He played 184 games in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns (1912–13), Chicago White Sox (1915), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1917).

[2] Brief was called up by the St. Louis Browns at the end of the 1912 season and compiled a .310 average and .408 on-base percentage in 53 plate appearances.

[2] In late July 1915, Brief was sold to the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League.

[4] He went on a tear in Salt Lake, appearing in 82 games in the last half of the 1915 season, compiling a .363 batting average and .524 slugging percentage.

He remained with Salt Lake City in 1916, appearing in a career-high 195 games with 33 home runs, a .314 batting average, and a .517 slugging percentage.

[2] He became a favorite of the Salt Lake City fans who showered him with silver dollars after he hit home runs.

[10] In 1921, he compiled a .361 batting average and career highs in slugging percentage (.685) and home runs (42).

"[11] Brief spent a total of eight seasons with the Kansas City Blues and was the greatest hitter in club history.

When the Kansas City Baseball Hall of Fame was created in 1950, Brief was one of three inaugural inductees along with Pat Collins and Eddie Pick.

[14] After his playing career, Brief operated a gas station he owned in Traverse City, Michigan.

[1] Beginning in 1937, Brief worked as a supervisor of the Milwaukee municipal recreation department's baseball program.