{
  "id": 27528,
  "title": "The Dodgers discovered Mike Piazza, then came to despise him",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/29/the-dodgers-discovered-mike-piazza-then-came-to-despise-him",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-07-29T16:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SB Nation",
    "slug": "sb-nation",
    "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/videos/1123368/the-dodgers-discovered-mike-piazza-then-came-to-despise-him"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mike Piazza, a metal enthusiast, found himself at the center of a contentious contract dispute with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. The former first baseman, despite being drafted by the team when no other organization showed interest, demanded a substantial raise, eventually becoming the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball at the time. His request for an 81 million-dollar deal, however, was met with disdain from the organization, which perceived him as greedy and disloyal. Piazza, in turn, accused the Dodgers of being calculating and disloyal, while also directing blame at longtime broadcaster Vin Scully for his \"Greedy Mike\" nickname. This bitter confrontation between the star player and the team, coupled with the shifting opinions of the fans, transformed their initial animosity into a long-lasting feud that proved difficult to resolve.",
  "summary": "The fact that Mike Piazza is a metalhead really fits with this beef. I believe it’s quite metal to shake out your mullet and be like, “The Dodgers drafted me when no one else would, but f-you corporate ownership, I don’t owe you no debt of gratitude!” Now it might be slightly less metal to […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Mike Piazza demanded 81 million-dollar deal in 1998.",
    "Dodgers perceived him as greedy and disloyal.",
    "Piazza accused Dodgers of calculating and disloyal."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/27528.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}