Fresh Air with Terry Gross, March 7, 2013: Interview with Mike Piazza; Review of David Bowie's album 'The Next Day.'

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
(1.) Former major league catcher MIKE PIAZZA. He has a new memoir Long Shot (written with Lonnie Wheeler). PIAZZA spent 16 years with the big leagues, beginning with the Dodgers, and went on to play with the Padres, the A's, the Marlins, and finally the Mets. He's considered one of the best hitting catchers in the game. Though his start with the Dodgers was less promising. He was drafted in 1988 in the 62nd round, and Tommy Lasorda, the manager of the team was a childhood friend of PIAZZA's father, stoking rumors of favoritism. PIAZZA went on to be selected for the All-star team twelve times. Many fans will remember his feud with pitcher Roger Clemens who hit him in the head with a fastball during the 2000 season. PIAZZA suffered a concussion. Later during the World Series that year, the bat he was using shattered on a pitch by Clemens. The barrel and a sharp edge of the broken bat flew toward Clemens on the mound. Clemens caught the barrel and in an apparent reflex, threw the barrel across the first base line towards the Yankees' dugout and just past Piazza who was running down to first base. Words were spoken between the two, and the two dugouts emptied for a fight, but no punches were thrown. (INTERVIEW BY DAVE DAVIES) (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW) (2.) Rock critic KEN TUCKER reviews David Bowie's new album The Next Day, his first studio album in a decade.