NEW YORK — Simply by virtue of making the All-Star Game last month, Orioles reliever Brad Brach will have a hard time topping his 2016 season. Add the news this week that his alma mater, Monmouth, will induct him into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Dec. 9, and Brach's banner year continued.
This week in New York, he spoke about the honor, sharing an induction class with former NFL receiver Miles Austin, and the October accomplishment that could round out his year — even if he doesn't call the World Series out by name.
You're still what a lot of places would consider a young alumni. What are your thoughts on going into the Hall of Fame so early?
It's just a huge honor. I really loved my days at Monmouth, so to be honored by the athletics program and the university like that, I'm really looking forward to it. I couldn't be more honored to have it.
Do you know what they have in store for you?
I don't really know full details, but I know Friday night, [Dec. 9], they'll have a reception dinner. I'm sure I'll have to give a little speech or something like that, and then Saturday, [Dec. 10], they have a basketball game against Army and I guess they're going to honor me and Miles Austin there.
I think there will be teammates coming back, my parents, my brothers. I think my grandparents will probably go. They're inviting old teammates. I know there will definitely be at least three or four roommates who said they're coming. It should be cool seeing everybody again.
Did you overlap with Austin? What was it like having a football star like that from a school like Monmouth?
He was there at the same time. I think he was two years older than I was. He really didn't hit superstardom like he did until a couple years after I was there. But the last time I remember seeing him, I was playing cards with him one night. He's still good friends with a guy I grew up with who played football at Monmouth also. But it was a couple years after college, when people would say, "Monmouth?" I'd say, "You know Miles Austin? That's where he went." It was an easy way to tell people what college I went to.
So you have the All-Star Game in July and this in December. There's a big event in between that would fit in nicely, isn't there?
You're right. It would be awesome if I could talk about that when the time comes. That would be another thing to add onto 2016, for sure.
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