Kris Bryant Pranked By Teammates After Hitting His First Major League Homer

By Bruce Levine--

(CBS) -- It took 21 games and 73 at-bats for Cubs rookie third baseman Kris Bryant to hit his first major league home run, but it was well worth the wait for the 23-year-old budding star.

"Nice to get the first one out of the way," Bryant said after hitting a three-run homer in a 12-4 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday. "It had been a while, but I did it. It is a cool feeling, and we had fun with it. It will be a day I will remember."

Bryant also enjoyed the prank played by Cubs players and coaches. They hid in the locker room as he trotted around the bases and left an empty bench as a reception -- but not for long.

"They were all waiting by the door," Bryant said. "It became like a mosh pit, punching me and all that kind of stuff."

Bryant had been playing every day since his April 23 promotion from Triple-A Iowa. Although his power numbers were lacking, everything else about his play was well above average. Entering Saturday, he was averaging 4.37 pitches seen per plate appearance (second in the league). He was also getting on base at a .422 clip, good for ninth in the National League.

Numbers alone haven't told the story about Bryant, whose overall work ethic and hustle have been pointed out and noted by the organization, in particular manager by Joe Maddon. The Cubs won on Friday night due to a hustle play by Bryant in the eighth inning that helped plate Addison Russell from third base. On a routine ground ball to third base, Bryant was called out, then it was reversed by a replay appeal. That hustle play accounted for the Cubs' seventh and winning run in a 7-6 final.

Maddon was glowing with praise for the way Bryant hit the front of the bag on the bang-bang play that helped get his team their 15th victory of the season.

"That type of hustle speaks volumes about this whole organization," Maddon said. "We win the game because of that. Believe me when I tell you that I was thinking, is this going to be the difference in the game even with a four-run lead? It was."

Maddon was hopeful that Bryant's example will have a lasting effect on all of the organization's players.

"I am hoping all of our minor league guys get a chance to see that," Maddon said. "Hitting the bag with his foot -- if he doesn't hit the front of the bag, he would have been out. You tell the players things like that the very first day (of spring training) at least 100 times. But do they all do it? No. I promise you if you watch Derek Jeter run to first base, it will show that he hit the front of the bag almost 100 percent of the time. That is what KB did last night, and that is why he was safe."

Despite the late start to his season and only one home run, Bryant was tied for second on the team with 17 RBIs after his blast to left-center off of Brewers starter Kyle Lohse.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.