In 1997, Piazza鈥檚 .362 batting average tied the highest average ever previously recorded by a catcher, first set by the Yankees鈥� Bill Dickey in 1936. In 2009, Minnesota鈥檚 Joe Mauer surpassed them both by batting .365. Mauer has won three American League batting titles compared with none for Piazza, who calls Mauer鈥檚 titles 鈥渁 remarkable accomplishment.鈥�
Having said that, however, Piazza makes some interesting points. One is that Mauer batted .365 while playing catcher in 105 games and Dickey batted. 362 in 107 games. Piazza, meanwhile, had to play considerably more games behind the plate 鈥� 139 鈥� which may have meant he wasn鈥檛 as fresh toward the end of season. Playing in the National League, he wasn鈥檛 able to spend a game each week at designated hitter as Mauer sometimes did. And in terms of winning a batting title, Piazza had the misfortune of competing against one of the all-time greats in San Diego鈥檚 Tony Gwynn, who captured eight batting crowns.
When it comes to selecting baseball鈥檚 best complete catcher of all-time, Piazza says that he gives Cincinnati鈥檚 Johnny Bench the nod. But he considers himself a complete hitter, based on both power and average.
