Ross sings Willson’s praises
Veteran catcher says talented rookie proved he can carry the load
Catcher David Ross will try to take it all in — baseball, Wrigley Field and a World Series ending his career.
And at the same time, he will pass the torch to a rookie catcher — Willson Contreras — who has catapulted to maturity in all of three months.
‘‘ Willson is great,’’ Ross said. ‘‘ He’s proved to everybody what kind of player he is and what kind of ability he has.
‘‘ His at- bats are special, he has such energy and he has a cannon for an arm. And his calling- of- game skills have continued to get better. He has proved that he can handle the load.’’
Manager Joe Maddon is putting the load on Contreras for the rest of the World Series, except for games Jon Lester might pitch with Ross as his battery- mate.
‘‘ You saw it [ Wednesday night],’’ Maddon said of Contreras, 24, who’s hitting .360 ( 9- for- 25) with a home run and four RBI in the postseason. ‘‘ He didn’t have his hits, but he still worked good at- bats and did a great job of receiving.’’
The defensive part is a key for Maddon and the Cubs, and even though Contreras has had two interference calls against him, it hasn’t restrained his approach.
‘‘ I heard there was some concern about his trips to the mound [ Wednesday],’’ Maddon said. ‘‘ But they were absolutely necessary.
‘‘ It’s about strategy. Sometimes pitchers get off course, and he’s really good at following a game plan, so I loved his trips to the mound. I didn’t like them — I loved them.’’
Contreras guided Jake Arrieta through 5‰ innings of two- hit ball and Mike Montgomery ( two innings) and Aroldis Chapman ( 1„ innings) the rest of the way.
He has done it in 11 other postseason games as a starter or as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter.
And he has done it after a whirlwind rookie season. He debuted June 17 and hit .282 with 12 homers and 35 RBI.
‘‘ He’s a first- year player who gets it,’’ Maddon said.
‘‘ He plays with enthusiasm and passion. I know it actually comes through the TV monitors or screens, too. I’m certain of that.’’
Follow me on Twitter @ToniGinnetti.