Hello--
     I know everyone is busy with the holidays, so I'm sending this as
an early reminder.
     Brady's birthday is January 18th.  I want to make everyone aware
of the special "Happy Birthday Brady" message board.
(http://p214.ezboard.com/bdudebradyandersonfansitemessageboard7134)
In order to post, you will need to register at
(http://www.ezboard.com/registration/userregistration_global.html) All
posts will be moderated.
     Brady has seen the Dude Site and he will read your messages!  This
is your chance to say thanks for 14 years of memories and happy
birthday.


                     Happy holidays -- Alison

I have decided to close this Message Board.  The all other features of
the group will remain open.  If you wish to post a message about
Brady, please use the new message board:

http://p214.ezboard.com/bdudebradyandersonfansitemessageboard7134

Thank you.

I've posted 3 photos of Brady from an MLBPA Trust Fundraising event on
the Dude Message Boards.

http://p214.ezboard.com/fdudebradyandersonfansitemessageboard7134frm2

It's Sonia Vassi

Sonia Vassi is Brianna's mother.  She and Brady share custody.


--- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, "Rachael"
<rachaelanderson@y...> wrote:
> I have read something and listened to the audio and went to the HOF
> game. Who is the mother of Brady's child, Brianna? Is it this Kady
> (Katie) lady or is it Sonia Vassi?

I have read something and listened to the audio and went to the HOF
game. Who is the mother of Brady's child, Brianna? Is it this Kady
(Katie) lady or is it Sonia Vassi?

By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 22, 2004; Page E10


Odd timing, isn't it, that Brady Anderson gets inducted into the
Orioles Hall of Fame on Friday, just a few days after the team's
center field situation was thrown into chaos yet again by an injury to
Jerry Hairston? Since Anderson last started there for the Orioles, on
June 24, 2001, the team has started no fewer than 13 center fielders,
and still has no idea who will be out there on Opening Day 2005.

Could it be Anderson?

That's right, the venerable sideburned one is talking comeback at age
40, a year and a half since he last played professionally for the San
Diego Padres' Class AAA affiliate in Portland, Ore., two full years
since he last appeared in the majors for the Cleveland Indians and
three years since he last wore an Orioles uniform -- striking out
against Boston's Ugueth Urbina on Oct. 6, 2001, to end Cal Ripken's
final game with Ripken in the on-deck circle.

"If I got the same opportunity to do what I did in Portland, and go
play again and try to work my way back to the majors, I would
definitely consider it," Anderson said by phone from his California
home. "Whether I do it or not, I don't know. But I'm interested."

Anderson, who owns the only 50-homer season in Orioles history, took
this season off in part because he wanted to spend time with his
daughter, Brianna, who turned 1 this month. True to his workout-freak
nature, he has been staying in top shape through various training
methods, including, for a time, playing in an elite flag football
league and running with top sprinters at UC Irvine.

Anderson's last taste of baseball was a good one, at least in terms of
his on-field performance. He was hitting .294 with a .455 on-base
percentage for Portland when the Padres decided they needed to give
playing time to their younger prospects, and released him.

"If I was playing with the Padres this year, instead of last year, I
wouldn't have gotten released -- because they're contending," he said.
"That's one of the reasons I want to play again."

As for the question of whether Anderson might actually be starting for
the Orioles next Opening Day, it's highly unlikely, of course. But
there wouldn't be much harm in giving Anderson a minor league contract
and seeing what he can do.

"I don't even know if I could even address that now," Orioles General
Manager Jim Beattie said when asked about Anderson. "We would have to
sit back and see where we stand. But the idea certainly has a good
amount of appeal."

But there's one more problem.

"I want to avoid spring training at all costs," Anderson said with a
laugh. "Those are six weeks of training I don't need. Why do you think
I quit? I mean, you can only stand 17 years of watching pitchers
practicing covering first base."

http://p214.ezboard.com/fdudebradyandersonfansitemessageboard7134frm2.showMessag\
eRange?topicID=36.topic&start=-19&stop=0

Read it online at

http://www.outsidepitch.com/cover/0408anderson.html

Alison

The O's HOF Luncheon honoring Brady will be Fri, Aug. 20th from 12-2pm
at the Wyndham Hotel in Baltimore.  Tickets are $45.  Call Blaine Baer
of the Oriole Advocated at 410-466-8242 for tickets and more information.

