Fans swung away Tuesday at Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for his endorsement video of Republican Larry Elder in the California recall election.
Gov. Gavin Newsom easily survived the vote, but Piazza won’t soon live down his much-maligned clip, which Elder posted hours into the actual voting.
Piazza, a hard-hitting catcher who starred for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, called on voters to select the right-wing Elder to restore the “California dream.” He promised to return to Dodger Stadium to thank fans who cast their ballots for him.
But critics, including many reporters, blasted the 12-time All-Star for his timing. They noted that Piazza didn’t go to Dodger Stadium as other alums did for Monday’s game honoring his old manager, the late Tommy Lasorda, with a bobblehead giveaway. Yet he would pledge his first return since his playing days based on the outcome of an election.
Others referenced Piazza’s accusation that beloved Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully exacerbated Piazza’s tense contract negotiations with the team in the ’90s. And some were simply ticked that the former L.A. sports hero, an apparent Trumper who lives part time in Italy, picked the side he did.