodgers executive went behind the back of then General Manager Fred Claire and traded Piazza away to the Florida Marlins. A week later the Marlins traded him to the Mets. Within two years Piazza would lead the Mets to the World Series.

In the subsequent years I, like a lot of fans booed Piazza when he returned to Dodger Stadium. I still blamed him. I was wrong. I should have been boing that Fox executive and the Fox ownership who took a once proud franchise and destroyed it in just a few short years. I'm sorry Mike. You never should have have been traded. You should have worn Dodger Blue. You never should have been booed. You deserved better.

As a last note (another sports related note), I have always believed that you cannot win a playoff series in game one - but you can lose it. The Spurs lost their series with the Lakers during game one of the Western Conference Final with the Lakers. The Spurs had control of the game and a chance to win on the Lakers home court. They had a chance to remind everyone that they are the defending champs and that they are still the team to beat. They didnt. They faded away and gave up a 20 point lead. If the Lakers are the team of the future in the Western Conference then the future arrive Wednesday night. The Lakers took the Spurs best shot and still beat them. Game Over. Series Over.