This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.
CINCINNATI — Before the complete query might even be requested not too long ago about what he noticed via the years whereas watching the historically straightlaced, all-business, and generally painfully boring Cardinals, Willson Contreras snorted twice earlier than finally bursting into laughter.
It’s no secret that the Cardinals are virtually universally hated amongst their NL Central rivals; one, as a result of they’ve been the dominant pressure within the division for many years and two, as a result of their gamers can generally come off as a bit, ummm, robotic, whereas adhering to the oft mocked, “Cardinal Way.”
Contreras, as Cardinals followers have shortly realized, is a extremely emotional participant, and his emotions usually pour out of him like lava spewing from a volcano. He additionally performs the sport with a definite edge — a lot the way in which franchise fixture Yadier Molina did for 19 seasons earlier than retiring — and the Cards’ new backstop has no downside getting beneath the pores and skin of the opposition, be that the opposite group or the highway followers who boo his antics from the stands.
This season, Contreras has labored to slot in with the normally staid Cardinals whereas additionally remaining true to his persona as a participant who makes use of his feelings to gas his sport. What he witnessed from the Cardinals beforehand whereas enjoying for the Cubs has modified a bit together with his entrance into the fray.
“It was very different watching from the opposite dugout,” mentioned Contreras, who gained a World Series and have become a three-time All-Star starter throughout his seven seasons with the Cubs. “[The Cardinals of 2022] were all right because they all came together, but this year is kind of different because of myself. I mean, I’m all different and when I do something good, I try to pass it around and put good energy out there. I play with my emotions, and I play with my [hair] on fire — that’s not a secret and I think that’s something that makes me better.”
That doubtless performed a job in making Contreras a greater catcher following a tough begin together with his new membership. He took the autumn for an underachieving pitching employees when he agreed to a one-week respite from catching earlier this month. Since returning, he’s 6-1 in his begins behind the plate with the one loss approaching Wednesday evening, when Steven Matz was shelled by Cincinnati.
How he dealt with that demotion — with out pouting, with out spouting off and with out letting it have an effect on his general demeanor — spoke loudly to a Cardinals membership that signed him to a five-year, $87.5 million contract final December.
“He was unbelievable,” Cardinals supervisor Oliver Marmol raved. “You’re talking about an extremely humble dude, who took everything in stride and saw [his catching removal] as an opportunity. It wasn’t always ideal, but one thing he did was he communicated well. It was really impressive. I couldn’t be more proud of the way he handled it.”
In some methods, Contreras’ emotion may very well be credited for serving to the Cardinals shake their early-season doldrums. When he was booed upon his return to Wrigley Field, Contreras raised his arms within the air following successful as if to inform the followers to crank up the warmth even hotter. In Boston, he completely unnerved Kenley Jansen to the purpose that the veteran nearer was referred to as for 2 auto balls as a result of he got here set earlier than the catcher was absolutely within the field. And final week towards the Dodgers, he bolted out of the dugout for under the second curtain name of his profession when he grew to become the primary catcher in Cardinals historical past to hit two three-run house runs in a sport, per MLB analysis.
“He brings energy, excitement, adrenaline and ferocity,” Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright mentioned. “Great person to have in there, in the clubhouse and the dugout.”
Long in the past, Contreras mentioned the Cubs tried to get him to tone down his antics and bottle up his feelings — and it had a serious impact on his play. It is a sensitive topic, and one he doesn’t need to broach whilst he tries to slot in with a Cardinals squad that has historically shied away from props and antics.
“Oh my God, I have a long answer about that,” mentioned Contreras, whose feelings can also generally backfire on him as he limped out of Wednesday’s sport in a 0-for-21 skid. “I had lots of people on my first group that had me have assembly after assembly after assembly, making an attempt to take my feelings away. I attempted as soon as and I wasn’t good. I used to be enjoying like crap. So, I talked to the [former] president of the Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein, and mentioned, ‘Hey, that’s not me. Let me play like I do. I’ll be myself on the market.’
“When it comes to people telling me to quit my emotions or take it away, that’s a no for me,” he added. “Don’t go there because that’s one of the things that makes me good.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com