Mike Piazza

Vince Piazza was a first generation American who became a millionaire. He believed that anything is possible when you put the effort into the job.

Vince dreamed for one of his boys to play in the major leagues. Mike expressed a passion for the game and Vince provided Mike with whatever was necessary for him to succeed. When Mike was passed over by several talent scouts, Vince called on his childhood friend, Tommy Lasorda. He knew that his son was not getting the attention he deserved. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Vince said, "it was me who gave Michael the tools, but it was Michael who used them." Vince knew that Mike's hard work had paid off when Mike joined the Dodgers in 1992, and later received the Most Valuable Player award for the 1996 All-Star game. In an interview for the Sporting News Vince expressed, "I prayed to the good Lord that he would make my son a big-league ballplayer, but who ever dreamed this? I mean, there's only two professional ballplayers that ever came out of Norristown, PA. One is the manager. The other is my son. And they're on the same ballclub."