Jamie Burke, backup catcher for the Seattle Mariners, is probably one of a few handful of folks that is truly excited when his boss tells him he has to work a weekend. Weekend America's John Moe talks with three Mariners--Jamie Burke, John MacLaren and J.J. Putz--about what it takes to be a backup catcher.

Notes from Senior Reporter John Moe:
You won't hear much about guys like Jamie Burke in traditional sports coverage. Not unless he hits the surprise game-winning home run in the World Series or something, which he probably won't. To get coverage, you generally need to get on the field, something Burke does maybe once a week. But when he made the opening day roster for my team, the Seattle Mariners, the few news items about him got my attention. Burke was 35 years old, had been toiling in the minors for most of the past 14 years, and had beaten out 4 other candidates, including last year's incumbent and 2 top prospects, for the backup catcher job. There aren't a whole lot of people still playing baseball at Burke's age, let alone players trying to establish themselves as major leaguers. But to me, that's a way more interesting story than the naturally gifted athlete who has nothing but success and riches in his life.

It's interesting for me to be a baseball fan and also occasionally cover the sport. Watching on TV or listening on the radio, I see these guys as collections of statistics or as characters in a series of athletic events. But when I go down to the ballpark and approach them for interviews, they become regular people. It's sometimes odd to be having a conversation with someone who I have told my friends ought to be fired. But those human stories are what I try to do in what sports coverage we provide on the show.

Something interesting to listen for in this story is when Burke brings up the movie Major League. He does so in passing as if everyone in the world has seen that movie. I saw it one time, years ago, but have never felt the urge to rent it since. I get the feeling that this film, which tells the comedic tale of players on the margins of big league success struggling with uncertainty, is one that Burke probably owns.