Cubs prospect Kris Bryant gladly sends signed bat to Twitter follower

Chicago Cubs prospect Kris Bryant is already on his way to winning over Cubs fans — and baseball fans in general.

Last week, he sent a game-used, signed bat to Mike Kennedy, a Twitter follower who collects sports memorabilia.

“I’m just a big fan,” Kennedy said in a phone interview with The Chicago Sun Times. “And for me I collect cards and then started collecting game-used memorabilia. When you own a bat that was used in a game it’s a piece of history to me. So that’s why I like them. Even 30 years from now here’s this bat that was used by a player. So I just collect. I wasn’t trying to get anything from him. I just wanted to know if it was legit before I bought it. … I was blown away."

Kennedy originally sent Bryant a message on Twitter last week when he saw one of Bryant's game-used bats up for sale on eBay for about $850. He asked him if it was legitimate — Bryant later told Kennedy he was disappointed, because it was a bat he had given a kid in spring training. But Bryant assured him he didn't have to spend the $850 — he would send him a bat himself.

@mk9577 850 bucks?! That's ridiculous! I'll send one to you. DM me your address!
— Kris Bryant (@KrisBryant_23) October 31, 2014

Kennedy tweeted a photo of the bat on Thursday:

I cannot thank @KrisBryant_23 enough for this bat! So blown away. Just made me a @cubs fan!! Thank you thank you pic.twitter.com/WQLXvRiMO2
— Mike in Vegas (@mk9577) November 6, 2014

-- Brett LoGiurato