Cal Ripken will be introducing Brady.  Jim Palmer will be introducing
Ernie Tyler, the other HOF inductee.  Should make for an interesting 2
days...


Alison

--- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, michelle71392
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I was visiting the site of a local radio station (DC101 in D.C.)
> and found a photo of one of the station's personalities (Diane)
with
> her ear to Brady's ABS!!!! Lucky woman!
>
> During an old DC101 interview with Brady, Diane said she would
lick
> pudding off Brady's chest. I can't remember the context, but Brady
> got a kick out of that statement. I have most of the interview on
> audio cassette (I accidentally erased the beginning). If I find a
> way to convert it to an mp3 file, I'll post it.
>
> Later,
> Michelle


Thanks to Alison, I found a host for the DC101 interview.
Unfortunately the site only allows a daily file transfer of 5MB, so
you will have to download it piecemeal over several days. If someone
knows of a host that is cheap and has a larger daily file transfer
limit, let me know. Here's the URL:
http://home.ripway.com/2004-7/139150/

Here's a summary of the interview:

Background: The interview aired in January 2001. I don't really like
Elliot in the Morning (annoying voice and laugh), and only listened
because I heard he was going to interview Brady. The sound fades and
there's static in a few spots.

Part 1 -- Talks about Anna Kournikova no-showing the annual tennis
challenge. Introduces girlfriend Sonia Vassi.

Part 2 -- Discuss contracts (Brady's, Alex Rodriguez', players in
general), mostly A-Rod's though.

Part 3 -- More discussion about player contracts. Brady jokes about
wanting Sonia's house in the divorce settlement. Talk
about "Temptation Island."

Part 4 -- Promote Sonia concert with her band "Creep" at the
PowerPlant. Find out if Brady is a "pig" and how they define pig.

Part 5 -- I was unable to upload Creep singing "My Ride." If you
want it, let me know and if you know of a way I can get it to you.

Part 6 -- Another plug for Creep's concert. Brady answers if he ever
cheated on a past girlfriend. Discuss the O's losing 2000 season, re-
signing of Bordick and Segui, signing Hentgen, loss of Mussina.

Part 7 -- More on loss of Mussina. Here Brady's perception of Juan
Gonzalez' $10 million, one-year deal.

Part 8 -- Fan questions. Caller says she would lick pudding off
Brady's stomach, too. Diane explains origin of that statement.
Discuss if women or men cheat more. Caller wishes Brady a happy
birthday. Brady lies about his age.

Part 9 -- Fan asks how Brady met Sonia. Plug Creep concert again.
Find out if comments about his body make Brady uncomfortable. Caller
compares Sonia to Gwen Stefani. What does Sonia mean when she refers
to Gwen as Brady's girlfriend?

Part 10 -- Last caller tells how her son idolizes Brady.

Part 11 -- How does Brady feel about fans wearing his jersey?
Brady lists who he idolized growing up. Brady explains why he
doesn't really follow other baseball teams, or sports. Last plug for
Creep concert. Brady agrees to be DC101's official Orioles
correspondent ... if he doesn't have to call at 8 in the morning.

Since Brady didn't say much during the Vanilla Ice interview, I
didn't convert it to an MP3 file. Only thing of interest he
mentioned how he and Vanilla discussed hanging out when Brady's in
Florida for spring training. Also, Brady mentions he just saw
Vanilla Ice's "Behind the Music" on VH-1.

Michelle

The multimedia page url is
http://www.geocities.com/badudesite/Multimedia.html

Just right click on the file name and choose "Save link as.."  to
download.

--- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, trouble247clk@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 7/12/2004 8:47:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com writes:
> Hello everyone--
>
> I've added 3 "new" audio interviews with Brady to the Multimedia page;
> Boston 1994, New York 1995 and ESPN Radio 1998.
>
> Enjoy! -- Alison
> HOw can I get there...I am sorry...I just havnet a clue and I would
really
> like to check that out...thanks...Christie
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 7/12/2004 8:47:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com writes:
Hello everyone--

I've added 3 "new" audio interviews with Brady to the Multimedia page;
Boston 1994, New York 1995 and ESPN Radio 1998.

