Piazza at a New Level With 102 RBIs

Watching Mike Piazza as he stood on first base in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 5-4 loss to Houston on Sunday, you wondered if he knew he had just knocked in his 100th run of the season.

Everybody else at Dodger Stadium seemed to know. The announced crowd of 29,985 stood in respect to the rookie. But Piazza, hands on his hips, had an expression on his face that seemed to say, “What’s up?”

“I took my hat off a little bit, “ said Piazza, who had just become the first rookie in 40 years to get 100 RBIs in a season. Later, he knocked in two more.

“It was a tremendous honor and it was amazing that the people would give me an ovation like that. For me, these fans have been outstanding. Before, when they used to cheer for me when I was coming up to the plate, it used to get me nervous. But now it really pumps me up and gets me excited just realizing that everybody in the crowd is pulling for me. That’s something I have learned to deal with and I appreciate it.”

Piazza knocked in a run in the first inning, another in the fifth inning and another in the seventh inning, when he doubled down the left-field line to score Brett Butler, who scored three runs. The last time, as the crowd stood in applause of his 102nd RBI, Piazza raised his helmet a little higher.

“I’m very excited and happy that I have put together the numbers I have, and I’m thankful to my teammates that they have allowed me to keep a level head and not get carried away with myself,” said Piazza, who is the only major league rookie catcher to drive in more than 90 runs.

“One of the things I am proud of this year is that no matter what I have done, I have strived to improve. No matter what happens in the future for me, I have to keep the same attitude. I can’t just sit back on my laurels and say that I’ve arrived and don’t have to work anymore. Tommy (Manager Tom Lasorda) says all the time you have to work hard to get there and twice as hard to stay here. And now that I have established myself as a pretty good hitter, (teams) will be gunning for me that much more. So I have to learn those adjustments also, stay patient, and continue to do what I have done. “

Of his .312 batting average, 32 home runs and 102 RBIs, Piazza said he is most proud of the runs he has driven in. It’s a category he feels he has improved upon the most, even though he drove in 69 runs in 94 games last season at triple-A Albuquerque. But Sunday’s accomplishment was only the latest addition to a list of many:

--His 102 runs batted in are four shy of the all-time Dodger rookie record, set by Dale Bissonette in 1928. The last Dodger with 100 or more was Pedro Guerrero, who had 103 in 1983. No NL rookie had driven in 100 runs since 1953, when Ray Jablonski had 112 for the Cardinals and Jim Greengrass 100 for the Reds. The last Dodger catcher to drive in 100 runs was Roy Campanella in 1955.

--Piazza needs one more home run to tie the L.A. Dodger record for most home runs in a season with 33, set by Steve Garvey in 1977 and tied by Pedro Guerrero in 1985. The last Dodger to hit 32 was Guerrero in 1982 and ’83. Before that, Reggie Smith hit 32 in 1977. The most by any Dodger is 43, hit by Duke Snider in 1956.

--Piazza has the fourth-most home runs ever by an NL rookie. Wally Berger of the Boston Braves hit 38 in 1930, a mark Frank Robinson, as a Cincinnati Red, tied in 1956. Earl Williams, as a catcher for Atlanta, hit 33 in 1971.

One of the biggest honors, however, came in the ninth inning Sunday, when, with the Dodgers down 5-4, Piazza, who represented the winning run, was intentionally walked. But it was all for naught when Ken Caminiti made a great play to rob Eric Karros and reliever Doug Jones struck out Raul Mondesi to earn his 25th save. Ramon Martinez (10-11), who was relieved in the sixth inning, took the loss. Mark Portugal (17-4) held the Dodgers to four hits in five innings.