On Monday night, Chicago Cubs fans in Cincinnati were treated to quite a show by third baseman Kris Bryant, as the slugger blasted three home runs and drilled two doubles in a victory over the Reds.
After Bryant’s third home run of the game, which made him the youngest Cubs player to ever achieve that feat, his teammates playfully urged him to take a curtain call for the numerous Cubs fans in attendance.
Bryant refused to do so.
“I’ve never been the type to show up an opponent, or anybody,” he told media members after the game. “And I don’t think that’s ever happened in baseball. And I definitely didn’t want to be the first. I’m just not that type of player.”
Bryant is one of the big personalities on a team known for their out-of-the-box characters, but he is a dedicated practitioner of old-school baseball. He rarely gawks at home runs and is willing to play any position he is asked to play, and those qualities have endeared him to manager Joe Maddon.
“He enjoys the moment when it occurs but he doesn’t go over the top with it,” he said. “He doesn’t flamboyantly dunk the basketball, he doesn’t spike the football, and he doesn’t flip the bat. He’s a man for all ages.
“I loved everything, obviously, that he did and how he handled the whole day,” he added.
Chicago Baseball
Bryant’s hot hitting against the Reds is nothing new this season. Thanks to Monday’s outburst, the slugger now has a .471 batting average with 13 runs, seven home runs, and 17 RBI against Cincinnati this season in just eight games.
