Brooks Litchfield Conrad (born January 16, 1980) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

and

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) from 2008 to 2014 for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

, and

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

, and

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. Conrad also played in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Hanshin Tigers The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., ...

in 2013. Conrad has coached in the minor leagues for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

organization following the conclusion of his playing career.

Playing career

Amateur career

Conrad is a graduate of Monte Vista High School in California. He was a member of the

Arizona State Sun Devils baseball The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball program at the Arizona State University (ASU) is part of the Big 12 Conference. Since it became a member of the Pac-12, it had the highest winning percentage, at .681, of all schools that participate in Divi ...

team from 1999 to 2001.

Houston Astros

Conrad was drafted by the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

in the eighth round (236th pick) of the 2001 Draft. He played with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

. Conrad played in the

organization from to before becoming a minor league free agent after the 2007 season.

Oakland Athletics

Conrad signed with the

organization prior to the 2008 season. He was called up to play with the A's against the

on July 21, 2008. On August 12, Conrad was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

Atlanta Braves

Conrad became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the

in November 2008. Brooks Conrad

On July 3, 2009, Conrad hit his first major league home run - a 3-run shot as a pinch-hitter in the Braves 9–8 win over the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

after being called up from the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

. On July 7, Conrad hit his first career Major League triple off

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

pitcher

Carlos Zambrano Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...

. On September 1, Conrad was called back up to the Braves. In 2010, Conrad frequently picked up clutch hits at the end of games, but committed defensive miscues at the end of the season and postseason. On May 20, 2010, Conrad came to the plate with one out, the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, with the Braves trailing 9–6. He hit a walk-off grand slam against

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

pitcher,

Francisco Cordero Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, C ...

, to cap an eight-run comeback for his team. On June 12, Conrad dropped down an eventual game winning suicide squeeze bunt to score

Gregor Blanco Grégor Miguel Blanco Pedraza (born December 24, 1983) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbacks. ...

in the 9th inning against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

. On July 24, Conrad hit his second go-ahead grand slam of the year, in the 8th inning against

Burke Badenhop Burke Heinrich Badenhop (born February 8, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds. Badenhop ...

of the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

. The Braves went on to win, 10–5. On August 10, with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the 9th, Conrad hit a two-run homer to put the Braves ahead of the

, 3–2, in a game that the Braves would go on to win. Nicholas James Baker caught the home run ball over the rail of the second deck in his hat. On August 13, Conrad hit his final game-winning home run of the season. This one came in the bottom of the 7th, against

Hiroki Kuroda is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 1997 to 2007 before playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2011 and ...

of the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. In game three of the 2010 NLDS, Conrad made three errors in a loss to the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, who would eventually go on to win the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. His second error, in the second inning, let in a Giants' run. His third error was far more important. After

Eric Hinske Eric Scott Hinske (born August 5, 1977) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder and first baseman. Hinske played in the major leagues from 2002 to 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsbu ...

hit a two-run, eighth inning pinch-hit home run to put the Braves ahead by one run, Conrad let a ball go between his legs in the top of the ninth. This error allowed the game-winning run to score. The Giants took a 2–1 series-lead. Conrad's three errors tied a Division Series record. Conrad was replaced by veteran third baseman

Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (; born August 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and first baseman. Glaus played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Anaheim Angels (–), Arizona Diamondbacks (), Toronto Blue Jays (–), S ...

in game four, but did not appear as a pinch-hitter in the game, a series-clinching win for the Giants. The infielder committed eight errors in his final seven games of the year. The Giants went on to win the World Series. On May 1, 2011, in a game against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

, Conrad came off the bench to hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Braves a 6–5 victory. Later in the month on May 25 in a game against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, Conrad launched a go-ahead and ultimately game-winning 2-run homer in the 11th inning. He made 92 total appearances for the Braves during the 2011 campaign, slashing .223/.325/.388 with four home runs, 13 RBI, and two stolen bases. On December 13, Conrad was non-tendered by the Braves, and became a free agent.

Milwaukee Brewers

On January 7, 2012, Conrad signed a minor league deal with the

. His deal included an invitation to Spring Training. Conrad competed for a roster spot with Taylor Green and

Zelous Wheeler Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and right fielder. He previously played in NPB for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Yomiuri Giants and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ...

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2012.

Tampa Bay Rays

On June 21, 2012, the

claimed Conrad off waivers. On June 24, Conrad hit a pair of two-run doubles off

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

pitcher

Cliff Lee Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, S ...

to secure a sweep in a day-night doubleheader. Conrad was designated for assignment on August 7 when

Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbac ...

returned from the disabled list.

Hanshin Tigers

Conrad signed with the

for the 2013 season.

San Diego Padres

On January 4, 2014, Conrad and the

agreed to a minor league contract that did not include a spring training invitation. Conrad appeared in 13 games with the major league club, hitting .100 with one home run. The Padres designated Conrad for assignment on August 19. He was released by the organization on August 21.

New York Mets

Conrad joined the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the G ...

for spring training on April 3, 2015. He signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

on April 25. In 83 appearances for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, Conrad slashed .194/.280/.319 with six home runs and 40 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Sugar Land Skeeters

Conrad signed with the

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

, an

independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball or its affiliated Minor League Baseball system (historically referred to as organized baseball). Inde ...

. In 20 games for the Skeeters, he hit .161/.329/.242 with one home run and five RBI. Conrad was released by Sugar Land on June 23, 2016. On December 24, 2016, Conrad signed a minor league contract with the

. However, he never appeared in a game for the organization.

Coaching career

Conrad began his coaching career as the manager of the

Burlington Royals The Burlington Royals were a minor league baseball team in Burlington, North Carolina, United States. They were a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The team was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians from 1986 to 2006 as the Burlington ...

in 2018. He was named as the manager for the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

, the Royals' Low-A affiliate at the time, for the 2019 season. The Legends won the 2019 SAL championship, and Conrad remained the manager at Lexington through the 2020 season. Conrad was named manager of the

Columbia Fireflies The Columbia Fireflies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Columbia, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. Their home stadium is Segra Park. The team was previously known as the ...

in 2021. Conrad became manager of the

Quad Cities River Bandits The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, on ...

, the Royals' High-A affiliate, before the 2022 season. On January 17, 2025, Conrad was promoted to serve as the manager of the Double-A

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. T ...

References

External links

MiLB.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Brooks 1980 births Living people Baseball coaches from California Baseball players from San Diego Major League Baseball infielders Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Oakland Athletics players Atlanta Braves players Milwaukee Brewers players Tampa Bay Rays players Hanshin Tigers players San Diego Padres players Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players Pittsfield Astros players Michigan Battle Cats players Salem Avalanche players Lexington Legends players Corpus Christi Hooks players Round Rock Express players Sacramento River Cats players Gwinnett Braves players Nashville Sounds players Durham Bulls players El Paso Chihuahuas players American expatriate baseball players in Japan Mesa Solar Sox players Sugar Land Skeeters players People from Spring Valley, San Diego County, California Minor league baseball managers Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players Monte Vista High School (Spring Valley, California) alumni