Anthony Vincent "Bunny" Brief (born Anthony John Grzeszkowski; July 3, 1892 – February 11, 1963) was a baseball first baseman who spent his first three seasons of professional baseball with the Class D Traverse City Resorters of the Michigan State League, before advancing to Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Browns (1912–13), Chicago White Sox (1915), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1917). Born in Remus, Michigan, Brief played in 184 Major League games and had a lifetime batting average of .223 and a .306 on-base percentage. He was of Polish descent.[1]

Bunny Brief
First baseman
Born: (1892-07-03)July 3, 1892
Remus, Michigan
Died: February 11, 1963(1963-02-11) (aged 70)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 22, 1912, for the St. Louis Browns
Last MLB appearance
June 24, 1917, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average.223
Home runs5
Runs batted in59
Teams

After his Major League career ended, Brief continued to play in the minor leagues until 1928. Though he never hit more than two home runs in any of his Major League seasons, Brief holds the all-time record for home runs in the American Association with 256. His eight minor league home run crowns are tied for the most ever, with Ken Guettler. He won home run crowns in: 1911 – Michigan State League (10); 1912 – Michigan State League (13); 1916 – Pacific Coast League (33); 1920 – American Association (23); 1921 – American Association (42); 1922 – American Association (40); 1925 – American Association (37) and 1926 – American Association (26).

In 1921, Brief had a remarkable season for the Kansas City Blues of the American Association with 42 home runs, 191 RBIs, and 166 runs scored.

Brief died in 1963 at age 70 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

References edit

  1. ^ "Bunny Brief". Polish American Encyclopedia. p. 39.

External links edit