ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — "Five gamers, one trainer."
That means five for game use and one for warm-ups.
Six gloves. That's how many mitts Rays infielder Mike Brosseau brings with him to the ballpark for every game. The 27-year-old utility player mostly plays third and first base, but he's seen action at second base and the outfield as well. Brosseau has different gloves for different positions, based on pocket size and how they close around the baseball. He played shortstop in college, but he hasn't made it there in the big leagues — yet. But he still keeps a shortstop glove, just in case.
Breaking in a baseball glove can take days, but Brosseau says Rays first base coach Ozzie Timmons can get a glove game-ready in less than 24 hours.
"He's got this magic leather conditioner stuff," Brosseau joked. "It's probably not magic. You can probably get it at Office Depot or something."
After going undrafted in 2016, Brosseau signed with the Rays as a free agent. He made his major league debut three years later, and he worked his way onto the full-time roster. Brosseau says he's taken nothing for granted along the way.
"It's hard to get to the Big Leagues. It's even harder to stay," Brosseau said. "Regardless of the performance on the field, it's just kinda staying present. Not looking too much in the past, not looking too much in the future."
Brosseau and the Rays have won seven straight games heading into tonight's match-up with the Blue Jays in Dunedin.
