PHILADELPHIA – Halfway through the 14th season of a Hall of Fame career, Mike Piazza laughs when asked about his future.
“In or out of the game?” joked the 37-year-old catcher.
But as he thought about the future, Piazza spoke about some options. And many of them include the Padres and San Diego.
“I haven't really thought about the future,” Piazza said. “But I have thoroughly enjoyed everything about playing with this team, with these players in this city.
“And what we're doing, we've fused Josh (Bard), (Rob) Bowen and me into one unit that seems to be good for the team and the individuals. What's not to like?
“But I'm pragmatic now. I believe that if I want to come back and they want me to come back, it will work out.”
The Padres weren't thinking long term at the end of January when they signed Piazza to a $1.25 million contract for 2006 with an $8 million option for 2007.
Certainly, the Padres don't plan to pick up the option. But that doesn't seem to be a stumbling block for either side.
“Coming in, we looked at Mike being a one-year deal,” General Manager Kevin Towers said. “The option was a way of moving some of his money (a $750,000 buyout against the option) to next year.
“But the option doesn't mean we can't work out something if both sides decided to continue the relationship. We did exactly that last year with Eric Young . . . bought out the option and then rewrote a deal.”
As it stands now, Piazza is a bargain.
He is hitting .269 and is tied for the team lead with 11 homers. Only Bard has a higher slugging percentage than Piazza's .476. The Padres have won better than 56 percent of the 48 games Piazza has started behind the plate, and Padres pitchers have a glistening 3.26 ERA when Piazza is catching.
Yes, Piazza has struggled to throw out runners. Ninety percent of the 51 runners who have tested Piazza's arm have successfully advanced.
That statistic, however, can't diminish Piazza's overall value.
Two of Piazza's biggest supporters are the catchers who share his position.
“He's made things easy,” Bowen said. “Not too many other Hall of Fame players might have been able to do it.”
Said Bard: “The one thing that's been surprising to me is his game management and the way he works with pitchers. Mike is very underrated in that area. That gets lost in the shuffle.”
Not with Padres pitchers.
“What strikes me about Piazza is how he puts all his accomplishments aside each day,” Jake Peavy said. “You'd never know he was one of game's greats if you sat in on our meetings. He treats everyone with respect while bringing the team a sense of confidence. We embrace the fact he's in our corner.”
“Mike's very approachable,” said Clay Hensley. “There's no ego. . . . And you can have fun with him and joke around. Until it's time to get down to business. Then it's all business.”
“I'm old school,” Piazza said proudly. “My friends now are other guys in this uniform. So I'm enjoying this more than you'd know.”
Piazza knows he's no longer the player he was in his prime.
“You reach a point in any career where you get more philosophical and enjoy different things,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure in carrying teams. I couldn't enjoy some things at those times. I'm having fun again. My goal now is to prove I was a bargain for the Padres.
“I've been underpaid and overpaid. I'd like to think I might be underpaid again. It completes the cycle.”
Piazza gives Bruce Bochy high marks for the way the Padres manager has handled him and the three-catcher rotation.
“This is the first time I've ever played for a manager who was a catcher,” Piazza said. “He sees the nuances. He understands what we've been through and go through. It's been a long time since I felt this good midway through a season.”
Piazza said he was originally surprised in May when Bochy said he intended to give the veteran several days off in a row.
“I'd never had two days off in a row before,” Piazza said. “Honestly, I didn't know if I liked the idea. But I felt a lot better and coming out of that, I had a bit of a surge. Bochy understands.”
“It benefits Mike to get more time off,” Bochy said. “It just so happens we have two other catchers who make that possible. It's worked well, and it's worked well because Mike's accepted it.”
“I wanted to be in a place where they wanted me and I wanted to be,” Piazza said. “This has been what the doctor ordered for me and my wife. . . . It's been just what I needed.”
But for how long?
“I don't look at my life in terms of records,” Piazza said. “Not a lot of catchers look real good walking when they are 50 or 60. I admire the way Sandy Koufax left the game . . . at peace with himself and his accomplishments.
“It's tough to let go. I'll be the first to admit it. Eventually, I want to leave on good terms and not be pushed out the door. I don't want to be in a position that I'm only playing for the money.
“Future, I don't know. But I'm loving playing here.”
Friday morning, Mike and Alicia Piazza had one of those husband-wife talks about attitude.
“She told me she knew I was enjoying this season,” he said. “It does make you think about what you want to do.”
Bill Center: (619) 293-1851; bill.center@uniontrib.com
