Kansas City Royal Brady Singer Talks Balancing Fishing with a Professional Baseball Career

Kansas City Royal Brady Singer loves his fishing!

It is safe to say that 2020 has been a very weird year for everyone. Sadly, one of the first consistent things we lost to the Covid-19 pandemic was sports, and most of us did not realize how much we missed them until they were gone. Thankfully, a Major League Baseball season is finally underway, albeit a rather strange one. It will surely be a season that baseball, and sports fans everywhere, will not soon forget.

We were recently able to catch up with some prominent MLB players who share our same love of the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. What we found were some down-to-earth pro athletes who unwind much in the same way as us, getting outside with a rod or rifle whenever possible.

Today we are speaking with Kansas City Royal Brady Singer. This young pitcher was selected by KC in the first round of the draft in 2018. While the Florida native is still relatively new to the major leagues, he has turned some heads for his abilities on the field and should be a staple player for the Royals for a long time to come. When he isn't hurling 90-mile-per-hour fastballs at opposing batters, Singer likes to wet a line as often as possible.

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Q&A with Brady Singer of the Kansas City Royals

WOS: With the coronavirus outbreak, did you get outside hunting and fishing more this spring? Or was your focus still on spring training? 

Singer: "That was probably the best time to be fishing (during COVID) haha. I was able to get outside more and fish during that time but I used it as a time to hone in on what I learned during the first spring training and be prepared for when the season started."

WOS: Tell us where your love for hunting and fishing started. Has it changed over the years? Has it been affected by your career?

Singer: "Because I live in Florida, I definitely do more fishing, specifically fresh water. I grew up fishing with my dad, we lived on a Haines Creek, which is basically the wetlands of Central Florida. My dad and I would walk to the creek and fish every day. Every single one of my best friends growing up also fished. It was such a good way to get outside rather than sitting inside and playing video games. I started playing baseball pretty young but was always addicted to fishing and would do it any chance I got. However, fishing isn't really on my schedule during baseball. I would love to do it more during the season but I take the baseball season to focus on my job."

WOS: Do you fish with any of your baseball friends?

Singer: "Yes, I do but they don't always enjoy it as much as I do haha. I have a buddy from Florida who doesn't fish at all but I can call him and he will always say yes. He just comes and enjoys time on the boat. No matter if you fish or don't fish, you can always enjoy your time outside."

WOS: What are your top fishing tips for someone new to the sport?

Singer: "First would be to start by finding out what you're fishing for, and honestly, just research it. The more you fish, the better you get at it. Second, get a good rod and reel. People try to go cheap but sometimes you end up getting what you paid for. You want to make sure that you have a sturdy rod that won't break on you. Finally, just enjoy it! Obviously, you won't always catch a fish just like I won't always go out there and throw a no-hitter but sometimes the best times are when you don't get a fish but you make great memories."

WOS: Tell us about your favorite fishing memory.

Singer: "It would probably be when I caught my first big bass in Florida. For my 16^th birthday, my parents found this cheap, old bass boat on Craigslist, which ran terribly and never worked, but I absolutely loved it. My best friend, Austin, and I took the boat out into one of the bigger lakes near my house and we came across a canal. I threw my rod in and realized it was sitting on the bottom for a while. Soon enough, we were both screaming trying to get this big bass in the boat. It was huge! We are both used to small lakes so going to a big lake and finding this was super fulfilling. It's similar to solving a big math problem - you feel really accomplished after solving it."

WOS: What is your favorite fishing season and why?

Singer: "For bass there isn't really a specific season. My favorite time to fish is when the days are nice. It's an early, cool morning and there is fog across the lake. As you're flying across the calm, glass-like water at 60 mph, you can forget about everything else."

https://twitter.com/Bsinger51/status/1287552836796952580

WOS: How difficult is it to fit in fishing with the pressures of being a pro ball player?

Singer: "It is definitely hard because my schedule as professional baseball player is really packed, so you want to take time to relax and do things you love besides baseball during the offseason. Normally, I workout really early in the offseason to get baseball training done so I can go out and enjoy. Baseball comes first during the season, but I think I do a really great job of balancing baseball and my interests off the field."

WOS: What are your favorite outdoor brands?

Singer: "

• Free Fly Apparel (very comfortable shirts and shorts)
• Anything from Bass Pro (specifically my rod and reel)
• Yeti Cooler/Cups
• Hey Dude Shoes
• Costa Sunglasses"

WOS: Are you planning a career in the outdoor industry post-baseball? If so, what do you hope to do?

Singer: "I'm not sure, that's a great question! I don't think I will though. I would love to take people out and show them my spots to fish just put a smile on someone's face. I wouldn't work anywhere, I would just fish and enjoy time on the water."

For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels. 

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