PHOENIX — Brandon Hyde was partway through an answer during his pregame media session in the dugout at Chase Field when he stopped, losing his train of thought. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, had just walked up those dugout steps and onto the field with his family.

“I’m in awe right now,” the Orioles’ manager said, laughing. “Greatest of all time showed up. Big O’s fan.”

That he is. Phelps wore an Orioles polo shirt and hat. His children sported Baltimore gear. The swimmer, who lives in Arizona but was raised in Baltimore, said the Diamondbacks are his and his family’s second-favorite team. But the Orioles are and will always be No. 1.

“I have a couple friends that play for them [the Diamondbacks] and a couple of guys in the front office here, and they knew I would be [wearing] this,” Phelps said, motioning to his Orioles gear. “They’d hear me saying ‘O!’ during the national anthem. I’m born and raised in Baltimore.”

Phelps has fond memories of going to Orioles games as a kid with his dad, who was a state trooper and worked security at Camden Yards. Phelps had the chance to go into the clubhouse, meeting Cal Ripken Jr., Brady Anderson, Ben McDonald and others.

That created lifelong memories for Phelps. He played baseball, soccer and lacrosse and — obviously — swam growing up. He focused on swimming as he got older, and the 39-year-old became an American hero with 28 Olympic medals.

He’s excited his four sons are interested in sports, but Phelps is allowing them to find what they love. Phelps is the third-base coach for their baseball team. (“I will be sending kids home nonstop,” Phelps said. “I don’t have a stop button.”) He coached their flag football and soccer teams.

“For me,” he said, “being a dad, watching them compete, there’s absolutely nothing better.”

Phelps watched as his sons, Boomer, Beckett, Maverick and Nico, received autographs on baseballs from Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle. Phelps said their household has sports on every night, and the Orioles are a fixture.

“We are all into sports,” Phelps said. “And, for me, I want them to find a passion. If it’s baseball, awesome. If it’s soccer, whatever it is, I’m going to try to nourish it and help them be the best athlete they can be.”

One of his kids told Henderson he predicted the shortstop would hit a home run during Wednesday’s game. He received a fist bump for the support. Phelps threw his long-ball prediction to Ryan O’Hearn, but he’s mostly glad to see Henderson healthy again.

The Phelps family also went to Denver last year to support the Orioles. Phelps’ wife, Nicole Johnson, is from Colorado. During the postseason, Phelps comes back to Baltimore to watch.

Phelps knows how meaningful joining his dad at Camden Yards was growing up. It kicked off a lifetime of passion for the Orioles. Now he gets to watch his kids have the same wide-eyed look he had when they see this generation of stars, such as Henderson and Adley Rutschman.

“It’s kind of that full-circle moment, and it’s really special to see their excitement when they see the guys they root for every day on TV,” Phelps said. “Those are moments I remember as a kid and stick with you forever.”