Mike Piazza

Upper Deck Mike Piazza All-Star Heroes

Specialty Cards/ Uncategorized

Upper Deck Mike Piazza All-Star Heroes

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Upper Deck All Star Heroes

Was Mike Piazza worthy of a first time Hall of fame ballot entry vote into Baseball’s exclusive club? Many people will argue that he was, and many will argue that he was not. Where do you stand on the issue? Please send me a note and give me your take on it.

In an era marred with steroid use and performance enhancing drugs, he certainly looked to stay out of the steroid use talk. His name never came across any reports that listed him as a violator of substance abuse.

Mike Piazza Los Angeles Dodger Draft Pick

However, he did seem to bulk up from that lanky figure that sported the backstop of the L.A. Dodgers in 1993. Mike Piazza was a long shot draft pick, as a favor to his old man by then manager Tom Lasorda. The rest as we all know is history. He did make it to the 2000 World Series with the NY Mets vs. the New York Yankees. A series that the NY Yankees won, 4-1.

To many people that World Series is just a fog, me included because I am a NY Met fan, so that is not a World Series that I have watched countless times. But as a NY Met fan and a huge fan of Mike Piazza, the home run that he hit the night after action resumed following the 911 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, is one of the moments that I remember most of his great career. NY needed that home run, the Mets needed that home run, and Mike Piazza delivered.

Why We Needed Barry Bonds Hit 73 Homeruns In 2001!

2000 Upper Deck E Cards/ Baseball card price/ Rookie Baseball Cards

Why We Needed Barry Bonds Hit 73 Homeruns In 2001!

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Baseball Cards Reminding Us Of Good And Bad

For all the stigma attached to the steroid era that baseball has endured. For all the negative talk about substance abuse and how it changed the game of baseball. The truth was we needed heroes like Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire just to list a few and just about anyone else that helped us get through 2001 as a grieving nation from the 911 terrorist attacks. That year we as Americans endured the toughest year in the history of this country, and it became even tougher to focus on sports a large part of our heritage. But Major League Baseball was there to help heal the wound, as much as it could. That is true, and I will never forget the end of that Summer, as most people that were around would agree they won’t. A wound that I must admit has not yet healed almost 12 years later, just the thought takes us to a dark place.

In lieu of all that happened that year, all the loss, the heartache, even though we were numb America’s favorite past time helped out with the slow healing process. I can remember rooting for Barry Bonds, and who can forget the Mike Piazza Home-run for America in NY. Looking both back and ahead there had to be something of value to the steroid use in baseball in healing this nation, I agree a twisted thought, but as Americans we have made a living turning something ugly into something pretty. Although it is quite funny to think that in the last few years, no other mammoth home-run hitting baseball player like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, Alex Rodriguez, and a few continue to fail to reach 50 home-runs, something that was the measuring stick back in the early turn of the century years. Now that baseball lost its juice, no pun intended, the game has lost some the monsters of the diamond too.

I guess the steroid use good for about 20 or so home-runs? Maybe more. I mean to further my point, we just had a triple crown winner in Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) and the fanfare just was not there. Maybe because he played for the Tigers and not the Yankees, but it just was not there. I believe the proof is in the pudding as far as the productivity of baseball players and substance abuse. But in lieu of the greatest American tragedy ever, and we shall never forget the memory of the lost, those baseball years sure were crazy fun.

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2000 Upper Deck E Cards/ Specialty Cards

Mike Piazza New Book “The Long Shot”

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Baseball card prices of legendary stars have always held their own. But the steroid business has just about broke the value of many sports cards, for instance Barry Bonds. Without accusing anyone of any wrong doing, the proof in the declining prices is just cause for many sports card investors and collectors to dump these cards, at any reasonable price.

With plenty of graded 1987 Fleer Glossy Barry Bonds baseball cards, you can expect to pay in the area of $150.00 for a BGS 9.5 (Gem Mint) or a PSA 10. The eBay listings are plenty.

Other Future Hall of Fame players like Mike Piazza, also hold some type of decent price for his respective baseball cards. But all of this Hall Of Shame business has clouded the future of many of this years class and their path to the eventual entry into the Hall of Fame.

Mike Piazza has a new tell all book that is coming out called “Long Shot” The co-author of Mike Piazza’s autobiography said Thursday that the former Dodgers and Mets catcher will address the questions and rumors of steroid use in the soon-to-be-released book. After reading the book, they believe that many people will believe that Mike never used any performance enhancing drugs.

Recently on ESPN, one of the largest baseball card collectors of Mike Piazza sports cards in a Florida Marlins uniform around. With over 100 pieces in this collection, it is truly an impressive collection of Mike Piazza, given that he spent all of four days as a Marlin in 1998.

Collecting sports cards is something that should be done, not as a business but more as loyalty to sports figures worldwide. Unfortunately cheating has killed fans in every aspect of the sports world, collecting included.