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          MLB

          Kris Bryant pranks community college as European transfer

          • ESPN.com
          Mar 18, 2016, 11:58 PM

          Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant paired up with Red Bull to prank the Mesa Community College baseball team by posing as a European transfer student ready to poach at-bats from the Thunderbirds.

          Thunderbirds coach Tony Cirelli told his players that "Roy Nabryt" ("Roy" for Bryant's NL Rookie of the Year honor in 2015 and "Nabryt" as an anagram of "Bryant") was a "big donkey with crazy power."

          Though a few Thunderbirds were understandably displeased with the thought of losing their starting spot, Cirelli had prepared a response: "If he gets us to Oklahoma [for the College World Series] and we win another ring, no one's going to be complaining."

          When Bryant, in disguise, took batting practice however, the Thunderbirds' ruffled feathers quickly turned to dropped jaws as the 6-foot-5 slugger clubbed several big bombs.

          "I thought they sent a kid, not a man," one player said.

          Once the prank was unveiled and the Thunderbirds realized they wouldn't be bench-warming the rest of the season, Bryant stuck around for pictures and a few friendly words: "Good luck this year. Hope you get another ring. Hopefully I get a ring, too."