Conversation so far:
where was mike born?
Norristown, Pennsylvania.
what were the names of his parents?
Vince and Veronica.
how many siblings did he have?
is the second-oldest son.
what school did he attend?
Phoenixville Area High School.
when did he start playing baseball?
began encouraging his son to build his arm strength at the age of five.
who trained him as he was growing up?
Piazza received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from Ted Williams.
what opinion did Ted Williams have of him?
The Hall of Famer praised his talent.

Question: how did his dad encourage him?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Mike Piazza's dad encourage him?