Jan. 21, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Denver won in double overtime, 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The only writer who seems to constantly accuse Mike Piazza of using steroids is Murray Chass.  What’s Chass’ evidence?  A syringe with fingerprints?  Prodigious numbers after Piazza exited his prime?  No and no.  For Chass, it was Mike Piazza’s back acne that led to the conviction.  Back acne, something that afflicts 20% of healthy adult men.  According to the article linked in the previous sentence, back acne can be caused by:  “Anything that repeatedly rubs against the skin, such as backpacks, rough massages, tight fitting clothing, weight lifting machines which press on the shoulder area, or anything else that rubs the back area and irritates the skin can aggravate acne in that area. Acne mechanica tends to be aggravated by moisture, so if you’re sweaty and combine that with the repeated rubbing that comes with your backpack, clothing, etc., that could make the problem worse.”

Mike Piazza worked out a lot, right?  And as a Catcher, he wore tons of equipment.  He always had the most stuff on during the game, so he was probably sweatier than every other player on the diamond.  So, Mike Piazza had back acne because he wore a tight uniform and sweat a whole lot.  Or he had it because he did steroids.  Or he had it for some other reason.  The point, is that Piazza having back acne doesn’t prove a damn thing.  Murray Chass is grasping at straws, and should really think about giving up his pathetic crusade.

Two days ago, Chass was back at it (on his blog).  On the heels of the release of Piazza’s book “Long Shot,” Chass had decided to again attack Piazza.  He cited a “high ranking executive” who was “suspicious” of Piazza, WFAN host and known blowhard Craig Carton (who thinks Piazza used), Reggie Jefferson (a player who accused Piazza of using steroids, but has no knowledge whatsoever regarding the matter), and of course his favorite – Piazza’s back acne.  Here’s what Chass wrote:

Even more noticeable than the size of his body was the acne that covered Piazza’s back. His fans have made a practice of ridiculing me when I have mentioned the acne, but acne is a telltale sign of steroids use. There was another telltale sign. When baseball began testing for steroids – not before but when – Piazza’s acne disappeared and his back was completely clear and as smooth as a baby’s butt.  Had Piazza agreed to an interview this week, I would love to have had the opportunity to ask him about his back and the timing and disappearance of his acne. But the guy who just published an $800,000 book, isn’t doing interviews.

Above, Chass accuses Piazza of refusing to give interviews.  This week, Piazza sat down for a lengthy interview with the MLB Network, appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and spoke with Mike Francesa on WFAN for close to an hour.  I’m not sure if Chass is unaware Piazza gave these interviews, or if he knows but figures that everyone reading his drivel has no idea.

More important than that, is the fact that Chass again brought up the back acne.  Chass wanted to ask Piazza about his back acne, right?  Maybe Chass, like other media types have taken the time to do, should actually read Piazza’s book.  I’m in the middle of it, and there’s a passage on pages 27 and 28 I’d like to share with Chass.  It recounts Piazza’s golf playing days in high school in the mid 80′s, as well as his time in the big leagues.  Piazza writes:

By then, golf was starting to rub me the wrong way.  Literally.  Needless to say, I had to do a lot of walking with the golf bag over my shoulder.  The trouble was, I’d started to develop serious acne.  It showed up on my face, of course – Dad accused me of eating too much sugar and called me ‘pimple puss’ – but one day I got home  after stomping around for nine holes with that strap irritating me, and when I checked to see what the problem was I found nasty pimples all over my upper back.  Before long, the pimples developed into that disgusting cystic acne and became keloids, almost like boils.  I still have the scars around my shoulders.

Years later, when I was playing professional baseball, I had the same sort of reaction when the strap of the chest protector rubbed against my shoulder and back.  At that point, the team trainer offered to get me Accutane, but I declined because I’d read that it caused pain in the joints.  I knew the ultimate solution was simply to outgrow the problem and cope with it in the meantime, which wasn’t encouraging: there are people in my family who’ve dealt with acne into their fifties.  In high school, I took tetracycline, but that didn’t make it any less irritating when I carried my golf bag.

I hope someone shows Chass the above passage.  I doubt it would lead him to end his baseless attacks on Mike Piazza.  Perhaps, though, it would make him feel like the clueless hack most view him as.  In the meantime, stay classy Murray.

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September 11, 2011; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets former catcher Mike Piazza before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

This afternoon, Piazza spoke with Mike Francesa on WFAN.  Since most of the topics that were discussed during today’s interview have already been covered by Piazza in recent days, Rising Apple was looking to report on questions that were new or responses that varied from what Piazza has stated recently.  Here are the highlights, followed by Rising Apple’s thoughts on his Hall of Fame candidacy (after the final question).

