GaryMrMets
02-25-2004, 08:15 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20040224&content_id=640827&vkey=spt2004news&fext=.jsp
02/24/2004 3:08 PM ET
Levis and Piazza together again
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jesse Levis could look across the aisle from his locker at Tradition Field and be envious. But he isn't.
He could sit and talk about "could haves," "should haves" and "would haves," complaining of bad breaks and missed opportunities. But he doesn't.
Instead Levis looks across the aisle at Mike Piazza and smiles. His and Piazza's careers seem to have come full circle, with the two finally sharing locker space two decades after sharing headlines as prep stars in suburban Philadelphia.
Piazza and Levis dominated the high school sports scene in Philly in the mid- to late 1980s, each earning All-County honors in baseball. Levis, the starting catcher at Northeast High, earned a place on the All-Southeast Pennsylvania squad. Meanwhile, Phoenixville High's Piazza was the league's MVP and earned All-County laurels at first base.
But while Piazza has gone on to have a Hall of Fame-type career, Levis has bounced between the minors and Major League. He's had a few solid seasons, but has never enjoyed anything close to a typical Piazza year.
And that's OK. He doesn't make comparisons to his boyhood friend, and will never look back on his career and ask, "What if?"
The Mets brought the 35-year-old Levis into camp this year as a minor-league free agent and as an insurance policy. He'll likely spend the entire season at Triple-A Norfolk, tutoring young pitchers while offering the organization a bridge to top catching prospect Justin Huber.
It's not the way it was supposed to happen, but Levis is no less proud than if his career had mirrored Piazza's.
"We were always playing against each other," said Levis. "High school ball, American Legion ball, all kinds of summer ball. We knew each other for quite a while. He was always a pretty good hitter. He could really hit. Then he became a catcher, and the Hall of Fame came calling."
It was the road, meanwhile, that called Levis. He spent countless nights in such cities as Kinston, Canton, Charlotte, Buffalo, Durham and Orlando, never grabbing the headlines the way he did in high school.
But he clearly has the respect of the Mets' All-Star backstop. Piazza recalled some of the time he spent with Levis during their teen years, saying that Levis would occasionally come over to his house and the two would hit together in Piazza's batting cage.
"It was a whole suburban-area sort of thing," said Piazza. "We were all tight. It was a very baseball-focused area. You knew the guys at other schools, played Legion ball together. We used to work out together and then, when we met in the minors, we'd get reacquainted."
Levis starred at North Carolina, earning third-team All-America honors, and was tabbed as a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection being signing with Cleveland. Piazza went to Miami-Dade North Community College before being drafted by the Dodgers.
As their careers began to take off, it looked as if they would share a quick ride through their clubs' respective farm systems. Piazza and Levis even shared a baseball card, both appearing as rookies on the same card in 1993. But that's where their paths began to diverge. Piazza became Piazza, while Levis struggled.
"It's very ironic," said Levis. "We were on the same card. But we kind of took different paths, and here we are again. He had a Hall of Fame path, and I had to battle. But I loved every second of playing this game. I have close to five years of big-league service time. That's a lot more time than some people who are a lot more talented than I am have.
"I wish things were a little better early in my career and I wasn't behind the likes of Sandy Alomar Jr. and Tony Peña," he added. "Fortunately, Cleveland turned me loose, and I played well in Milwaukee until I injured my shoulder in 1998."
Levis appeared in 72 games over four years with the Indians before signing with the Brewers. He appeared in 104 games in 1996 with Milwaukee, and hit .285 in 99 games a year later. He was hot at the start of 1998, hitting .351 in 22 games before a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery stalled his career.
He went back to Cleveland and then Milwaukee again, appearing in 22 big-league games over the next three seasons, but has spent the last two years in Triple-A.
"I wish I didn't get hurt, but I don't regret anything," he said. "I just keep going. Sometimes you get guys like me who are 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds who don't look the part like Michael does. I just have to battle and persevere."
Levis looks a bit out of place in the New York clubhouse, especially when you notice that his locker is between those of Scott Kazmir and David Wright, two of the team's youngest prospects. The veteran backstop is balding and rugged-looking, presenting more of a coach's image than that of a player.
