Long Shot

“Piazza applies the single-minded drive he showed at the plate to making the case for his legacy… . [He] is forthright and often quite funny… . Mets fans will find insights, if not solace, in Piazza’s account of the team’s woes.” – Ada Calhoun * The New York Times Book Review *“Mr. Piazza has had one of the stranger and more inspiring careers in baseball history… . [Long Shot] explain[s] how this non-prospect blossomed into a legendary hitter.” – Tim Marchman * The Wall Street Journal *“Beloved Mets catcher Mike Piazza comes out swinging in a new memoir—confronting rumors about being gay and taking steroids, detailing his romantic home runs and finally setting the score with his hated rival, Roger Clemens.” – Michael Gartland and Cynthia R. Fagen * The New York Post *

Mike Piazza grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixty-second round of the 1988 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He was National League Rookie of the Year in 1993 and was a twelve-time All-Star selection. He holds the record for most home runs by a catcher (396) and held the record for highest batting average in a season by a catcher (.362) until it was recently broken. He lives with his family in Miami Beach, Florida.

Lonnie Wheeler’s numerous books include collaborations on the autobiographies of Hank Aaron (I Had a Hammer), Bob Gibson (Stranger to the Game), Mike Piazza (Long Shot), a baseball dialogue between Gibson and Reggie Jackson (Sixty Feet, Six Inches), and reflections on a summer at Wrigley Field (Bleachers). The author of Intangiball: The Subtle Things That Win Baseball Games, he lives in New Richmond, Ohio.