After 16 seasons of spectacular MLB service, one of the best-hitting catchers of all time, Michael Joseph Piazza, is retiring.

A 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Piazza also won the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year Award. In that same year, he set the still-rookie record for home runs by a catcher with 35.

One of the most endearing aspects of Piazza's career was that he was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. That means roughly more than 1800 players went ahead of the sure-fire Hall of Famer! Some even speculated that Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers as a favor to Dodger-legend Tommy Lasorda who was a friend to Mike's father, Vince Piazza. What a favor!

Piazza had incredible power to all fields, but especially to the opposite field. Leave a ball hanging on the outside part of the plate and Piazza would crush it. He not only had power, he could flat out hit. A point that struck close to home for me in 1993 when on the last day of the season Piazza almost singlehandedly knocked my Giants out of the playoffs going 2-4 with 2 HRs and 4 RBI. (The man caused me endless ulcers.)

Piazza and Roger Clemens also crossed paths notoriously several times. The first being during the 2000 season when Clemens nailed Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing him to miss the the All-Star Game. Several months later during the Mets/Yankees "Subway Series", Piazza broke his bat on a foul ball and Clemens famously slung the barrel of the bat defiantly and, yes, deliberately back at Piazza. (Oh come on, every one in the universe knows he slung the bat at him on purpose.)

But Piazza got his revenge.

During the 2002 All-Star Game in Houston, Piazza caught the NL starter who--you guessed it--just happened to be Clemens who coughed up 6 ER in the first inning.

Hmm, now did Piazza say something to the AL hitters as they came to plate? Nah, couldn't have happened and is just a rumor any way. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

Piazza played for the Dodgers, New York Mets, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres and, ever so briefly, the Florida Marlins.

He ends his career with a .306 average, 427 HR (a record for catchers), 1335 RBI.

Good luck in retirement, Mike. It was a pleasure to watch you play, even against my Giants.