His thoughts about being traded to the Mets-

I was completely spinning…this was a minute by minute ‘you’re going here, you’re going there.’ I was very excited to come to New York and especially Shea Stadium…I knew the challenge, and I knew the Mets were slowly building a very interesting team and a very colorful team…I had a little bit of apprehension, but once I got here and the way the guys just took me in, I knew it was meant to be.

On the 2000 World Series-

I hate to say it wasn’t in the cards, because it was so close for us.  I truly feel like we could’ve won that series.  It wasn’t meant to be.  That’s one of the big, sad things in my career – that I didn’t get to win a World Series.

On steroids, and it being unfair that he didn’t get into the Hall of Fame based merely on suspicion-

(Regarding denying that he used steroids) I just don’t understand what part of ‘no’ people don’t understand.

Was he ever tempted to use steroids?

I had too much respect for the game…it’s just something I didn’t think about…the supplements that I took were available over the counter.  Once I realized they were becoming scrutinized, I knew that I had to stop them.

Does he think of himself as a Met or a Dodger?

I’ve had some great moments with both teams.  I think at least my more memorable moments I feel are with the Mets.  There’s no question about it.  I can’t completely discount my Dodger days because they were a huge part of my life…but coming here and all the emotions and all the pressures were that much more intense, and I was able to have a pretty good career here.  All these memories and all these moments as you mentioned.  There’s no question that that’s something for me that is very special.  It’s something I’ll obviously never forget.  I’ll wake up at night and think about a pitch or a memory.  It haunts me in a good way.

What does he think about when he puts his career in perspective?

Proud and humbling at the same time…it was a checkered past, it was up and down, trials and tribulations.  A lot of happiness, a lot of sadness and frustration as well.  It’s a true American story…a story about passion and about love for baseball.  I just wanted to share it with people.

If he has a son (Piazza and his wife are expecting their third child), does he want him to be a baseball player?

For the Mets.  They may need a catcher some day.

What keeps him busy these days?

Coaching with the Italians (in the World Baseball Classic).  I love the Classic…it’s something that’s near and dear to me.  I’m involved with the Italian American foundation…I’ve been having fun and been enjoying the fact that I can watch a game now and not really care who wins…I live in Miami…just take it day by day and enjoy life right now.

Who was he closest to on the Mets?

I loved Lenny (Harris).  Lenny was great, Pat Mahomes was one of the funniest guys I ever played with…Al (Leiter).

Could he ever be a coach or a manager in the majors?

You never know…I’m enjoying my family now…one day maybe when the kids are a little older I’ll get that itch.

…At this point, it comes down to this:  Barring evidence or an admission, it’s impossible to prove that Mike Piazza (or any other player who ever played baseball and hasn’t been caught cheating) ever used performance enhancing drugs.  Could he have?  Sure.  But so could have Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, John Cangelosi, Pat Kelly, or anyone post 1987 who you feel like naming.

Do Mets fans want Piazza to be innocent?  Of course we do.  Are we a bit biased?  Probably.

Still, Piazza’s name never appeared on a list of cheaters.  He never failed a drug test. There isn’t an anecdote from a named or unnamed player, coach, or executive who claims to have ever seen Piazza using illegal performance enhancing drugs, or who states that Piazza told them he was using.  Piazza’s numbers never spiked in an odd way, and they tailed off as expected as he got older.  He’s been denying the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs since 1997.

You want to tell me Piazza was taken in the 62nd round?  Fine.  I’ll counter with the fact that Kurt Warner was plucked from obscurity, and that Tom Brady was an afterthought in the NFL Draft.  I’ll also counter with the fact that Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived, watched Piazza hit when he was 16 years old.  What did Williams say?  That Piazza was better than he was at that age.

People bashed Piazza for not releasing his book until after the Hall of Fame vote because they thought he might be hiding something.  It turns out he wasn’t hiding anything.  He could’ve refused to address the steroids rumors in the book, but he spoke openly about them.  After coming out with the book, he could’ve let the contents stand alone.  He hasn’t.

Mike Piazza is the greatest hitting catcher of all time.  There isn’t a shred of evidence linking him to illegal performance enhancing drugs.  He’s denied cheating since he was first asked about it 16 years ago.

He’s behaving like someone who has nothing to hide, and the odds are that he’s right.  If he isn’t elected to the Hall of Fame next year, the way the voting is conducted should be changed.  Frankly, keeping him out again would be an absolute disgrace.  The writers need to use their judgment and get this right.

