The Post’s Steve Serby chatted this past week with the Brooklyn-born Mets catcher:

Q: You grew up liking the ’86 Mets?

A: I was a big Lenny Dykstra fan. He and Paul Molitor were my guys.

Q: Why Dykstra?

A: He always got dirty, small guy in stature like myself, played hard, and played the right way.

Q: You played with Jesse Orosco with the Dodgers.

A: I called him Grandpa. When I was 14 jumping up and down on my bed, I was probably the only Met fan in Arizona doing that, so it was neat.

Q: Why do you think you’re a fan favorite?

A: I guess people can relate to the little guy who worked his butt off to get here. People always say, “You look smaller in person,” and I’m like,

“Thanks a lot.”

Q: Dontrelle Willis?

A: I’m hoping he comes here some day. I would love to catch somebody like that again.

Q: How did you become friends with Mike Smith (who rode 50-1 shot Giacomo to victory in the 2005 Kentucky Derby)?

A: He lived below me in L.A. He was riding on that circuit and I was playing with the Dodgers. I met him at the gym and he kept telling me, “Yeah these

people above me always come home late and they’re jumping up and down” and it was me.

Q: You went to Belmont last Sunday?

A; We had an eight o’clock game. I went to the jock’s room, spoke to Mike. He’s got a great heart. Just a good person.

Q: Thoughts on Barbaro?

A: I cried ’cause I love the sport. What people don’t realize is that horses are born to run and love to do what they’re doing. It’s a shame for

something like that to happen. Horse racing needs heroes and I felt he could have been like that.

Q: Best advice from your late mother, Luci?

A: Don’t ever listen to what anybody says about you and just believe in yourself.

Q: You write LL in the dirt before each game to honor her memory.

A: A very, very honest woman. A very protective mother. In college (Arizona State), she would sit out by the bullpen ’cause she couldn’t stand when other

people were ripping on her son. She was a feisty person. One time we were playing Arizona and she fought a fan who was on me.

Q: Your mother would pitch white pinto beans to you in the backyard?

A: You know those big eyeglasses that cover everywhere? She’d wear those so I wouldn’t hit her in the eye. I’d hit hundreds a day with a wooden bat and

no batting gloves.

Q: If I were president, I would …?

A: Give everybody a knockout punch card once a month. If people are being jerks, you can pull out the card and they gotta sit there and let you knock ’em

out. Once a month. Everybody would be nicer to each other because if you were a jerk, you might get knocked out 40 times ’cause everybody would keep pulling

cards out.

Q: Best Gary Sheffield story with the Dodgers?

A: We won a game against Arizona off Randy Johnson, like 3-2, and I scored the winning run.

I jumped in Gary’s arms and he picked me up with one hand and swung me like I was a ragdoll.

He’s a great teammate.

Q: What made him a great teammate?

A: Sheff plays hard. He can carry you for a week or two. He gets misperceived in the press, but he’s actually a good guy.

Q: Why did you cry the day the Dodgers traded you?

A: It was the only organization I knew. It was tough leaving somewhere you’re very comfortable. And we had a winning team, which took a while to get.

To leave when we were finally winning was tough.

Q: The low point of your eight years in the minors?

A: In 2000, Davey Johnson called me in the office and said, “Hey, you’re my second-best catcher but I gotta send you down because you have options.” I

went back to Triple-A and backed up, wasn’t playing every day. I almost hung ’em up. It was one of those things where I had to gather myself and say, “I’m

gonna play to the point where they had to notice me.”

Q: Following Mike Piazza twice?

A: When he got traded, I was in Triple-A. They woke me up and said, “Hey it’s your birthday, man, Piazza got traded!” Then I heard they got Charles

Johnson so I went back to bed. Piazza’s such a big icon in L.A.

and here. He’s a future Hall of Famer. I’ll never step into his shoes. I’m just gonna do the little things to try to win ballgames. The way it’s going

right now, I guess I’m gonna end my career in San Diego.

Q: Most embarrassing moment?

A: My rookie year, (Dodgers veterans) dressed me up in a skirt, high heels, stilettos, and I had to walk through LAX Airport. Me and Matt Herges, who

pitches for the Marlins now. Four cabbies passed us by because they thought we were cross-dressers.

Q: You moved from Brooklyn to Phoenix when you were two.

A: My father had a job out there to be a restaurant owner.

Q: Best and worst thing about playing in New York?

A: Best thing is the fans and the enthusiasm.

Worst thing is the traffic.

Q: If you weren’t a baseball player, what would you have been?

A: Probably a salesman. Got a pretty good gift of gab.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Jackie Robinson. George Washington.

Mother Teresa.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Goodfellas.”

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Robert De Niro.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Diane Lane.

Q: Favorite musical group?

A: U2.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Bowl of spaghetti.