Mike Piazza: Best and Worst

I thought I would comb through my cards and share some of my Best (coolest, most valuable, or memorable) and Worst (ugliest, least valuable, or shameful) of select players.

First up is the best hitting catcher of all time, Mike Piazza. He was the best player for a long time for my favorite team, the NewYork Mets. He recently set the record for most career HR by a catcher and now he DH's for the Oakland Athletics.

Best Card: 1992 Bowman #461

It's a RC from the year that Bowman became "the home of the RC", which incidentally, is the year I stopped ever having true RC's of anyone. I really like cards of catchers with their gear on. (so he's missing his chest protector, big deal!)

Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft. Scott Erickson and Fernando Vina were selected that same year after the 40th round. The Yankees, who drafted Vina, kept drafting until the 75th round!

Worst Card: 1997 Topps Heritage #192

I understand that most 1958 Topps cards were headshots or posed action but wasn't there a better shot on that role of film. Piazza looks like a Shriner who lost that thing that hangs off the top of their hats. The color scheme would work only if he was a Miami Hurricane in college. (He attended Miami-Dade, which has had quite a baseball tradition.)

I'm sure many of you have better Piazza cards, ones with quad-patches or dual autos, but do you have one that is worse than the 2007 Topps Heritage. If so, email a scan to mark_mosley@yahoo.com. If I deem it more of a catastrophe on cardboard, I'll post it and give you all the credit.