When Piazza is inducted, there’s no question it should be with a Mets cap on his plaque.  He had his more dominant years with the Dodgers, but hit more home runs and had more RBI’s as a Met.  He played with the Dodgers for six plus seasons and the Mets for nearly eight.  If you simply look at those factors, it’s a toss up.  However, when you take everything else into account, it becomes a no-brainer.

Piazza had his biggest moments as a Met.  He guided the team to the Playoffs in 1999 and to the World Series in 2000.  In the first sporting event in New York City after the September 11th terrorist attacks, he hit one of the biggest home runs in the history of the city.  He was so beloved by the fans that he was given an awe inspiring sendoff during his final game with the Mets in 2005, and was welcomed back as a Padre in 2006 with one of the loudest, most prolonged ovations I’ve ever heard (I was there).  Piazza is revered in New York, while he hasn’t set foot in Dodger Stadium as a non-player since he was traded 15 years ago.  He’s been asked over and over since his retirement which cap he wants on his Hall of Fame plaque, and the answer has been the Mets each and every time.

If the writers get this right, Piazza will get that wish next year.

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September 11, 2011; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets former pitcher John Franco (left) throws the ceremonial first pitch to former catcher Mike Piazza before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The first interview, which aired at 6:00 PM, was on MLB Tonight on the MLB Network, and was given by Greg Amsinger.  Below are in depth highlights from the interview:

On why the title of the book is “Long Shot”-

I think it says a lot coming from where I came late in the draft and working my way up…just all the hurdles, bumps and bruises along the way.  People ask me ‘why would you write a book’ and I say I’ve had a very interesting life.  I’ve had a very interesting career…it’s just something I wanted to share with people.

On getting into weight training before he made it to the majors and on the PED connections to the university of Miami (where he trained)-

I think the story is still ongoing , it’s really tough to speculate until all the facts come out…there seems there’s a correlation, but we’ll see.

On the rumors that he used performance enhancing drugs-

My histories of denial are documented all the way back to 1997.  I never really thought that was news.  In the light of the history, and I try to put that in perspective, paint a picture of the history of the game and how – not just PED’s – but generally the whole philosophy on training for the game changed.  With weight training…generally it was discouraged when I was a kid.  I remember people saying ‘you’re gonna get muscle bound, you’re gonna get too tight, ballplayers don’t train.’ …guys realized ‘wait a minute, I’m getting stronger, the ball is going farther as long as I stretch and as long as I keep hitting.’ Generally, that whole philosophy did change.

On the following quote from his book: “I don’t use steroids…I’m not upset by the rumors.” Amsinger asked how can he be clean but not be upset that people think he cheated?

I think there’s just some people you’re not gonna convince.  I can only do so much and say ‘here’s my life, make your own judgment.’

On his candor regarding his amphetamines and andro usage, and regarding what other substances he admitted to using throughout his career-

Most of the stuff that I documented was pretty much through the training room, through the trainers.  One of the things was Vioxx, which is a very strong anti inflammatory that was banned because it’s one of those things that can cause heart attacks and things like that.  I just really wanted to paint a picture that drugs, unfortunately, is part of sports.  Obviously, it’s part of the training room, it’s part of – sometimes you have to do those things – cortisone – to get on the field.   I just really wanted to draw a comparison because sometimes guys blurred the line.   But as far as andro for me, it was just a supplement that came in a pack that I bought.  Once I started realizing that it was being discouraged, then I stopped it.

On the press conference when he announced he wasn’t gay-

I thought it was becoming a distraction for my team.  It really was an awkward situation, only a product of being in NY.  I can’t explain anything more.  It was just one of these things…that just snowballed…all of my teammates were really uneasy about it so I said ‘you know what? I can do one of two things about it, I can ignore this and I can go on’, or just kinda nip it in the bud and say ‘I don’t know who this is, it’s not me and move on.’ But as you know, sometimes there’s a story in a non-story…but it’s just one of those things that’s a burden that I have to deal with.

Amsinger asked him why if he held a press conference to announce he wasn’t gay, why didn’t he hold a press conference before the Hall of Fame vote to announce he never used steroids-

We talked about that, and I said recently that I truly wanted to be respectful of the process.  I didn’t want to make it seem like I was out there campaigning  for it.  I just, generally wanted to say ‘let the process run its course,’ then afterwards kinda say my piece in the book.  So there really wasn’t a strategy involved.  I thought it would’ve been inappropriate to come out early and say ‘vote for me, here is my career, here are my numbers.’  I thought all that kinda speak for themselves.   Just generally reserved judgment to hold back and say let’s just wait and (let it) run its course.  That was pretty much our thinking.

