Editing Mike Piazza (section)

==Early life==
Piazza was born in [[Norristown, Pennsylvania]], grew up in [[Phoenixville, Pennsylvania]], and attended [[Phoenixville Area High School]]. He is the second-oldest son of an Italian father named Vince (1932–2021) and a Slovak mother named Veronica, with brothers Vince Jr., Dan, Tony, and Tom. His father was the son of Italian immigrants from [[Sciacca, Sicily]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usworldherald.com/sciacca-american-dream-lives-on/  |title=Sciacca: The Sicilian town where the American dream lives on |date=June 5, 2019 |work=The US World Herald |first=Joe |last=Battaglia |access-date=September 4, 2023 }}</ref> Tom's godfather was former MLB manager [[Tommy Lasorda]]. Mike grew up a [[Philadelphia Phillies]] fan and fan of Philadelphia sports, and admiring Hall of Fame third baseman [[Mike Schmidt]]. Piazza watched the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] court side in their January 1983 game when [[Julius Erving]] performed a defensive play by swiping the ball and completing his famous Rock-a-Baby dunk, which Piazza cited as one of his indelible childhood memories as a sports fan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Young Mike Piazza Courtside|url=https://www.bloggingmets.com/16209/video-young-mike-piazza-courtside/|date=2013-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-piazzas-proud-dad-watches-sons-hof-call/c-191447044 |title=Piazza's proud pop watches son's call to Hall |website=Major League Baseball |date=July 24, 2016 |first=Barry M. |last=Bloom |quote=Mike was the second of five sons .... |access-date=March 18, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/c035234d |last=Osowiecki|first=Stan|title=Mike Piazza|access-date=February 22, 2017|work=Society For American Baseball Research}}</ref> Vince Piazza earned a fortune of more than $100 million in used cars and real estate, and attempted several times to purchase an MLB franchise.<ref name="berlind19991017">{{cite news|last=Berlind|first=William|title=Mike Piazza's 'Loudmouth' Dad Nervously Watches Mets Advance|url=http://observer.com/1999/10/mike-piazzas-loudmouth-dad-nervously-watches-mets-advance/|access-date=April 13, 2013|newspaper=New York Observer|date=October 17, 1999}}</ref> When the Dodgers—managed by Vince's childhood friend Tommy Lasorda, the godfather of Mike Piazza's youngest brother, Tommy<ref name="longshot" />{{rp|40}}—visited Philadelphia, Piazza visited the Dodger clubhouse and served as a bat boy in the dugout.<ref name="coffey19980607">{{cite news|last=Coffey|first=Wayne|title=HOMETOWN HERO METS'S PIZZA HAS BECOME FAVORITE SON OF PHOENIXVILLE, PA.|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/hometown-hero-mets-piazza-favorite-son-phoenixville-pa-article-1.799709?print|access-date=April 13, 2013|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=June 7, 1998}}</ref>

Vince's own hopes of playing baseball had ended at the age of 16 when he left school to support his family. He saw that Piazza had potential in the sport, and began encouraging his son to build his arm strength at the age of five.{{r|berlind19991017}} When he was 16, Piazza received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from [[Ted Williams]]. The Hall of Famer praised his talent, advised him not to let anyone change his swing, and autographed Piazza's copy of Williams' ''The Science of Hitting''.{{r|coffey19980607}} Vince threw hundreds of pitches nightly to his son,{{r|berlind19991017}} who shared his father's focus on baseball, clearing snow if necessary to practice his hitting and, after reaching the major leagues, practicing on Christmas Eve.{{r|coffey19980607}} Piazza graduated from Phoenixville Area High School in 1986, after which he went to South Florida and joined the [[Miami Hurricanes baseball|Miami Hurricanes]] his freshman year; receiving no playing time that season, Piazza transferred to [[Miami Dade College|Miami-Dade Community College]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article159730794.html |title=Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige and A-Rod part of Miami's long and storied baseball history |newspaper=Miami Herald |date=July 5, 2017 |first=George |last=Richards |access-date=September 13, 2018 }}</ref> Piazza played first base at Miami-Dade in 1988. In 29 games, he [[batting average (baseball)|hit]] .364 with three [[home run]]s and [[runs batted in|drove in]] 23 runs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=WV |title=Piazza Voted Into Baseball Hall of Fame |journal=College Forum |date=February 2016 |volume=20 |issue=1 |url=https://www.mdc.edu/main/collegeforum/archive/vol20-01/makingtheirmark/l0200_piazza.aspx |access-date=7 May 2023|publisher=[[Miami Dade College]]}}</ref>