Kris Bryant’s wide smile as he’s throwing to first to record the final out of the first Cubs World Series title in 108 years will forever be one of the indelible images of the 2016 season.
The expression, he says, was purely a happy accident.
“I kind of make that stupid face every time,” he told reporters over the weekend at the Cubs Convention. “I’m signing all of these baseball cards in the offseason and I’m like, ‘I can never get a good action shot.’ It’s so terrible.”
What isn’t terrible these days is being Kris Bryant.
The 25-year-old slugger returned to Chicago this weekend as a newlywed in addition to being one of the team’s brightest stars and most popular players.
Bryant married his wife, Jessica, a week ago. The Cubs Convention, Bryant said, will suffice as the couple’s honeymoon until next offseason.
“[Jessica] loves it,” he said. “This is like our home. It’s a lot of fun here. We’re taking a honeymoon next offseason hopefully after another World Series run.”
Part of the reason the Bryants are having so much fun in Chicago these days is the fact that the fans love him and, well, he loves the fans right back.
Evidence of Bryant’s popularity was on display during the Kids Only Press Conference on Saturday afternoon.
In one of the more endearing moments of the weekend, a young fan wanted to know what Bryant’s favorite scary movie was, despite the fact that Bryant wasn’t on a panel that featured young stars such as Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Albert Almora Jr. and Willson Contreras.
Schwarber gamely put Bryant on speakerphone to answer the fan’s question, much to the delight of the crowd. For the record, he’s “way too much of a wimp to watch scary movies.”
This is hardly new for Bryant, given that he’s been one of the team’s most popular players since the day he was recalled from the minor leagues, but he still tries to take time to soak it all in.
“I’ve slowly realized how cool our fans are, and just to get the chance to shake our hands and express how much the season meant to them, it leaves me speechless at times,” he said.
Bryant and the Cubs will head into the 2017 season looking to repeat as World Series champions for the first time since they defended their 1907 title.
Given that he went from the World Series in November to getting married in January, Bryant said he hasn’t had a whole lot of time to process the 2016 season just yet.
“I’ve been on the go since the last out,” he said. “I occasionally find myself sitting on the couch at home and not thinking about the year but just thinking about the last game and how unbelievable it was. It’s one of the greatest baseball games probably ever played, and I feel so honored to be a part of that.”
Despite the fact that he’s coming off an MVP season that saw him hit 39 home runs and drive in 102 runs in just his second big-league season, Bryant said there’s always room for improvement.
“For me, I want to get back to hitting the ball to right field,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of research this offseason just seeing where I’m pitched to, and I’m pitched inside so often. I’m sure guys are going to start pitching me a little differently, maybe go back on the other side of the plate. That’s what they did in the minor leagues.”
Matt Lindner is a RedEye contributor.
