DOWNTOWN — For a rookie, Brian Barden sure has been around.

The St. Louis Cardinals part-time third baseman and full-time plus glove, Barden has changed positions, changed roles, changed teams, made his second Opening Day roster by learning he’d made the team on his birthday, hit his first home run, become a father, won a Bronze Medal in the Olympics and, oh, had surgery to repair a nagging groin injury.

All of that has come in the past couple years. What no switch-hitting, Brian?

It was a few days before he learned he was still a rookie — and a full week before he won the National League’s rookie of the month award for April — that he sat his locker and agreed to see where the P-DQ would take him. It was early, on a Sunday morning, several hours before game time, and Barden wanted to pass along one qualifier: “My brain doesn’t turn on until noon.”

That explains, at the least, his first answer.

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How would you describe your current state of mind?

I am surprisingly pretty awake for 10 o’clock in the morning.

South Park or “The Simpsons”?

I would have to say, just recently, South Park. Me and Brendan Ryan were watching the other night, and we ended up watching a couple episodes and we really liked it.

A memorable Christmas or holiday gift you received is …

Probably my Nintendo when I was 7 or 8. My first Nintendo. I had been pushing my parents to get me one, and finally they did. I loved that thing. I had of course Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Rad Racing.

The word or phrase you use too often?

Dude.

Favorite superhero?

Say, Spider-Man

Best baseball movie?

“Mr. Baseball”

Your greatest achievement?

Being in the big leagues.

Your greatest extravagance or indulgence?

Mamba Fruit Chews. They’re like Starburst. I just like them because you have to unwrap each one, and there’s a bunch of them in there. It’s silly. But I like Mambas.

Favorite ballplayer growing up?

Has to be Rickey Henderson.

First car?

1965 Mustang. It was tight. My dad and I restored it. Pretty sweet.

Current car?

Chrysler 300

The place you’ve got to visit before you die is …

Greece.

Who would be in your Fave Five?

My wife. Tony Gwynn. Brendan Ryan. Joe Thurston. Rickey Henderson, because I’d like Rickey a lot and I’d like to talk to him.

The most embarrassing song on your iPod?

I don’t have an iPod, man. I’m out of the loop. I need to get an iPod, but really I want to get an iPhone. And I would put Wang Chung on it.

The movie you’ll stop to watch whenever it comes on is …

“For Love of the Game.” I always seem to get stuck watching it.

Sing in the shower or in the car?

Car.

You know you’re in the minors when …

You are waking up at 4 in the morning to go to the airport.

What is your treasured possession?

My Olympic medal (a bronze from 2008 Summer Games)

What is your greatest regret?

Not taking school more seriously. Even though I did eventually get my degree in Business Management. I remember my coach in college he was giving a speech during the last week of the season and how we are lucky to be on scholarship and get a free education. Something in that speech made me go, “Yeah, I should have been taking this really seriously. Instead of taking all these bowling and badminton classes.”

I tune out when people talk about …

Politics. Sorry to Todd Wellemeyer.

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Previous P-DQ: Adam Wainwright … CC Sabathia … Skip Schumaker … David Wright … Brian Barton … Ryan Ludwick. … Ryan Franklin. … Brad Lidge … Chris Carpenter. … Brandon Phillips. … Todd Wellemeyer. … Dustin Pedroia. … Jason Isringhausen. … Chris Perez. … Matt Capps. … Evan Longoria. … Joe Thurston.

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