Enjoy! -- Alison
HOw can I get there...I am sorry...I just havnet a clue and I would really
like to check that out...thanks...Christie


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello everyone--

I've added 3 "new" audio interviews with Brady to the Multimedia page;
Boston 1994, New York 1995 and ESPN Radio 1998.

Enjoy! -- Alison

I forgot to add a link to the photo. Here it is:
http://www.dc101.com/jocks/diane.jpg.

Michelle

--- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, michelle71392
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I was visiting the site of a local radio station (DC101 in D.C.)
> and found a photo of one of the station's personalities (Diane)
with
> her ear to Brady's ABS!!!! Lucky woman!
>
> During an old DC101 interview with Brady, Diane said she would
lick
> pudding off Brady's chest. I can't remember the context, but Brady
> got a kick out of that statement. I have most of the interview on
> audio cassette (I accidentally erased the beginning). If I find a
> way to convert it to an mp3 file, I'll post it.
>
> Later,
> Michelle

I was visiting the site of a local radio station (DC101 in D.C.)
and found a photo of one of the station's personalities (Diane) with
her ear to Brady's ABS!!!! Lucky woman!

During an old DC101 interview with Brady, Diane said she would lick
pudding off Brady's chest. I can't remember the context, but Brady
got a kick out of that statement. I have most of the interview on
audio cassette (I accidentally erased the beginning). If I find a
way to convert it to an mp3 file, I'll post it.

Later,
Michelle

I have added a new FAQ section to the Dude Site.  It is located on the
message board.

http://pub205.ezboard.com/bdudebradyandersonfansitemessageboard7134

I was checking out Beckett.com and I found a listing for minor league
card for Brady while he was with Portland.  Has anyone seen it?

04/07/2004  5:17 PM ET
Brady Anderson elected to Orioles Hall of Fame
Ernie Tyler named winner of Herb Armstrong Award

  Tickets     Scoreboard    Fantasy

Baltimore -- Brady Anderson, who stole a club record 307 bases in 14
seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, has been elected to the Orioles
Hall of Fame, it was announced today.
Anderson, who played outfield for the Orioles from 1988 through
2001, will be formally inducted in pre-game ceremonies on August 21,
before the Orioles' 4:35 p.m. game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ernie Tyler, the Orioles' longtime umpires attendant who has not
missed a home game in 44 seasons, also will be honored that day as
the recipient of the Herb Armstrong Award, presented to non-
uniformed personnel who have made significant contributions to the
ballclub and the game of baseball.

In addition to being the all-time leader in stolen bases, Anderson
is the Orioles' single-season home run leader with 50 homers hit in
1996. In addition to his team record for steals, he ranks 2nd on the
club's all-time list in triples (64) and walks (927), 4th in hits
(1,614), runs (1,044), doubles (329) and extra base hits (602), 5th
in home runs (209) and total bases (2,698), and 6th in RBI (744) and
games (1,759).

Acquired by the Orioles during the 1988 season from Boston with Curt
Schilling in exchange for another Orioles Hall of Fame member, Mike
Boddicker, Anderson was named to the American League All-Star team
three times, in 1992 and 1996-97, starting the last two seasons.
After his release following the 2001 season, Anderson played briefly
for the Cleveland Indians in 2002 and finished his career with AAA
Portland last year. He now lives in Southern California.

Tyler worked part-time as an usher at Orioles games in the 1950s
before being named umpire's attendant prior to the 1960 season.
Starting with Opening Day 1960, he has worked 3,482 consecutive
regular season games through Tuesday -- as well as 44 exhibition,
post-season and All-Star games -- at Memorial Stadium and Camden
Yards, from a stool next to the backstop, providing baseball's to
the umpires as well as tending to their pre-game and post-game
needs.

A Baltimore native and graduate of Mt. St. Joseph's High School,
Tyler retired from the state's Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene in 1988. He will turn 80 on April 30 and remains a tireless
advocate of baseball and youth programs throughout the area.

Anderson and Tyler will be honored at a luncheon sponsored by the
Oriole Advocates, founders of the Orioles Hall of Fame, on Friday,
August 20, at the Wyndham Hotel. Tickets for the induction ceremony
and Orioles-Blue Jays game on August 21 are available by calling 1-
888-848-BIRD.

