Pitcher perfect: Pirates lefty Brault sings national anthem before Sunday's game

Baseball and life in general are breaking up Steven Brault’s band, but that doesn’t mean his musical career has ended.

Brault, who leads Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers with a 4.13 ERA, sang the national anthem before the game Sunday at PNC Park.

“I told them I wanted to do it once a year, if they let me. They let me,” said Brault, who also sang “The Star Spangled Banner” before a game with the Milwaukee Brewers last season and in the minor leagues when he was in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization.

A music major, pitcher and outfielder at Regis (Colo.) College, Brault said he practiced at home prior to Sunday.

“Just trying to find a general idea of a starting note and then kind of see what happens,” he said.

Fortunately, his job didn’t intrude on his performance.

“We set it up for Sept. 8, and if I was going to pitch, I wasn’t going to sing,” he said.

Brault (4-4), who has bounced between the bullpen and starting staff the past two seasons, made his 16th start of the season Saturday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. He had been effective in most recent starts, but he was pulled in the sixth inning of a 10-1 loss. He also is hitting .314, with a home run and two RBIs.

Brault, 27, said he doesn’t want to known as just a baseball player.

“I try to (cultivate outside interests),” he said. “Might as well. It makes baseball — when you don’t do super well — makes it not absolutely miserable.”

Brault worked at a baseball clinic in New Zealand last off-season and hopes to go back someday. “The people are awesome,” he said.

This year, a European vacation might be on the docket, he said.

Meanwhile, the Street Gypsies, his band back home in San Diego, has disbanded.

“Too much moving around,” he said. “Those guys are all doing stuff in music.”

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