Mike followed the advice of his godfather, Tommy Lasorda, making the transition to catcher to improve his draft status -- all the way up to the point where the Dodgers chose him in the 62nd round, near the end of the 1988 draft. From that humble beginning, he has become one of the most productive offensive catchers in the history of the game while maintaining the importance of sticking with the physically demanding position. Mike made one appearance at first base in 1993, but all of his other career defensive appearances have been at catcher and he has still played at least 135 games in each of the last seven seasons.

Although his streak of nine straight seasons batting at least .300 ended in 2002, Mike's career average still stands at .321, fourth-best among active players. And, he extended his streak of 30-plus home run seasons to eight, moving within range of Jimmie Foxx's major-league record of 12.

Mike has been selected for 10 straight All-Star Games and was the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player in 1996. The 1993 National League Rookie of the Year has finished as runner-up in MVP voting twice.

Mike donates money to youth baseball fields through the Mets' Takin' It to the Fields program.

--BigLeaguers.com