LISTEN: Brebbia explains why a rookie mistake led to him owning an 'embarrassing' amount of umbrellas
JUPITER, Fla. (KMOX) - It all goes back to one rainy day in Denver, when a fresh-faced John Brebbia was set to make his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Brebbia had assumed the team bus that took players on a short ride from the hotel to the ballpark wasn't a luxury allowed to rookies. So, he bought himself an umbrella from the lobby and was ready to take a walk to the ballpark.
"I was mistaken. That was just a rumor," Brebbia explained to our Mike Claiborne on Cardinals Countdown to Opening Day Show. "But I didn't know that at the time so I thought, man, I can't show up on my first day soaking wet.
"Now I just have my collection. I need the furniture piece in the doorway to contain all of them."
So some players collect baseballs and jerseys, but Brebbia has umbrellas from around the world.
"My baseball collection will be stored in memories. I feel like that's the most appropriate way to account for and recall my memories here," Brebbia says. "Umbrellas, however, those need to be tangible, I need to hold them. I have an embarrassing amount, it's safe to say."
Brebbia says he already has his eyes on a shop in London when the team travels there for a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs in June.
