Kris Bryant wasn't shy when asked about the city of St. Louis during the Cubs Convention on Friday night, and he's rekindled the Route 66 rivalry during a frigid offseason.
When host and former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster asked him about a Nelly concert, the third baseman quickly brought up the fact that the rapper is a big St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Kris Bryant explaining how playing in St. Louis is terrible. pic.twitter.com/qYM1mZJfZZ
— Cubs Live (@Cubs_Live) January 19, 2019
"He's a big Cardinals fan so... yeah, boo," Bryant told Dempster. "He was trying to work the magic on (free agent) Bryce (Harper)... Who would want to play in St. Louis?"
"I always get asked, like, 'Where do you like to play? Where do you not like to play?'" the 2016 NL MVP continued. "And, oh, St. Louis is on the places I don't like to play."
Dempster also chimed in, saying there's "zero chance in hell" he would go to St. Louis.
Nine-time St. Louis Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina responded on Instagram, sharing a montage that includes a picture of Lance Berkman homering off of Dempster.
"There should be respect and you should play and compete with respect," he wrote in defense of the city he's called home for his entire 15-year career. "Only stupid players and losers make comments like the ones made by (B)ryant and (D)empster."
At Cardinals Caravan, the Cardinals' own team event, pitcher John Brebbia also addressed Bryant's comments and said "cry me a river, baby," according to Rodney Knuppel of 101 ESPN Radio St. Louis. Fellow right-hander John Gant was more dismissive of Bryant's remarks, saying "(I) didn't see them, wouldn't care if I did."
Brebbia later noted that his comments were meant in jest, according to Derrick Goold of MLB.com.
