Mets catcher may make move to first

NEW YORK -- Baseball's best-hitting catcher might eventually be moving out from behind the plate. After years of speculation, the New York Mets talked with All-Star catcher Mike Piazza on Thursday about beginning the process of learning to play first base.\n"We had a very good conversation with Mike," general manager Steve Phillips said. "It was a very frank and open conversation. Mike was very receptive to the idea and the concept."\nPhillips and manager Art Howe met with Piazza before Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.\nBut in a move that appeared to annoy their star player, Phillips and Howe discussed it publicly before broaching it with Piazza.\n"I'm a little perplexed about the whole thing," Piazza said before the meeting. "I don't know what's going on. Everyone has talked about it so much by now that it's paralysis by analysis."\nHowe and Phillips said earlier this week that they didn't expect to talk to Piazza about a possible move in the near future.\nBut somehow that changed Thursday after discussions among Phillips, the coaching staff and ownership.\n"This is the very first step in what will be a process with an undefined timeline," Phillips said. "It's not as easy as taking a couple of grounders."\nPiazza is considered by many to be the greatest-hitting catcher ever. A 10-time All-Star, Piazza has hit 339 home runs in his career as a catcher -- 12 shy of Carlton Fisk's record.\nPiazza had more homers and RBIs in his first 10 full years as a catcher than any other player in history and his .321 batting average was one point behind Bill Dickey.\nPiazza's hitting prowess while also catching has been a source of pride for him and he has often indicated he would be reluctant to change positions.\nHe said he would listen if the Mets asked him to change and now the time has come.\n"Mike's our catcher," Phillips said. "When this thing starts to progress, he'll be our catcher who also plays first base. Where it goes beyond that I don't know."\nThe Mets were motivated to consider the move after first baseman Mo Vaughn went on the disabled list Saturday.\nPiazza's poor defense and diminished offensive skills as the grind of catching wore on his body also contributed to the decision.\nPiazza hit .280 last season, his lowest average in a full season, hasn't driven in 100 runs the past two seasons after reaching that level in each non-strike year of his career. He has only three homers and six RBIs this season.\nPiazza, 34, is at an age when many top catchers began moving out from behind the plate. Johnny Bench, who often played other positions, stopped being a full-time catcher at age 33. Gary Carter didn't catch more than 85 games in a season after turning 34 and Yogi Berra was 35 when he began splitting time as a catcher and outfielder.\nPiazza was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game Thursday because of seven stitches in his abdomen for removing a mole. He won't begin taking grounders at first until he feels healthier.\nPiazza is able to hit but squatting aggravates it -- an example of why the Mets want to move their most dangerous hitter to a position that allows him to play more.\n"It's a huge advantage to have his bat in there and fresh in August and September," backup catcher Vance Wilson said. "He's been catching 130 games a year for 11 years. He's going to wear down."\nPiazza, who hasn't played more than 141 games the past four years, has already missed nine of New York's first 33 contests because of injuries and a four-game suspension.\nPiazza has played only one game at first base in the majors, handling his only two chances cleanly in 1993 for Los Angeles.\nHe has not taken grounders at first base during spring training or before games to prepare for this move and doesn't even own a first baseman's glove.\n"It wouldn't be an overnight process," Piazza said before the meeting. "It's not an easy position by any means as we've seen"