Twitter Gold: Ted Williams Spots A Rising Star
Greatness sees greatness
NEW YORK - CIRCA 2001: Mike Piazza #31 of the New York Mets bats against the Atlanta Braves during a Major League Baseball game circa 2001 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Piazza played for the Mets from 1998-2005. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images When he was a young prospect, future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza was a nobody.
He was drafted in 1988,and only as a personal favor to his father from his godfather, L. A. Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda.
He was the 1,390th pick out of 1,395 prospects. That’s close to Mr. Irrelevant status.
Clearly, not much was expected out of Piazza. Nonetheless, there were signs, and in this case, anyone with any sense should have listened, because one of the true legends of the game saw his potential immediately. In this video, Ted Williams, the Splendid Splinter himself, casually observes 15-year-old Piazza hitting some balls and sees something special.