Willson Contreras, decked out in St. Louis Cardinals red, admitted to experiencing nerves Monday in the visitors dugout at Wrigley Field.
Those feelings had nothing to do with the Cardinals’ decision to make him their full-time designated hitter for the foreseeable future in an effort to overhaul the catcher’s behind-the-scenes work with the pitching staff.
Contreras wasn’t sure what type of reception he would receive from Chicago Cubs fans on a damp, cool night at Wrigley Field in his first game back since signing a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Cardinals in the offseason. Contreras, 30, hoped for the best, but the three-time All-Star acknowledged not all fans might be able to look past his new allegiance despite helping the Cubs win a World Series title in 2016.
“The welcome back is probably going to be 50-50: 50% is going to be happy and 50% is going to boo me, which is acceptable,” Contreras said. “I’m not mad about the fan base in Chicago because I’m always going to be thankful for them. They always supported me from Day 1.”
As for whether he planned to embrace a villainous role in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry now that he has switched sides, Contreras grinned.
“There’s a very good chance, for sure,” he replied.
Contreras didn’t wait long for the first on-field moment in his heel turn. He tipped his helmet in acknowledgement to his former team when he stepped to the plate for an extended moment before his first at-bat to lead off the second inning. Some boos mixed in with the loud ovation for one of the best offensive catchers in Cubs history.
Two pitches into the at-bat, Contreras took a Marcus Stroman sinker back up the middle for a single. He gestured to the crowd on his way to first base, waving his hands above his head to egg on the crowd for boos. Cubs fans obliged.
Contreras soaked it in and felt he got a boost from the crowd’s energy.
“I love it,” Contreras told reporters after the Cardinals’ 3-1 victory. “When you get booed, you’re doing something right. … That was fun and I’m going to keep doing it.”
The boos became the soundtrack for the rest of Contreras’ night.
His leadoff single led to the game’s first run. He advanced to third on a Brendan Donovan single and scored two batters later on Dylan Carlson’s single.
Boos drowned out any Cubs fans’ support of Contreras when he was announced for each of his at-bats the rest of the night. He provided plenty of opportunities to irritate fans.
In the sixth, Contreras smacked a go-ahead RBI double off the center-field wall. Boos rained down again. Ever the showman, Contreras stood at second base and repeated his gesture to fans, smiling at the response.
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“Yes, I play with an edge, sometimes too much, which is fine,” Contreras said postgame. “I’m getting better about it and trying to control it. Sometimes I have to shut it off a little bit more so we can get back on track, but it’s something that is in my blood and won’t go away.”
He beat out a double-play ball in his final at-bat during the eighth, allowing the Cardinals to take a 3-1 lead that held up as the final score. Contreras finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
“Even though I’m wearing a different uniform … I’m really thankful for the fan base,” Contreras said. “Having support from them means a lot to me. If there is something in the past that got in some people’s feelings, I really apologize. I would never say something against the Chicago Cubs or anything against the fan base.”
Contreras’ showmanship adds some much-needed juice to the rivalry.
“With the Cardinals, I’m going to try to do my best to win the ballgames, and that has to be part it, being a little bit of a villain — in a good way,” Contreras said. “Respecting the other team, respecting the Chicago Cubs, wishing them nothing but the best and hopefully they keep going and they have a really good system. But part of my job is to do my best for my team now and help them to win.”
Before the game, manager David Ross complimented Contreras’ passion for winning and how he has been wired that way since he first stepped foot on the field. After watching a fired-up Contreras engage the crowd all three times he reached base Monday, Ross wasn’t interested in reacting to the spectacle.
“Every team has a different celebration — that could be to his teammates,” Ross said. “I don’t know who that’s for, so that’d be stupid to comment on.”
