Brody Stevens, A Former College Pitcher At Arizona State, Mourned By The Baseball World

Comedy fans are mourning the death of Brody Stevens, after the actor and stand-up comic reportedly took his life this week. Similarly, fans of baseball are also mourning the passing of the man born Steven Brody, who was a college pitcher at Arizona State University and a longtime fan of the game.

Stevens, who gained fame for his part in The Hangover and from his extensive stand-up touring, was reportedly found dead in his Los Angeles home on Friday. As the Evening Standard reported, his passing drew condolences from friends across the comedy world, including fellow comic Sarah Silverman.

His rep issued a statement remembering Brody as an inspiration to the comedy world and asked for his family to have privacy during this difficult time.

“Brody was an inspiring voice who was a friend to many in the comedy community,” a statement from Stevens’ rep said. “He pushed creative boundaries and his passion for his work and his love of baseball were contagious.

As Sporting News reported, the 48-year-old Stevens also had deep ties to the world of baseball. Stevens was a pitcher at Arizona State and spoke about how his experience on the rubber helped him become a better comic.

In a 2015 interview with the Arizona Republic, Stevens said the experience of being on the mound is a lot like being on stage in the spotlight.

“I think there is an overlap there, for sure. There is a body-language reading that needs to be done when you pitch. You look at the hitter’s eyes, or how they react to a certain pitch, and it’s a similar thing with an audience. It could be how are they sitting. How are they laughing? There are a lot of variables,” Stevens said.

#Hangover star #BrodyStevens dies at 48 after suspected suicide https://t.co/OXnIuJVlLV pic.twitter.com/3Y6Dc84Etd

— Daily Star (@dailystar) February 23, 2019

Stevens’ love of baseball helped him form relationships with a number of players and others from the baseball world, and many took to Twitter to mourn his death this week. Pitcher Jake Arrieta remembered Stevens as a friend, saying they shared a number of memorable conversations and even got to play a bit together.

I will never forget the time spent with Brody Stevens during my time in Chicago thx to Mike Borzello. Every conversation was memorable, he loved baseball, and watching him throw a bullpen during an early spring morning will always be a highlight for me..

— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) February 23, 2019

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Cody Decker also said he had the opportunity to play with Brody Stevens, and said Stevens had an enthusiasm for the game that was unmatched.

I once played a baseball game with @BrodyismeFriend. He pitched 5 full innings that I caught for him. He had more passion for those 5 innings than any ball player could ever hope have in their entire career.

— Cody Decker (@Decker6) February 22, 2019

Brody Stevens continued his love of baseball up until his death. His Twitter profile picture is a sketch of himself pitching for Arizona State that had been drawn for the comedian by a fan.