Editing Mike Piazza (section)

===Los Angeles Dodgers===
After his father asked Lasorda to select Piazza as a favor,<ref name="schwarz20080521">{{cite news|last=Schwarz|first=Alan|title=Piazza Calls It Quits After 16 Years and 427 Homers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/sports/baseball/21piazza.html|access-date=October 6, 2010|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 21, 2008}}</ref> the [[Miami-Dade Community College]] student was drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the [[1988 Major League Baseball draft|1988 MLB amateur draft]] as the 1,390th player picked out of 1,395 players.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?query_type=year_round&year_ID=1988&draft_round=62&draft_type=junreg 62nd Round of the 1988 MLB June Amateur Draft]</ref>{{r|coffey19980607}} Lasorda asked Piazza to give up his first base position and learn how to catch to improve his chances of reaching the major leagues and helped him attend a special training camp for catchers in the Dominican Republic.{{r|coffey19980607}} Piazza became an excellent hitter, especially for a catcher.{{r|schwarz20080521}} His MLB debut came with the Dodgers on September 1, 1992, against the [[Chicago Cubs]]. He drew a walk in his first plate appearance and then doubled to deep center field in his first official at-bat, against [[Mike Harkey]] of the Cubs.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN199209010.shtml Dodgers vs. Cubs September 1, 1992 Boxscore]</ref> He hit his first home run on September 12, 1992, against [[Steve Reed (baseball)|Steve Reed]] of the [[San Francisco Giants]].<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN199209120.shtml Dodgers vs. Giants September 12, 1992, box score]</ref> He only appeared in 21 games that season, hitting .232.

Piazza won the NL [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]] in 1993 after appearing in 149 games, hitting .318, slugging 35 home runs, and driving in 112 RBI. He was also selected to the [[1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]], his first of 10 consecutive (and 12 total) All-Star appearances. Until [[Joc Pederson]] passed him in 2015, Piazza's 18 home runs before the All-Star break was a Dodgers' rookie record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truebluela.com/2015/6/22/8827309/dodgers-cubs-recap-home-run-derby-lights-out|title=Dodgers lose home run derby to Cubs on dark night at Wrigley|work=SB Nation|first=Eric|last=Stephen|date=June 22, 2015|access-date=June 23, 2015|archive-date=June 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623165419/http://www.truebluela.com/2015/6/22/8827309/dodgers-cubs-recap-home-run-derby-lights-out|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1996, Piazza hit .336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBI, finishing second in NL [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] voting, behind [[Ken Caminiti]]. Piazza's best season with the Dodgers came in 1997, when he hit .362, with 40 home runs, 124 RBI, an [[on-base percentage]] of .431, and a [[slugging percentage]] of .638. He became the first catcher in MLB history to get 200 hits in a season. He finished second in NL [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] voting for the second straight year, behind [[Larry Walker]].