Mike Piazza doesn’t admit to taking steroids in his new book, Long Shot. No real surprise there, I suppose.

However, Piazza does take a swing at Vin Scully. Big surprise.

I mean that’s like going after the Tooth Fairy.

From Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times:

Piazza blames Scully for stirring the fans’ ire in a 1998 interview in which the legendary announcer challenges the slugger for giving the Dodgers an ultimatum on stalled contract talks. Piazza had criticized the Dodgers in an opening-day story in The Times, even implying that the contract impasse would affect his play. He is now accusing Scully of turning his words against him.

“The way the whole contract drama looked to them — many of whom were taking their view from Scully — was that, by setting a deadline and insisting on so much money, I was demonstrating a conspicuous lack of loyalty to the ballclub,” Piazza wrote of the fans, later adding, “Vin Scully was crushing me.”

When contacted by The Times’ Bill Shaikin about the charges, Scully was clearly wounded, saying, “I have no idea where he is coming from. I really have no idea. I can’t imagine saying something about a player and his contract. I just don’t do that.”

Piazza already had a credibility problem before going after Scully. Now it’s completely gone.

Really, is anyone going to believe Piazza over Vin Scully?

Even Piazza’s biggest supporter was dismayed. Writes Plaschke:

Fifteen years later, Piazza has misguidedly polluted it again. In an attempt to sell a book that he surely hopes will edge him closer to the Hall of Fame — he fell short this winter in his first year of eligibility amid rumors of steroid use — he has pushed himself further from his Dodgers home.

“I’m very disappointed in that, I’m sorry he would even do that,” Lasorda said Thursday. ”I don’t know what he was thinking.”