Hello Everyone--

I've added new photos to the Site. Two of Brady with the Portland
Beavers on the homepage. Three more cute ones from TV Online Magazine,
April 1999, on the Photo 1 page.

Enjoy!

Alison

<<Wonder if [Sonia, his fatherhood, et al] will finally put the 'gay' rumors to
rest??>>

Hugh Jackman's take on having gay rumors is an affirmation that he has made his
mark in the public's eye and he handles it with an affable sense of good humor.

Brady's fatherhood might dispell some of the gay rumors. But even if people are
still speculating "is he is or isn't he?", at least it will be a testament that
he still has a large base of fans out there who have an interest in our
officially retired hero.

In any case, I think we all can agree that we hope one rumor about Brady can be
confirmed: the rumor that he's happy. I'd bet the presence of a certain 7-month
old is all the evidence we need to confirm that rumor.

- Danny


Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

but I just found out that Brady and Sonia Vassi have a little girl!

Congrats!

Back in September, Brady was supposed to appear at Cal's induction
ceremony at Camden Yards.  That would have been around the time
Brianna was born.  Now we know why he was a no-show.

Brady and Sonia began dating after his relationship with Amanda
Coetzer ended sometime in 1999.  Sonia was at Fanfest in 2000.  Brady
also hosted a concert by her band, Creep, at the Hard Rock in
Baltimore.  She also attended the 2000 Tennis Challenge.  From what I
remember, many fans said she was really nice and always encouraged
Brady to sign autographs while she waited.

The next time I saw Brady with a woman was at the Cal Ripken World
Series thing at Ripken Stadium in Oct. 2002.  That woman was
definitely NOT Sonia, however, Brady was wearing a Sonia hat. (There
are pics of him at that event in the Photos section of the Group under
"rick's pics")  I assume if they were married, the article would have
said so instead of 'he's raising his daughter with her mother, Sonia
Vassi.' Wonder if this will finally put the 'gay' rumors to rest??

Alison

Is he married?
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: badudesite
   To: dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 12:25 PM
   Subject: [Dude Brady Anderson Fan Site] Re: Baltimore Sun Brady Article


   Just think, if Jim hadn't opened his big mouth, we never would have
   known Brady is a father.

   --- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, giantpanda24@c... wrote:
   >
  
