Friday 5: Brent Mayne

Over at his tremendous website (The Art of Catching), former big league catcher Brent Mayne posted his desire to set up a glove drive.

Tuesday, The Hall suggested you follow the 15-year veteran on Twitter.

Today, Mayne tackles the “Friday 5”.

HOVG: During last July’s All-Star Game, you served as the bullpen catcher for the American League. In a nutshell...describe that experience.

MAYNE: It was a fantastic experience. Surreal. I got to hang with the best in the world, catch the best in the world, visit with old friends and get in front of the crowd again.

HOVG: What is your most memorable travel experience?

MAYNE: Going on a Tavarua, Fiji surf trip with my uncle, Barry Zito, my brother-in-law Rusty and Ryan Klesko.

HOVG: What is your favorite baseball term or saying?

MAYNE: "You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too." Roy Campanella

HOVG: What is your best experience or greatest accomplishment?

MAYNE: From a baseball perspective, winning the AA Southern League in 1990, or winning the pennant with the Dodgers in 2004.

HOVG: When did you know that you “made it”?

MAYNE: When George Brett was my teammate.

Brent Mayne played 15 years in the bigs for seven different teams. He spent a bulk of his career playing with the Royals, but also found himself with the Mets, A’s Rockies, Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers. Mayne finished his career with a .993 fielding percentage…fourth best of all-time.

With the playoffs around the corner…why not go back and re-introduce yourself to The Hall’s interview with Mayne from last October.

Twitter Tuesday: Brent Mayne

When it comes to following former and/or current Major Leaguers on Twitter...it is hard to find anyone more knowledgeable than Brent Mayne.

Sure, a guy like Jose Canseco is mad crazy and fun to follow, but that's only entertaining for a few minutes at a time.

By tweeting links to his great website, The Art of Catching, Mayne has recently offered his insight and opinions on everything from the aftermath of the Stephen Strasburg injury to the immaturity of ballplayers.

Most notably, however, is Mayne's quest to start up a glove drive.

The former catcher knows the importance of a good glove and wants to help out those less fortunate by giving them the chance to own their own mitt.

You can contact Mayne (or donate a glove) by writing to: The Art of Catching, 2701 Harbor Blvd. E-2, #203, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Postseason thoughts with Brent Mayne

Given all the different storylines that have played out so far, there are plenty directions a post during the first round of the Playoffs can go.

I’ll go down this avenue.

Thanks to an untimely miscue (are any miscues "timely"?) by Matt Holliday Thursday night, the Dodgers are up 2-0 against the Cardinals. The last time the two teams squared off in the NLDS was in 2004 and St. Louis beat Los Angeles in three out of four games.

Handling some of the catching duties for those Dodgers that postseason was veteran Brent Mayne. It was the first playoff appearance for Mayne and recently…I had a chance to catch up with the 15 year pro to talk October baseball.

HOVG: After a pretty lengthy career…you were fortunate to make the playoffs in your last season of pro ball. What did it mean to you to finally make it?

MAYNE: Making to the postseason was one of the greatest achievements of my professional career. I wish I would have made it more than once.

HOVG: Tell me about that 2004 series…how’d it feel?

MAYNE: My biggest memory was the intensity, everything being notched up. I remember being amazed at how the post season made my body feel fresh especially after the long regular season.

HOVG: Was there a particular teammate that just seemed to come to life in October? If so, who was it...and why?

MAYNE: Everyone came alive in the postseason. It was almost like the first games of the year.

HOVG: Lastly...who is your pick to win it all this season?

MAYNE: My pick to win it this year? Tough question. I'll go with the Angels. Total guess though. I really like New York and Philly too.

Mayne spent a bulk of his career playing with the Royals, but also found himself with the Mets, A’s Rockies, Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers. He finished his career with a .993 fielding percentage…fourth best of all-time.

To check out what Mayne has been up to recently, visit his website BrentMayne.com. For an in depth interview regarding his Art of Coaching…check out good friend of The Hall David Allen over at Baseball Reflections.