Cubs Insider: Kris Bryant Christens ‘KB’s Cage’ at Sluggers in Wrigleyville
- Apr 13, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 19, 2024
Cubs Insider, Evan Altman | cubsinsider.com
Most folks who’ve wandered around Wrigleyville after a Cubs game have probably found themselves at Sluggers a time or two. And as people are wont to do after a barley soda or three, they may have entered the bar’s trademark batting cages to take a few hacks. As part of a multi-year partnership between Red Bull and Sluggers, the cages — which are now 32 years old — have been completely refurbished and feature several targets with various point values. Each target represents a step in Bryant’s career, from Las Vegas to San Diego to the MVP award. Hit any of them and you’ll score more points than KB did when he stepped in Wednesday morning. The Red Bull folks gave one luck fan the chance to step in and compete mano a mano with KB, selecting a gentleman in a hoodie sitting conspicuously on a pop-a-shot machine. Imagine everyone’s surprise when it turned out to be none other than Kerry Wood, who dropped the hood and then dropped the head of the bat to connect with a pitch and drive it to the 20-point target. Ryne Sandberg even stopped by to address the crowd, though he didn’t step into the cage. Neither did Ryan Dempster, the event’s emcee. Demp avoided a Harry Caray impersonation too, which was a big plus. Once the stars had been hustled off, attendees were given tokens and invited to try to beat KB’s score of zero. I can’t speak for the rest of the crowd, but I can tell you definitively that no member of Cubs Twitter managed to register any points. I can also tell you that the fast-pitch baseball cage in the center is not set up well for lefty batters. Like, at all. Sorry if there are any dents in either the bat or the cage, Sluggers, I swear I’m good for it. But you know what? I probably wouldn’t have been swinging so hard had I not been trying to beat the Bleacher Nation guys, so it’s really Brett Taylor’s fault. Anyway, here’s some video and a few photos from the event courtesy of Red Bull. I’ve included another clip that I got of a frightening moment that saw Bryant narrowly escape an unexpected pitch.
What a fantastic celebration for Kris Bryant at Sluggers! I’m curious, how do you think KB's Cage will impact the community feel among Cubs fans? Also, any thoughts on incorporating more events around Slope 2 to engage visitors further?
Great story about Kris Bryant and the Cubs community. I usually follow fnaf content, but moments like this show how powerful fan communities can be.
Anyway, here’s some video and a few photos from the event courtesy of Red Bull. I’ve included another clip that Sprunki Retake got of a frightening moment that saw Bryant narrowly escape an unexpected pitch.
What a fun event concept. Bringing together Cubs legends, current stars, and fans created some memorable moments, especially the surprise appearance by Kerry Wood. The mix of competition and humor makes for a great story. When I’m not following baseball, I enjoy Slope Rider, a browser-based sledding game that challenges players to avoid obstacles and beat their best scores.
"Granny" keeps players engaged by making survival depend on both memory and timing. If you know the map, remember where items are, and choose the right moment to move, your chances of escaping become much better.