Zimmer Takes Shot at Piazza

A Roger Clemens-Mike Piazza showdown won’t materialize this weekend at Shea Stadium thanks to Joe Torre, but that doesn’t mean the feud is quietly fading away.

Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer threw some fuel on the fire with recent comments about Piazza in the latest issue of Esquire magazine. Referring to last season’s incident in which Piazza took a Clemens fastball off the helmet, Zimmer told Esquire: “Piazza made a little man out of himself. I don’t care who knows it, I lost a little respect for Piazza.”

Piazza accused the five-time Cy Young Award winner of throwing at him intentionally and that’s where Zimmer takes exception.

“When Piazza said that in his mind, ‘No doubt he threw at me,’ that stinks,” Zimmer said. “Is Piazza the only [player] in America who ever got hit in the head with a ball? That’s what burned my [expletive]. There’s only one man in the world that knows: the guy that threw it.”

Piazza told Newsday that he knew about the Esquire article and brought it up himself to reporters Wednesday before the Met-Oriole game at Baltimore. But he told the newspaper he wouldn’t comment before reading the story.

Nine St. Louis Cardinal players, including rookie sensation Albert Pujols, were the victims of hotel room break-ins Wednesday night at Kansas City, Mo.

The other victims were outfielder Bobby Bonilla, utility player Craig Paquette and pitchers Gene Stechschulte, Mike James, Jason Christiansen, Mike Timlin, Steve Kline and Mike Matthews.

The thefts at the Fairmont Hotel, on Kansas City’s upscale Country Club Plaza, were discovered when the players returned from Wednesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Police were still taking statements late Thursday afternoon, and a list of stolen property was not immediately available. Police estimate the thefts total about $10,000.

Bonilla said many of the items stolen were portable electronic devices and computer equipment.

Outfielder Jose Guillen of the Durham Bulls, on a rehabilitation assignment from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was suspended 10 days by the International League for using a corked bat in a game.

Guillen, who joined the Bulls on June 10, was ejected from Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Louisville after cracking his bat in the first inning.

Guillen quickly tried to recover the bat, but first-base umpire Mike Van Vleet got to it first. Van Vleet found Guillen’s bat had been hollowed out and stuffed with wine cork, then ejected him.