Mike began to play baseball at ______.

INTERVIEWER: On the matter of careers, a lot of the jobs that people go into are sort of lifetime careers. What about baseball? Is it a full life-time career?
MIKE: It’s been—I mean, it’s been my life so far, you know. I know someday—could be tomorrow--that I’m going to be out of it.
INTERVIEWER: But how long can you really expect to... to play, let’s say, actively?
MIKE: Well, I think I’ve set goals, and I made my first goal, which was to make it to the big leagues. And now, my next goal is to make it through four years... to get my pension. And after that, everything is...
INTERVIEWER: But how many years can you expect to play professional ball?
MIKE: It’s... I’m a pitcher, and it’s difficult, as a pitcher to really say how many years... because you never know whether you’re going to have a sore arm, whether it’s going to go on you or what the problem may be. But as a pitcher, I guess the prime—I’m 24 years old now, and this is my sixth year—and the prime time for a pitcher is 27 to 30.
INTERVIEWER: Well, is there any problem with a sort of feeling of insecurity?
MIKE: Yeah, there is, especially, like I said—my first year. I disciplined myself, and I worked hard—and that’s what got me here. And I realize that I have to work hard to stay here. And there is the insecurity.
INTERVIEWER: You’re under contract?
MIKE: Right, I’m under contract. But that doesn’t necessarily—I mean, they could send me down tomorrow. They could do whatever they wanted with me.
INTERVIEWER: What does it take to play professionally? I’m thinking about the skill. Is it something that you just work hard to get, or is there a natural sort of ability?
MIKE: Well, there’s people that have the natural ability, you know.  I feel like I didn’t have.
INTERVIEWER: So, you think there is something natural... a natural ability.
MIKE: There’s a natural ability.
INTERVIEWER: I mean, just working hard isn’t enough.
NUKE: I think that’s what got me here. I really do. I know there was bad times and then— at one time in this organization, I was a suspect instead of a prospect. And I was told that.
INTERVIEWER: Well, what about the... on the personal side? What’s the schedule like for a... for a professional baseball player? Is it full time around the year, or... ?
MIKE: No.
INTERVIEWER: Are there some seasons... ?
MIKE: Well, it depends. Like last winter, after the season was over, I got a phone call from a team in Obregon, Mexico, and they asked me if I wanted to go down and play winter ball down there. So, I...
INTERVIEWER: Hmm.
MIKE: I thought, well it’d be a good chance because there’s a lot of big league ball players down there, and I’ll get a chance to face big league hitting, so I decided to go down there. And I think it helped me.
INTERVIEWER: How long does the season last here?
MIKE: Okay. This season lasts from April... let’s see, April sixth until October second— depending on whether or not you’re going to be in the playoffs, and then it runs till, like, October sixteenth, or something like that.
INTERVIEWER: So, you then went to Mexico.
MIKE: Right.
INTERVIEWER: Well, when kids play baseball, it’s kind of mostly for fun. Is it still the same when you’re a professional?
MIKE: It’s always fun when you’re winning, and right now, you know, we’re having our tough time, but I mean, I still enjoy going out every day, and running, and throwing.
INTERVIEWER: What’s the main attraction, would you say? Uh... because you’re doing exactly what you want to do?
MIKE: I think that’s the big thing.
INTERVIEWER: About the game.., baseball itself, and professional Baseball—it’s a spectator sport, obviously. People pay money to come and watch the game. When you go into play, how aware are you of the spectators, or the audience, uh—all those people out there?
MIKE: I’m very aware of it, especially when the crowds are big. I mean, like, my first game that I ever pitched in the big leagues, I went into relief in Los Angeles, and there was 48, 000 people there.
INTERVIEWER: But, do you—
MIKE: I was nervous. ’course that was my first time, and it just really pumps you up.
INTERVIEWER: So, it’s kind of stage fright thing?
MIKE: Yeah. Almost-
INTERVIEWER: Almost like an actor going on the stage, maybe...
MIKE: Really! I know that there’s people there—I mean, a lot of people—and the times when I’m not concentrating, you can hear those people. But when you are concentrating, you’re not.., you’re not thinking about them.
INTERVIEWER: But does the response of the crowd really affect you? Uh, I mean, you get cheers, but you also get boos.
MIKE: Right.
INTERVIEWER: Does it affect you? Does it shake you up?
MIKE: Well, it affects you when there’s cheer—I mean, like, when there’s cheers, it just makes you want to do that much better. But when there’s boos, you know—
INTERVIEWER: But the response—the cheering and so forth does have a sort of stimulating effect.
MIKE: Yeah, I think it does. As far as the whole team goes, I think the team just gets really going—