Cubs’ Kris Bryant practices with Hall of Fame pitcher, doesn’t know it
Feb 16, 2017, 3:00 PM | Updated: 3:15 pm
Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant thought he was shooting a baseball workout video, but ended up working with a Hall of Fame pitcher.
Bryant was preparing for Spring Training, and discussed the baseball environment of his hometown of Las Vegas.
“Vegas is a pretty good baseball town,” Bryant said in the video. “Bryce Harper, Chasen Shreve, Greg Maddux. He went to high school here too, so he’s a guy that I look up to.”
After Bryant took a few swings, the guy who was pitching to him stepped away. The audio man for the shoot volunteered to replace him.
Bryant didn’t take him seriously as first, but discovered that this new pitcher had quite the arm. This isn’t surprising because the audio man was, behind the disguise, Hall-of-Famer Maddux himself.
After the shoot, the disguised Maddux asked for an autograph, revealing his identity to Bryant.
Maddux, 50, played for the Cubs for 10 seasons during his 22-year MLB career. He became the first pitcher ever to win four consecutive Cy Young awards and the only one to post 300 wins, over 3,000 strikeouts, and fewer than 1,000 walks. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2014 with 97 percent support.
Bryant, 25, was the second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He debuted in the majors in 2015, winning NL Rookie of the Year. In 2016, he helped the Cubs win their first World Series title in 108 years and won the NL MVP. Bryant hit .292 last season with 39 home runs and 102 RBI.
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