BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: METS ORDER PRICEY SLICE OF PIAZZA.Byline: Daily News Wire Services Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is an American Major League Baseball player who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played for the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres was pumping iron last Friday in a Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, gym when his cell phone rang with the news. After winning over the tough New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of fans, who booed him for much of the summer, Piazza was being offered the richest deal in baseball by the Mets. ``I might as well get booed by the best if I was going to get booed by anyone,'' Piazza said Monday after the Mets announced his $91 million, seven-year contract, the largest in baseball history. A six-time All-Star, the 30-year-old catcher had slumped early this year. First, the Dodgers traded him to Florida on May 15 after failing to work out a new multiyear contract, then the Marlins sent him to New York seven days later, and Mets fans immediately expected him to lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. It took until the final month of the season for him to settle down, and he wound up hitting .348 in 109 games for the Mets with 23 homers and 76 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in , finishing with an overall .329 average, 32 homers and 111 RBI. By mid-October, Mets fans had sent the team an e-mail with 10,000 names urging Piazza be re-signed. Stadium by Shea: If financing and planning progress, the Mets could move into a new stadium for the 2003 season, Mets co-owner Fred Wilpon Fred Wilpon, a graduate of the University of Michigan is a baseball executive with the National League New York Mets of which he became a part-owner in 1980. Wilpon served as president of the team between 1980 to 2002, as Chief Executive Officer since 1980 and as Chairman of said. The $500 million ballpark would be built on the parking lot next to Shea Stadium • • [ . Wilpon said he hopes to reach an agreement with New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. on the project by next June. If that happens, he said construction could begin about a year later. Yankees to lose Williams? Five days after helping the New York Yankees  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. win the World Series for the second time in three seasons, AL
batting champion Bernie Williams Bernabé "Bernie" Figueroa Williams (born September 13, 1968, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and a guitar-playing jazz recording artist.A switch hitter, Williams has played his entire career (1991-2006) with the New York Yankees. filed for free agency. Williams, who turned 30 last month, wants a seven-year contract with a no-trade clause. The Yankees have been reluctant to give him a deal that long. Snow by the bay: The San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California that currently play in the National League West Division. New York Giants history Early days and the John McGraw era exercised the contract option of Gold Glove first baseman J.T. Snow for the 1999 season. Snow won his second consecutive Gold Glove, and the fourth of his career, committing only one error in 1,134 chances. He hit .248 and ranked third on the team with 28 doubles, 15 home runs and 79 RBI. SALARY PROGRESSION A look at how the top salary in baseball has escalated, based on average annual values of multiyear contracts. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. from player and management sources and include all guaranteed income at the time of signing, but not income from potential incentive bonuses. There is no distinction for money deferred without interest. Date Player Club Avg. (x) 10/26/98 Mike Piazza N.Y. Mets $13.0M 12/12/97 Pedro Martinez Boston $12.5M 8/10/97 Greg Maddux Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is a pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He was the first pitcher in Major League history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years (1992-1995), during which he had a 75-29 record with a 1. Atlanta $11.5M 2/20/97 Barry Bonds S.F. Giants $11.45M 11/19/96 Albert Belle Chi. White Sox $11.0M 1/31/96 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle$8.5M 12/8/92 Barry Bonds S.F. Giants $7.3M 3/2/92 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs $7.1M 12/2/91 Bobby Bonilla N.Y. Mets $5.8M 2/8/91Roger Clemens Boston $5.4M 6/27/90 Jose Canseco Oakland $4.7M 4/9/90 Don Mattingly N.Y. Yankees $3.86M 1/22/90 Will ClarkSan Francisco $3.75M 1/17/90 Dave Stewart Oakland $3.55M 12/11/89 Mark Davis Kansas City $3.25M 12/1/89 Mark Langston Angels $3.25M 11/28/89 Rickey Henderson Oakland $3.0M 11/22/89 Kirby Puckett Minnesota $3.0M 11/17/89 Bret Saberhagen Kansas City $2.9M 2/16/89 Orel Herhiser Dodgers $2.6M 2/15/89 Roger Clemens Boston $2.5M (x) average per year in millions. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO Mike Piazza celebrates between Mets owners Nelson Doubleday, left, and Fred Wilpon. Adam Nadel/Associated Press BOX: SALARY PROGRESSION (see text) |
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