Kris Bryant, infielder for the Tennessee Smokies, reacts after hitting a home run on Monday during the Southern League Home Run Derby at Engel Stadium. Bryant won every round of the derby.Baseballs were bouncing off Third Street again as the Southern League staged its annual home run derby Monday night at historic Engel Stadium.
Tennessee Smokies third baseman Kris Bryant challenged the 471-foot distance in straightaway center on his first swing but then found the left-field wall more to his liking in winning the eight-man competition. Bryant hit eight home runs in the first round and had 12 homers through two rounds before hitting four in the third round to defeat Mobile first baseman Jon Griffin.
Bryant was going deep off Chattanooga Lookouts manager Razor Shines, who threw to the four contestants from the North Division.
“This park is huge,” Bryant said. “Usually I like it out over the plate so I can get my hands extended and hit it to right, but I told Razor to throw inside so I could hit it to left as far as I could. I was taking my normal swing out there. Ever since I was little, I’ve been able to hit the ball in the air.”
When told about the four-lane road beyond the left-field wall, Bryant said, “I heard about that. Hopefully nobody got hurt.”