DURHAM, NC- Mike Piazza is back in affiliated baseball. No, not the former New York Mets legend, but his cousin of the same name, a right-handed pitcher for the Laredo Lemurs. Piazza (pictured) has had his contract sold to the Colorado Rockies. He will be assigned to the Class AA Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League. The Drillers are currently in the midst of a road series at the Springfield Cardinals in Springfield, Missouri.
Piazza is in his first season with the Lemurs, and currently carries a 2-1 record and a 3.44 ERA through six games, five of them starts. Piazza’s best game came on May 31 at home in an interleague matchup against the Trois-Rivieres Aigles. In that game, he earned a win by pitching seven innings and allowing only one run on four hits while striking out four. The Lemurs took the victory by a final count of 5-1. Piazza’s other win came in an 18-5 victory for the Lemurs over the Winnipeg Goldeyes May 21 at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo.
Prior to his Independent debut, Piazza spent five years in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim system. He spent parts of the last three seasons with the Class AA Arkansas Travelers, bouncing back and forth between Little Rock and the Class A Advanced Inland Empire 66ers. In 2013, Piazza posted a 3.26 ERA between Arkansas and Inland Empire, going 6-3 with 92 strikeouts in 96 and 2/3 innings.
In 2012, Piazza spent the whole season with Arkansas, and went 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA. 2011 was arguably his best season as a pro, as he logged a 3.00 ERA in 40 games, all relief appearances. Piazza struck out 67 in 66 innings and walked only 32. Piazza spent 2009 and 2010 with the Orem Owlz, the Angels’ Rookie League affiliate in Orem, Utah. He also appeared in 10 games in 2010 with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Angels’ old Class A Advanced affiliate.
The former Florida Tech pitcher becomes the fifth American Association player sold during the 2014 season.