On getting 57.8 of the Hall of Fame vote – was he disappointed?

I was a little disappointed, I can’t lie about that.  But I got so much positive support.  To keep it in historical perspective as well, there’s a lot of great players that didn’t get on the first ballot.  (Joe) DiMaggio comes to mind, Yogi Berra.  I have respect for the process, I really do.  I just think that it has to, it’s just gonna run its course.  I’m very proud of my career.  If you look at my entire body of work, I put it up against any catcher that’s played the position.  As far as the controversy, it’s frustrating for me because I hate that it happened to the game.  On the same note, I think MLB has really done a lot to address it and be proactive about it.

Asked whether he’d be a Hall of Famer in 15 years-

I think so, I hope so.  But I can’t go around periodically trying to convince.  I can only say ‘here’s the history, it’s pretty cut and dry.’ As far as pure numbers on the field, I’m really proud of that.

On his feud with Roger Clemens-

If you can really take it back to 2000, getting hit in the head, what happened after that and the amount of tension that was in the air.  It turned into, almost like a gladiator type of mentality.  And that was something that was for me, was difficult.  But I’ve definitely moved on. I’ve seen Roger at some golf tournaments…it is what it is.

What would teammates say about him?  Amsinger quotes piazza as saying he never had many friends in the game and that he wasn’t always the best teammate-

I think that I didn’t have as much fun as I should’ve… I felt so much pressure.  There wasn’t a time when I felt like I wasn’t meant to carry the team.  People deal with pressure different ways…I kept it internal…maybe the perception was that it rubbed some guys the wrong way…its just something that I had to deal with as a player.   And then I think back to Roy Campanella when I was a kid, and the one thing he always said was ‘just play the game, don’t worry about anything else.’ It allowed me just to relax and say ‘I’m gonna do the best I can’ and that’s all you can do.

100 years from now, if he could handpick one moment from his career that would help determine how people remember him as a baseball player, what one moment would that be?

The moment I think was probably the first game after 9/11 for me, because being in the city that week and that time was just something beyond baseball, something beyond anything really.  It’s total…it’s, the meaning of life.  The tragedy and the pain and the despair that went through that city and then, eventually, going through – doing whatever we can to try to help and make people better – and realize how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things.  And then going back and having the first game in New York and living that day and the tension.  Should we be there, shouldn’t we be there.  Going through that game with the Braves and then to hit that home run.  To have people remember.   People still, everywhere I go, just still come up to me.  To be remembered for one home run, if that’s the one, that is something I’ll definitely cherish.  Even to this day, people still come up to me (and say) ‘ I remember that game, I remember that home run, I remember how much it meant.’  And it really is overwhelming, it’s humbling.  I was just a ballplayer doing what I was supposed to do, doing my job.  The fact that it took on a lot more meaning to people is something that still affects me today.  It really does.

The second interview, which aired at 11:00 PM was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.  The interview was  shorter and of course much more laid back than the one Piazza gave to Greg Amsinger on the MLB Network.  Below are the highlights:

On getting drafted in the 62^nd round-

I got a telegram three days after the draft…I realized at the time it was gonna be a big mountain to climb.

Stewart asked Piazza if he felt he should go into the Hall of Fame as a Met or a Dodger-

I would think the Mets.  And I talk about that a lot.

On no one getting elected to the Hall of Fame this year partly because of the PED cloud.  Stewart said if you deny using, no one believes you.  If you say you did it, you don’t get in.  He then asked Piazza why he wrote the book-

It was funny, when the hall vote happened everyone was like “he’s gotta talk about it, he’s gotta talk about it.’  And then when I came out with the book they’re like ‘what’s he talking about this for?’

On whether those who played in the steroid era knew who was juicing-

Not in my clubhouses.  As far as the game goes, they were pretty clean…once you see the records were being compromised, that’s when people were getting concerned.

On whether he made a conscious choice to not use steroids, whether or not it was tempting, and if he understood why some guys did it-

Of course it was conscious…I could understand why from a financial perspective, but then again…for me, it was compromising the integrity of the game.  Sometimes being a professional athlete isn’t a healthy lifestyle choice…you do weave in and out of -not just PED’s or steroids – but painkillers…you do have to make a conscious effort to take care of yourself and really not fall into the excess.

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