Photo: Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is shown when his high school baseball jersey was retired at DeSoto Central High School. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County Sports)
A huge pay boost for Southaven’s own Austin Riley Monday, as the Atlanta Braves’ third baseman has signed a 10-year, $210-million contract with the Braves.
The Braves organization announced the signing on its social media Monday afternoon. It is the largest contract in team history.
Riley’s walk-off double in the Braves’ 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday gave him a franchise-record 26 extra-base hits for the month, eclipsing Hank Aaron’s July 1961 extra base hit record. The former DeSoto Central standout entered August with 61 extra base knocks.
Riley last season earned a Silver Slugger Award and was part of the Braves’ World Series Championship team. He was named to the National League All-Star team that played in the classic last month.
Bob Bakken is the most recognized and most trusted name in DeSoto County news and sports reporting, as readers continue to express their appreciation for his accuracy and fairness in the stories he writes. Bob is also heard on 95.3 The Rebel twice a week with sports updates and high school football play-by-play broadcasts in the fall. A former newspaper editor and writer, his award-winning background also includes television news producing, sports media relations, and radio broadcasting.
