Widely considered the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history, Mike Piazza can thank his Godfather, the late Tommy Lasorda, for getting a shot to even play pro ball at all. In 1988, the Dodgers' colorful Italian skipper, urged by Piazza's father, advised L.A.'s front office to draft his Godson in the 62nd round. The rest, as they say, is history. Piazza won Rookie of the Year honors in 1993 and ultimately became MLB's all-time leader in home runs by a catcher with 396 at the position. (He hit 427 career dingers, but 31 of those came while playing a different position.) The 12-time All-Star, who would go on to star for the Mets in the latter half of his career, retired with a .308 lifetime batting average and was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2016.

Offered here is a superb Mike Piazza 1998-99 era game used Mizuno Pro Ltd professional model bat. The un-cracked bat exhibits excellent use, with many ball marks and ball stitch impressions visible on the left and back barrel. Cleat marks can be seen on the right and back barrel, as well as blue bat rack streaks and an impression from a weighted batting donut. "31" denoting Piazza's number is written in black marker on the knob end as well as on the barrel end. The Hall of Famer has signed the bat in bold black marker between the center brand and his stamped name. Includes a John Taube LOA from PSA/DNA with a perfect GU 10 grade and a JSA LOA for the autograph.