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.orioles20mar20,0,2106608.stor\
y?coll=bal-sports-headlines
   >
   > Anderson defends his '96 power trip, says 'it was not a fluke'
   > Former Oriole answers Palmer's steroid remarks
   > By Roch Kubatko
   > Sun Staff
   > Originally published March 20, 2004
   > FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - One cell phone call to Brady Anderson is
   interrupted because he's running with the track athletes at the
   University of California-Irvine. Another time, he cuts the
   conversation short to lift weights, promising to reserve a few minutes
   later in the day. Nighttime hours are spent feeding his 7-month-old
   daughter, Brianna, and putting her to bed. And the weekends aren't
   always good because he's competing in a flag football league.
   >
   > Perhaps the Orioles' second-most popular player behind Cal Ripken
   during his 14 years in Baltimore, Anderson has been retired from
   baseball since the San Diego Padres released him from their Triple-A
   affiliate in Portland, Ore., in 2003. But no matter how long he's away
   from the game, no matter how many athletic challenges await him - and
   he's always looking - the aura of his 50-homer season will continue to
   exist.  And so will the suspicions.
   >
   > When Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer suggested earlier this week
   that Anderson's achievements in 1996 were open to scrutiny because
   they were such an aberration - the implication being that without a
   drug-testing program, nobody knows whether he cheated - the former
   outfielder's name became linked to steroids. And this time, it wasn't
   just the whispers that envelop any player who has an anomalous season.
   >
   > The story made national headlines and aired on ESPN. Eight years
   after Anderson's milestone, he was a hot topic again - and for all the
   wrong reasons.
   >
   > "Because I only hit 50 home runs once, it was, in fact, an
   aberration. However, it was not a fluke," he told The Sun yesterday.
   "Nothing can be considered a fluke that takes six months to
   accomplish. Rather it was a culmination of all my athleticism and
   baseball skills and years of training peaking simultaneously. This was
   my athletic opus.
   >
   > "Hitting in front of [Roberto] Alomar, [Rafael] Palmeiro, [Bobby]
   Bonilla and [Cal] Ripken didn't hurt, either."
   >
   > Palmer later explained that his remarks, which aired Monday on 98
   ROCK (WIYY-FM), weren't meant to suggest that Anderson used steroids.
   Though he hasn't contacted Anderson, Palmer issued a brief apology
   through the media.
   >
   > "I have been alternately amused and perplexed by Palmer's
   vacillating comments over the last few days," said Anderson, who is
   raising his daughter with her mother, Sonia Vassi. "I did not respond
   initially because I sensed he knew he had made a mistake and thought
   it fair to let him rectify the matter on his own.
   >
   > "Perhaps what offended me the most was his comment that he knows how
   hard I trained. How could he possibly know that? Pushing myself to
   become a better athlete was truly my passion and still is. Many people
   don't possess the desire to test the limits of what the body and mind
   can accomplish, and others I'm certain possess the desire but lack the
   expertise to achieve the desired results."
   >
   > Anderson never hit more than 21 homers before 1996, and didn't
   eclipse 24 after '96.
   >
   > "I know what I accomplished, am proud of it, and know that it was
   done with integrity," he said. "I'll state this once again: It was 26
   more home runs than I hit in any other season, but that's just one
   more home run per week, just one more good swing. That is the data
   that simultaneously comforted me and haunted me, the small difference
   between greatness and mediocrity."
   >
   > Anderson usually kept a container of Creatine in his locker, but the
   supplement, which serves as an energy reserve in muscle cells, is legal.
   >
   > "That's here to stay. It's a legitimate substance. It's found in
   food," he said. "Taken properly, it can be very beneficial. But it
   doesn't replace skill or training."
   >
   > Anderson, who was tested for steroids in the minors last year, said
   he has received dozens of calls from friends and former teammates
   since Palmer's remarks made it into print, many of them outraged or
   confused by the implications.
   >
   > They remember Anderson as a man obsessed with physical fitness,
   someone whose training methods were seen as outrageous for a baseball
   player. They remember him working out privately on the back fields at
   Fort Lauderdale Stadium, where he would squat 200 pounds while
   balancing on an exercise ball.
   >
   > They also observed how his weight never fluctuated much, that his
   muscular build was the same four years before he hit 50 homers - as
   evidenced by a poster of him, shirtless, that was a popular sell in
   Baltimore. They didn't see the violent outbursts common with steroid
   abusers.
   >
   > "There was a part of me that regarded the steroid talk as a
   compliment, sort of like when the Brewers came into town in '96 and
   were snooping around for my bats to see if they were corked," he said.
   "Those things weren't upsetting to me."
   >
   > Players used to tease Anderson for bringing his own blender into the
   clubhouse, unfamiliar with the concoctions he chugged before or after
   games.
   >
   > Said Ripken: "Now protein mixes are an acceptable part of everyone's
   diet. Brady always had a much more advanced concept of cross-training
   and plyometrics and his diet. He was just ahead of the curve."
   >
   > His timing on fastballs was impeccable in '96.
   >
   > "To me, it was all about him being locked in. He had good swings
   every at-bat. Bearing witness to it all year, he was a marvel to
   watch. I don't remember him ever being in a slump," Ripken said.
   >
   > "Brady always had a fly-ball swing, which he was criticized for as a
   leadoff hitter, but that year he was right on the ball. He was just in
   one of those grooves. There were a couple of instances in my career
   when I seemed to pick up the next day where I left off. It's hard to
   explain. You wish you could do that every year."
   >
   > Said Anderson: "The thing that stands out about '96 is, it's not my
   size, it's my swing. If anyone wants to compare what changed about me,
   my swing was so much better that year. I couldn't match it, and I
   don't know why. Later in my career, I was trying to imitate myself. I
   had a swing that any hitter would have been proud of. The other years,
   I used to just battle [hard] and be athletic."
   >
   > Once reluctant to share the training methods that gave him an edge,
   Anderson now offers to work with other athletes at his Los Angeles
   home. Mark Quinn, 29, a former teammate in Portland who's in the St.
   Louis Cardinals' camp, spent four months with Anderson after the
   season and said he has never been faster or better conditioned.
   >
   > "I gained pounds and lost body fat," he said. "One day, we'd work
   out with the track and field coach at UC-Irvine. The next day we were
   doing standing long jumps and hurdles, throwing a football around.
   We'd lift weights, play basketball. Some days we'd head to Venice
   beach and work out on the gymnast rings. We'd run hills and do lunges
   - every aspect of cross-training you could imagine.
   >
   > "Brady just turned 40, and he's in better shape than I'll ever be
   in. People who accuse him of steroids obviously never spent as much
   time around him as I have. He's a genetic freak. He was born with
   three percent body fat and never changed. He's a super athlete, and
   that's something you can't get from a syringe."


