Kris Bryant to Wear No. 17, Play 3B, and Bat 4th

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanApril 17, 2015

Hey, did you guys hear that Kris Bryant has been called up? I know it’s been surprisingly quiet when it comes to his promotion. Well, either that or the exact opposite; word of Bryant’s jump to Chicago following a game in which he hit (yawn) another home run for Iowa actually usurped most of the buzz from Britt McHenry’s tantrum, which is no small feat.

But no sooner had the first wave of euphoria washed over everyone that the questions began flying at a faster rate than homers during a Bryant BP session. Will he be in the lineup? What number will he wear? Will he play 3B or LF? Can he possibly live up to the hype? Are his eyes really that pretty?

We got answers to some of the easier questions this morning:

Bryant was wearing 17 with the Iowa Cubs, but first base coach Brandon Hyde has been rocking it in Chicago. No word on whether there was a trade involved, but I’m guessing the young superstar has a little more leverage in this situation and may have gotten by with as little as a smile.

I can only imagine what the buzz around Wrigley is going to be like today, given all the factors involved. It was pretty electric when Javier Baez made his home debut last year, and that was with a team that was already out of contention.

Interestingly enough, Joe Maddon was present for that Baez game as well, only as the manager of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Needless to say, he’s going to be slightly more involved this time around, but I wouldn’t doubt in the least that he filed that experience away for future use.

It’s a bit unfortunate that the ongoing construction has eliminated all the bleacher seats for an event like this, eliminating several thousand seats and preventing people from catching any of the four dingers Bryants is expected to hit today. Despite the decreased capacity, however, I’m guessing that a couple hundred thousand will eventually claim to have been there.

Legions more will be watching events unfold on TV, so it’s a very good thing the Cubs were able to secure several affiliate stations, as the game is being broadcast on ABC-7. But for those of you in the Des Moines, Ft. Wayne, and Central IN markets, the revolution will not be televised; this game is one that was not included in those stations’ respective agreements.

But take heart, Indy residents, you can still get some quality viewing this afternoon. While Bryant and the Cubs won’t be playing across your screen, you will have The Doctors, The Real, Cougar Town, Hot in Cleveland, and Cops Reloaded. So basically, you get to live a day in the life of a Cardinals fan.

When it comes to the Best Fans in Baseball, I can only imagine how insufferable Cubs fans must seem at this point; all this chatter from their nouveau-riche rivals has got to be tweaking them big time. But any frustration or exasperation is really little more than a thin coat of whitewash over what should be some legitimate worry.

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanApril 17, 2015
Back to top button