Piazza on Pace, but Can He Last?

“I think Mike Piazza will hit 600 home runs if he plays long enough, which might be tough to do as a catcher. If the Dodgers move him to first base or he goes to the American League as a designated hitter, it could be scary.”

Piazza has averaged 32 homers for his first four seasons, including 24 in strike-shortened 1994. At 28, maintaining that average, he would have to play 15 more years to reach 600, which only Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660) have done.

Said Barry Bonds, the baseball historian and San Francisco Giant left fielder: “All I’m saying is that he’s a very impressive hitter with very impressive power. No catcher has ever done what he’s done in his first four years, and few hitters have, period. He’s averaging 32 from the start of his career, and one of these years he’s going to start hitting 40. It’s just tough to maintain as a catcher.”

A left fielder? Well, Bonds is 32 and entered the season with 334 home runs. He has averaged more than 38 over the last five years, a pace that would get him to 600 before he’s 40.

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Gary Sheffield wore a tailored suit complemented by a diamond-encrusted gold watch, a diamond bracelet and diamond studs in both ears to the signing ceremony for his six-year, $61-million contract with the Florida Marlins. Now he can buy the rest of the mine.

The record package includes an $11-million club option for 2004 that could push the total to $72 million over seven years, not including award bonuses. Manager Jim Leyland considers Sheffield baseball’s best right-handed hitter, but even Sheffield found the figures difficult to fathom.

“Am I worth it?” Sheffield said. “All I can say is, I think the Marlins think so. I can’t hold myself accountable for the way [baseball’s economics] are.”

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A year off? Big deal. Deion Sanders went seven for 13 with three stolen bases and two runs batted in as the Cincinnati Reds won two of three from the Colorado Rockies in their opening series.

In the past, Sanders has been criticized for being too much of a free swinger with too low an on-base percentage to be a good leadoff hitter, but he now disputes that.

“You don’t have to walk to be a good leadoff hitter,” he said. “Why would a pitcher want to walk me? He knows if he does I’m going to be on second base, then third base. I just have to get on base.”

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How high are concession prices at the new Turner Field in Atlanta? Said Ted Turner: “Outrageous, really outrageous. I’m not sure I won’t eat before I come.”