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Okay, ignore my previous question....................

badudesite <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:If anyone is interested, I've posted
2 pics of Brady and Sonia (mother
of his daughter, Brianna) on the new message board.
http://pub99.ezboard.com/fdudebradyandersonfansite
messageboard7134frm2.showMessage?topicID=18.topic


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

That's the rock star girl that he was dating a few summers ago...........I guess
they're back together? Still really good friends????

badudesite <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Brady models hats designed by Sonia
Vassi.
http://www.soniavassi.com/mens.html


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dudebradyandersonfansite-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Brady models hats designed by Sonia Vassi.
http://www.soniavassi.com/mens.html

If anyone is interested, I've posted 2 pics of Brady and Sonia (mother
of his daughter, Brianna) on the new message board.
http://pub99.ezboard.com/fdudebradyandersonfansite
messageboard7134frm2.showMessage?topicID=18.topic

Just think, if Jim hadn't opened his big mouth, we never would have
known Brady is a father.

--- In dudebradyandersonfansite@yahoogroups.com, giantpanda24@c... wrote:
>
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.orioles20mar20,0,2106608.stor\
y?coll=bal-sports-headlines
>
> Anderson defends his '96 power trip, says 'it was not a fluke'
> Former Oriole answers Palmer's steroid remarks
> By Roch Kubatko
> Sun Staff
> Originally published March 20, 2004
> FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - One cell phone call to Brady Anderson is
interrupted because he's running with the track athletes at the
University of California-Irvine. Another time, he cuts the
conversation short to lift weights, promising to reserve a few minutes
later in the day. Nighttime hours are spent feeding his 7-month-old
daughter, Brianna, and putting her to bed. And the weekends aren't
always good because he's competing in a flag football league.
>
> Perhaps the Orioles' second-most popular player behind Cal Ripken
during his 14 years in Baltimore, Anderson has been retired from
baseball since the San Diego Padres released him from their Triple-A
affiliate in Portland, Ore., in 2003. But no matter how long he's away
from the game, no matter how many athletic challenges await him - and
he's always looking - the aura of his 50-homer season will continue to
exist.  And so will the suspicions.
>
> When Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer suggested earlier this week
that Anderson's achievements in 1996 were open to scrutiny because
they were such an aberration - the implication being that without a
drug-testing program, nobody knows whether he cheated - the former
outfielder's name became linked to steroids. And this time, it wasn't
just the whispers that envelop any player who has an anomalous season.
>
> The story made national headlines and aired on ESPN. Eight years
after Anderson's milestone, he was a hot topic again - and for all the
wrong reasons.
>
> "Because I only hit 50 home runs once, it was, in fact, an
aberration. However, it was not a fluke," he told The Sun yesterday.
"Nothing can be considered a fluke that takes six months to
accomplish. Rather it was a culmination of all my athleticism and
baseball skills and years of training peaking simultaneously. This was
my athletic opus.
>
> "Hitting in front of [Roberto] Alomar, [Rafael] Palmeiro, [Bobby]
Bonilla and [Cal] Ripken didn't hurt, either."
>
> Palmer later explained that his remarks, which aired Monday on 98
ROCK (WIYY-FM), weren't meant to suggest that Anderson used steroids.
Though he hasn't contacted Anderson, Palmer issued a brief apology
through the media.
>
> "I have been alternately amused and perplexed by Palmer's
vacillating comments over the last few days," said Anderson, who is
raising his daughter with her mother, Sonia Vassi. "I did not respond
initially because I sensed he knew he had made a mistake and thought
it fair to let him rectify the matter on his own.
>
> "Perhaps what offended me the most was his comment that he knows how
hard I trained. How could he possibly know that? Pushing myself to
become a better athlete was truly my passion and still is. Many people
