Back in 2002, Mike Piazza was the All-Star catcher for the New York Mets. He was also the subject of tabloid rumors about his sexuality, which claimed he was gay and in the closet. Piazza, now 56, ended up giving a press conference, telling reporters, “I'm not gay. I'm heterosexual. I can't control what people think. I can say I'm heterosexual. I date women. That's pretty much it.”
But those gay rumors live on in one odd way: through the 2003 song “Piazza, New York Catcher” by the Scottish band Belle and Sebastian. In the second verse, singer and songwriter Stuart Murdoch (a Mets fan) sings, “Piazza, New York catcher, are you straight or are you gay?”
Piazza told New York Magazine that the song makes him feel, “flattered, obviously.” He explained, “I don’t know, man, as you get older, you just don’t get as wrapped up in those things, or you just don’t have the energy, really.”