Chicago Cubs News: tipping our cap to Willson Contreras

Chicago Cubs News: tipping our cap to Willson Contreras

Following the disappointment of the 2020 season, there was a metaphoric dark cloud over the Cubs organization. A feeling of awkwardness and tension was present on the north side as the time had come to start making business decisions regarding the 2016 championship heroes. The first blow came when Schwarber and Lester said their goodbyes before the start of 2021. The first half of 2021 was going to set the course for the future and determine whether guys like Bryant, Baez, and Rizzo would stay through the duration of the season. After an eleven-game losing streak going into the all-star break, it became pretty clear the teardown was on.

First came Rizzo, then Baez, then Bryant. Within a day, the roster went from household names to "who's that?" With those talented players on the move, someone needed to step up to takeover as the leader of a now young and inexperienced clubhouse. We all knew Contreras would step up and take that role, and he did it well.

While the team's results started to mean less and less, that did not stop Contreras from giving his all. He played healthy, sick, and hurt. He played happy and he played grumpy. He played with intensity and emotion on his sleeve each and every time he put a Cubs uniform on, exactly what you would want out of a leader.