don't possess the desire to test the limits of what the body and mind
can accomplish, and others I'm certain possess the desire but lack the
expertise to achieve the desired results."
>
> Anderson never hit more than 21 homers before 1996, and didn't
eclipse 24 after '96.
>
> "I know what I accomplished, am proud of it, and know that it was
done with integrity," he said. "I'll state this once again: It was 26
more home runs than I hit in any other season, but that's just one
more home run per week, just one more good swing. That is the data
that simultaneously comforted me and haunted me, the small difference
between greatness and mediocrity."
>
> Anderson usually kept a container of Creatine in his locker, but the
supplement, which serves as an energy reserve in muscle cells, is legal.
>
> "That's here to stay. It's a legitimate substance. It's found in
food," he said. "Taken properly, it can be very beneficial. But it
doesn't replace skill or training."
>
> Anderson, who was tested for steroids in the minors last year, said
he has received dozens of calls from friends and former teammates
since Palmer's remarks made it into print, many of them outraged or
confused by the implications.
>
> They remember Anderson as a man obsessed with physical fitness,
someone whose training methods were seen as outrageous for a baseball
player. They remember him working out privately on the back fields at
Fort Lauderdale Stadium, where he would squat 200 pounds while
balancing on an exercise ball.
>
> They also observed how his weight never fluctuated much, that his
muscular build was the same four years before he hit 50 homers - as
evidenced by a poster of him, shirtless, that was a popular sell in
Baltimore. They didn't see the violent outbursts common with steroid
abusers.
>
> "There was a part of me that regarded the steroid talk as a
compliment, sort of like when the Brewers came into town in '96 and
were snooping around for my bats to see if they were corked," he said.
"Those things weren't upsetting to me."
>
> Players used to tease Anderson for bringing his own blender into the
clubhouse, unfamiliar with the concoctions he chugged before or after
games.
>
> Said Ripken: "Now protein mixes are an acceptable part of everyone's
diet. Brady always had a much more advanced concept of cross-training
and plyometrics and his diet. He was just ahead of the curve."
>
> His timing on fastballs was impeccable in '96.
>
> "To me, it was all about him being locked in. He had good swings
every at-bat. Bearing witness to it all year, he was a marvel to
watch. I don't remember him ever being in a slump," Ripken said.
>
> "Brady always had a fly-ball swing, which he was criticized for as a
leadoff hitter, but that year he was right on the ball. He was just in
one of those grooves. There were a couple of instances in my career
when I seemed to pick up the next day where I left off. It's hard to
explain. You wish you could do that every year."
>
> Said Anderson: "The thing that stands out about '96 is, it's not my
size, it's my swing. If anyone wants to compare what changed about me,
my swing was so much better that year. I couldn't match it, and I
don't know why. Later in my career, I was trying to imitate myself. I
had a swing that any hitter would have been proud of. The other years,
I used to just battle [hard] and be athletic."
>
> Once reluctant to share the training methods that gave him an edge,
Anderson now offers to work with other athletes at his Los Angeles
home. Mark Quinn, 29, a former teammate in Portland who's in the St.
Louis Cardinals' camp, spent four months with Anderson after the
season and said he has never been faster or better conditioned.
>
> "I gained pounds and lost body fat," he said. "One day, we'd work
out with the track and field coach at UC-Irvine. The next day we were
doing standing long jumps and hurdles, throwing a football around.
We'd lift weights, play basketball. Some days we'd head to Venice
beach and work out on the gymnast rings. We'd run hills and do lunges
- every aspect of cross-training you could imagine.
>
> "Brady just turned 40, and he's in better shape than I'll ever be
in. People who accuse him of steroids obviously never spent as much
time around him as I have. He's a genetic freak. He was born with
three percent body fat and never changed. He's a super athlete, and
that's something you can't get from a syringe."