Stressing that he has used the same method for years and is always pleased with the results, ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney confirmed Monday that he breaks in a new microphone by tucking it tightly beneath his mattress before going to sleep. Everybody has their own way of loosening them up, but I like to just pop it under my bed, and after a few days its ready for the new season, said the 50-year-old veteran baseball columnist, proudly displaying his freshly oiled Sennheiser SKM wireless mic. My friend Tim [Kurkjian] wraps his in rubber bands and puts it in the oven, but I heard that could mess up the copper on the voice coil and end up ruining it. I just keep it simplea few nights between the mattress and the box spring is all the mic needs. It feels perfect in my hand after that. Olney also confirmed that prior to its first use, he applies a coat of polish to the microphone to give it a nice shine before going out to the field. 