#496) BRENT MAYNE

Brent Mayne was traded to the New York Mets from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Al Shirley on December 19, 1995. The deal was made to bring in a quality back-up catcher for Todd Hundley. "I know that Todd had a good year last season," Mayne said. "but if I get the chance, I know I will open some eyes in a lot of different ways mainly offensively."

The veteran appeared in 70 games, with a homerun and .263 batting average coming from the bench. A very accomplished receiver who embraced the opportunity to live in New York City. Mayne and his wife, Hillary moved into a two-bedroom East Side apartment. They often rode the No.7 train to Shea Stadium on game days. "It's just the energy of it," Brent said. "Every day we get up and walk outside and it's like walking into an adult Disney Land. It's just bigger than life. It's something I've never experienced before." A world different than his Newport Beach, California home.

Mayne left the Mets when he signed with the Seattle Mariners as a free agent on January 19, 1997.

Later as a member of the Colorado Rockies he was called upon to take the mound on August 22, 2000 as an unlikely reliever in the 12th inning. "You know the funny thing about baseball," Brent explains. "the way baseball is, it's so upside down, I spent my whole life trying to be a great catcher but the thing I'll probably be recognized most for when I die is that I won a game as a pitcher, that's so like baseball."

Brent has written a book titled, "The Art of Catching: The Secrets and Techniques of Baseball's Most Demanding Position" and operates a website dedicated to the highly specialized study of the position at www.BrentMayne.com.

Brent Mayne signed his card in the set from an autograph request sent to the contact address at his website on December 23, 2008.