Mike Piazza By LeRoy Neiman Offset 26 x 36 Lithograph

Introduction

Details

LeRoy Neiman’s friendship with All-Star and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza began when the great catcher was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The artist first sketched Piazza in his early big league years. He was impressed with the player’s power, but even more so with his overall presence. To quote Neiman, “Piazza represents the healthy, perfectly conditioned athlete. In his moves, effortless and graceful, you see an ideal, picture-perfect sports hero in action. A fierce competitor, Piazza is the ultimate professional.”

Neiman continues, “When Mike was traded to the New York Mets in 1998 he had expressed his strong desire to Mets management that he wear number 31, which he had worn for a decade with the Dodgers. The trouble was, John Franco, the Mets long-time star relief pitcher, had been wearing that number for many years. But Franco gave the number to Piazza. In appreciation for John Franco’s extraordinary generosity, Mike commissioned me to do a painting of Franco, which he presented to Franco as a thank you gesture. That’s the sort of guy Mike is.”

Without intending it, Neiman’s anecdote tells as much about the artist as the athlete. When Mike Piazza wanted something special for a colleague, to whom did he turn? What better testament could there be to the unique abilities, stature and reputation of LeRoy Neiman? That’s the kind of painter LeRoy Neiman is!