Cheers for Contreras

Willson Contreras was cheered loudly when he came to the plate in the first inning of Sunday’s win over the Reds, then was hit by a pitch and scored. He got another big ovation when he batted in the eighth and was showered with more cheers from the crowd of 30,029 when he trotted toward the dugout after being lifted for a pinch runner following a walk.

After the game, the Cubs gathered along the third-base line, clapping in unison as “Go Cubs, Go” blasted through the ballpark. Contreras, his mitt on his left hand, was the last one remaining on the field, waving to the crowd and pounding his chest. He wandered near the plate and hugged family members.

“Wrigley Field is just nothing but special,” said Contreras, whose contract is expiring. “Since the moment I got here, I knew that this could have been my home for my whole career. I got to a moment in my career that’s like a dream come true. I earned my spot in free agency, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Contreras will travel with the team to Cincinnati but wasn’t sure he’ll play in that series, saying it’s manager David Ross’ call.

The past few months have felt like a long goodbye for Contreras. The threetime All-Star who helped Chicago win a drought-busting World Series championship in 2016 looked like he might get traded prior to the Aug. 2 deadline. No deal materialized.

“It was nice for him to get some love,” Ross said. “He’s got a lot of moments of love this year. It looked like he was taking those in, and those are special, special things that you don’t ever forget as a player.”

Pitcher Marcus Stroman, finishing his first season in Chicago, had good things to say about Contreras.

“Fire. Grit. Tenacity. Passion,” he said. “And he’s your backstop, so that’s what you want out of that position.”