Up Close with Brady

– Single. Daughter, Brianna, born August 2003.

– Co-owners the ABA team, The Hollywood Fame, with Nick Lachey, Kyle Boller and others.

– Graduated from Carlsbad (CA) High School in ’82…Named team MVP in ’79 and ’80, and all-league and all-North County in ’81 and ’82…Also lettered 3 times as a guard on the basketball team.

– Attended University of California at Irvine ’82-’85…As a sophomore in ’84, he hit 8 triples, tied for 3rd in the nation with Oddibe McDowell, then of Arizona State…Played OF and first base in college.

– On January 11, 1997 in Los Angeles he played in the annual MTV “Rock ‘n’ Jock” softball game and was named Most Valuable Player as he smacked a pair of home runs, including a grand slam.

– Born in Silver Spring, MD, but family moved to California when he was an infant…His father, Jerry, ran track at University of California-Santa Barbara…An uncle played on several world class fast-pitch softball teams.

– Studied economics at UC-Irvine.

– Brady returned to Baltimore to participate in Pam Shriver’s Tennis Challenge 1995 – 2002, 2004. His record is 8-1.

– Makes charitable contributions through the Brady Anderson Charitable Community Fund and was a Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Chairman in ’97.

– Early baseball memory: “Being a kid and always wanting to have catches with my dad (Jerry) or my uncle (Kevin). Sometimes they’d throw balls over my head and I’d catch it like Willie Mays. And I remember making diving (football) catches during halftimes of games on TV. I used to beg to have catches with me.”

– Childhood ambitions: “Lots of things. Win the gold medal in the decathlon. because they called them the world’s greatest athlete. Pro-football player — WR or QB. And, of course, a baseball player.”

– Nicknames: BA, Barley (“I’ve told that story so many times. I was up at the plate and fouled off a pitch that hit (catcher) Bob Melvin in the mask. He came out of the game. Then, between innings, I went to see how he was. I asked him if he was all right, and he said he was ‘OK, Barley.’ Then when I told people the story they started calling me Barley. And it stuck.”)

– Hobbies and interests: All sports, running at the track (“I like to try different things like the shot put, discus, or pole vaulting.”), water skiing, snow skiing, rollerblading, basketball (If the Super Bowl is on and I have a chance to play basketball, I’ll play basketball.”)
Greatest sports moment: “In ’92 it came to my attention that I could be the first player to hit 20 HR’s, have 50 stolen bases and 80 RBI’s in a season. It was coming down to the end of the season and I needed one home run. I remember it was my last game to do it at Camden Yards. Cleveland was next and I’d never hit a home run there. In my first three at-bats I struck out and in my last at-bat I fell behind 0-2 to Mark Gardner of Boston. I got back into it though. It ended up being an 11-pitch at-bat. I hit a home run just foul down the line. Then the very next pitch was a home run. You rarely see that. That’s my greatest sports moment.”

– Favorite non-baseball sport to watch: Boxing

– Favorite athletes to watch: Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Montana, Marcus Allen

– Closest friends in baseball: Cal Ripken, Rene Gonzales

– Funniest players I’ve encountered: David Segui, Rene Gonzales, Cal Ripken (“Just funny. Just a good sense of humor.”)

– Best book I’ve read: Atlas Shrugged (“Ayn Rand wrote it. It’s so in-depth. I read it last year. The book was always in the house. One of my dad’s favorites.”), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

– All-time favorite movies: Gone With the Wind, The Graduate, The Godfather I, II
Favorite meal: Linguini with chicken and pesto sauce

– First job: Working at the batting cages in San Diego (Calif.)

– First car: Silver Honda Civic

– Music I enjoy: Motown, R&B, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations

– Last Halloween Costume: Pebbles (from the Flintstones)

– People I most admire: “Anyone who takes pride in what they do, that try to make themselves better. Whatever their job, whatever their love, they have the desire to be good. I recognize that in people. You can see it. it’s an admirable quality for people to have.”

– Future ambitions: “I’d like to be respected as a player by my teammates and other players. As a team goal — to be in a World Series. Play well in a World Series. Win a World Series. After baseball, have a family and spend a lot of time with my wife.”

– Is the only player in American League history to be hit by a pitch twice in the same inning.

– Is the Orioles’ all-time stolen base leader.

– In September 2002, Brady joined former teammates Cal Ripken, David Segui and Harold Reynolds for the “Tee Ball on the South Lawn” at the White House hosted by President Bush.

– In 1987, attended try-outs for the Los Angeles Rams to be an NFL replacement player at running back.

– Was inducted into the Orioles’ Hall Of Fame on August 21, 2004.

– Was named one of the “50 All -Time Favorite Orioles” in 2004.