In an exclusive interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo, Mike Piazza, the former star catcher with the New York Mets, says it is his great faith in God and his devotion to his Catholic faith that helped him maintain the focus needed to have a successful baseball career over so many years.
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On Saturday, he encouraged thousands of others to devote themselves to greater faith as well.
Piazza’s number, 31, was retired at Citi Field in Queens, New York, on Saturday, July 30, in front of a roaring crowd assembled for the Mets v. Rockies game.
A week ago he was inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In his speech that day, Piazza credited his parents for their ceaseless belief in him. He also credited his mother’s leadership as a devoted person of faith who showed him a clear spiritual path that has guided him for a lifetime.
Piazza played for the Mets from 1998 to 2005. He did earlier stints as well with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the San Diego Padres, and the Oakland Athletics. During his career, he hit a total of 427 home runs, with a .308 lifetime batting average. He played first base as well as catcher.
With the Mets he had a .296 average and 220 home runs.
“My mom is Slovakian Catholic and very, very stoic in that regard,” Piazza told Arroyo during the EWTN interview. “She always made sure we went to church as kids … It was just something that has given me, even at times when I kind of had that rubber-band relationship — it was always there through osmosis. And it’s given me a lot of peace. It’s always been so prevalent.”
“My faith has given me a lot of peace. It’s always been so prevalent [for me].”
Well before apps were ever invented, Piazza said that while on the road as a player, he would grab phone books, find the closest local church, take a friend with him, and attend Mass on Sundays.
He added, “It’s been such a great pillar of confidence and faith. It allows me to release everything up to God.”
Piazza also told Arroyo, “The game of baseball is based on failure, and it’s based on frustration. The test is that you will never get to a higher place, especially in baseball, if you don’t go through adversity. I’ve had my 3-for-30 slumps, but you have to dial it back and realize that things will get better.”
Piazza, 47, is considered one of the best offensive catchers in baseball history. Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he made his major league debut in 1992 and the year after was named National League Rookie of the Year. He was an All-Star for the first of 10 consecutive seasons and helped the Mets reach the 2000 World Series.
For more of Piazza’s revelations about the power of faith in his life, check out the video at the top of this article.
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