"He's an accomplished, solid catcher," said Piazza. "He's done some really good work. And Jesse's always been a class guy."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/02/24/p6wEytYc.jpg
Jesse Levis' most recent season in the Majors was spent in Milwaukee. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
02/24/2004 3:08 PM ET
Levis and Piazza together again
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jesse Levis could look across the aisle from his locker at Tradition Field and be envious. But he isn't.
He could sit and talk about "could haves," "should haves" and "would haves," complaining of bad breaks and missed opportunities. But he doesn't.
Instead Levis looks across the aisle at Mike Piazza and smiles. His and Piazza's careers seem to have come full circle, with the two finally sharing locker space two decades after sharing headlines as prep stars in suburban Philadelphia.
Piazza and Levis dominated the high school sports scene in Philly in the mid- to late 1980s, each earning All-County honors in baseball. Levis, the starting catcher at Northeast High, earned a place on the All-Southeast Pennsylvania squad. Meanwhile, Phoenixville High's Piazza was the league's MVP and earned All-County laurels at first base.
But while Piazza has gone on to have a Hall of Fame-type career, Levis has bounced between the minors and Major League. He's had a few solid seasons, but has never enjoyed anything close to a typical Piazza year.
And that's OK. He doesn't make comparisons to his boyhood friend, and will never look back on his career and ask, "What if?"
The Mets brought the 35-year-old Levis into camp this year as a minor-league free agent and as an insurance policy. He'll likely spend the entire season at Triple-A Norfolk, tutoring young pitchers while offering the organization a bridge to top catching prospect Justin Huber.
It's not the way it was supposed to happen, but Levis is no less proud than if his career had mirrored Piazza's.
"We were always playing against each other," said Levis. "High school ball, American Legion ball, all kinds of summer ball. We knew each other for quite a while. He was always a pretty good hitter. He could really hit. Then he became a catcher, and the Hall of Fame came calling."
It was the road, meanwhile, that called Levis. He spent countless nights in such cities as Kinston, Canton, Charlotte, Buffalo, Durham and Orlando, never grabbing the headlines the way he did in high school.
But he clearly has the respect of the Mets' All-Star backstop. Piazza recalled some of the time he spent with Levis during their teen years, saying that Levis would occasionally come over to his house and the two would hit together in Piazza's batting cage.
"It was a whole suburban-area sort of thing," said Piazza. "We were all tight. It was a very baseball-focused area. You knew the guys at other schools, played Legion ball together. We used to work out together and then, when we met in the minors, we'd get reacquainted."
Levis starred at North Carolina, earning third-team All-America honors, and was tabbed as a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection being signing with Cleveland. Piazza went to Miami-Dade North Community College before being drafted by the Dodgers.
As their careers began to take off, it looked as if they would share a quick ride through their clubs' respective farm systems. Piazza and Levis even shared a baseball card, both appearing as rookies on the same card in 1993. But that's where their paths began to diverge. Piazza became Piazza, while Levis struggled.
"It's very ironic," said Levis. "We were on the same card. But we kind of took different paths, and here we are again. He had a Hall of Fame path, and I had to battle. But I loved every second of playing this game. I have close to five years of big-league service time. That's a lot more time than some people who are a lot more talented than I am have.
"I wish things were a little better early in my career and I wasn't behind the likes of Sandy Alomar Jr. and Tony Peña," he added. "Fortunately, Cleveland turned me loose, and I played well in Milwaukee until I injured my shoulder in 1998."
Levis appeared in 72 games over four years with the Indians before signing with the Brewers. He appeared in 104 games in 1996 with Milwaukee, and hit .285 in 99 games a year later. He was hot at the start of 1998, hitting .351 in 22 games before a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery stalled his career.
He went back to Cleveland and then Milwaukee again, appearing in 22 big-league games over the next three seasons, but has spent the last two years in Triple-A.
"I wish I didn't get hurt, but I don't regret anything," he said. "I just keep going. Sometimes you get guys like me who are 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds who don't look the part like Michael does. I just have to battle and persevere."
Levis looks a bit out of place in the New York clubhouse, especially when you notice that his locker is between those of Scott Kazmir and David Wright, two of the team's youngest prospects. The veteran backstop is balding and rugged-looking, presenting more of a coach's image than that of a player.
"He's an accomplished, solid catcher," said Piazza. "He's done some really good work. And Jesse's always been a class guy."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/02/24/p6wEytYc.jpg
Jesse Levis' most recent season in the Majors was spent in Milwaukee. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)