Brooks, a four-sport star in high school, talked about embarking on a baseball career, where he'd like to play and why he chose the San Deigo Padres. The presenter of the Team of the Year ESPY handicaps the field, explains why he and his bandmates began playing hockey a few years ago and recalls some of his greatest influences.

If you missed the chat, an edited transcript follows.

Tony A.: Garth, how serious is your try-out with the Padres? Are you actually trying to make one of their minor teams, or are you doing this for your new foundation? Just curious. Thanks.

Brooks: It is work for the foundation, but I do want to make the team. As far as position, 10th man -- a utility guy. I could play all of the outfield and third and first. I like to swing from both sides of the plate, too.

Bigpapasmurph: Garth how long have you wanted to be a major league baseball player? And I would imagine that you will be better than Michael Jordan.

Brooks: All my life. Roberto Clemente was my guy and he died when I was 10 years old. I just love baseball, and always have. I've been playing since I was four years old.

Cincinnati #1: Garth, which ESPY will you be presenting?

Brooks: I will be presenting the ESPY for the team of the year. I'm betting on either the Broncos or the Yankees, but we'll just have to wait to see.

low places: Garth -- I've heard that you and some of the band members like to hit the ice every once and a while. Is this true?

Brooks: We play a lot of hockey. The guys up in Maine for the Portland Pirates -- Paul Gardner and Barry Trotz -- were the coaches when we were touring up there. They got us into hockey and started lining up hockey rinks for us to play in all around the nation. The next thing I know, Gardner and Trotz are hired by the Nashville Predators. So that was very cool because now they let us go down to the arena and the practice facility and skate with the guys. We're big fans of the Predators now.

Chris Newsom: Ask Garth when he's going to sing the National Anthem at a Nashville Predators game?

Brooks: I don't have any games scheduled yet, but Barry and Paul know that anything they want, I'll do.

Robert: Are you the pitcher type or an outfielder? What position do you think you like to play?

Brooks: I see myself in a utility role -- right field, center field, left field, third and first base.

Eric Rohloff: What are your feelings meeting all the famous players?

Brooks: I'm extremely excited. I went down and hit with the Pirates at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and I had a locker next to Jason Kendall. I'm like, "I can't believe I have a locker next to Jason Kendall." Then he tells me that he's listened to my music since he was a kid.

So, other than feeling really old, I thought that was very sweet to hear that. Another guy came up and told me that he spent seven years in the minors and would have quit had it not been for my song "The River." That really made me feel good because this guy is was 6-foot-6 -- a big 'ol boy, but he was speaking from the heart and made me feel like I had made some sort of a contribution to this guy's life. That makes you feel good.

Crazy Jimmy: Garth, why the Padres for the comeback and not some other team?

Brooks: I think I chose the Padres for the simple fact that both Bruce Bochy and Kevin Towers have made me feel welcome there. They make me feel like I will actually be treated like a player there. Some of the reasons I went there -- Greg Vaughn and Ken Caminiti -- those guys are now gone. That will be hard for me to get used to in this game. But thank God the Gwynns and Joyners are still there and hopefully I'll make some new friends and find some other people to look up to here.

Super Ted: How big of a college sports fan are you?

Brooks: I just love athletics. Some of my favorite colleges around the nation are sports-oriented. When I played at Penn State, I fell in love with that place. The Nebraska program is extremely tough. What you find with these great college schools, is a great class quality of kids. So I think athletics has a lot to do with not only your physical ability, but also with your mental ability and how you handle yourself.

Justin: If you made the team (Padres), would you put your music career to the side and play ball?

Brooks: We were taking this year off anyway. All the work I'll do this year on music, I'll do at home. I won't do it in the studio so I can still do that at the place there in Arizona.

Justin: To whom do you credit your success as a country music star?

Brooks: I think the musician that had the biggest influence on my career was probably James Taylor. If there is someone right after him, Billy Joel would be from a pop standpoint. Joel means an awful lot to me, I think he is a multi-talented guy.

Thanks for all the questions, I have to go now.