Contreras wins World Series MVP, batting .381
AP, ST PETERSBURG, Florida
With Venezuela’s flag draped around him, while flashing a wide smile and filled with pride, William Contreras was willing to boast.
“I don’t want to offend any of the other catchers in the league. The last thing I want to do is offend any of them,” he said, speaking through a translator. “But sitting up here today, champion of the world, I feel like I’m the best catcher in the league. Again, that’s no disrespect to any of them. That’s the last thing I want to do, but today I feel like I’m the best catcher in the world.”
Contreras became the eighth catcher voted the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) after lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series championship.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ William Contreras is doused with beer by teammate Dustin May after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photo: AFP Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health
Leader of the small-market Brewers, the 28-year-old hit .381 while guiding his pitching staff, throwing out four attempted base stealers and winning 10 of 13 appeals in the first Series with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. He had a run-scoring double during Milwaukee’s clinching 4-1 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
“He’s our pit bull. You don’t just walk up and pet him. There’s a chance you get nipped,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Moments after being awarded the MVP trophy, Contreras embraced his 34-year-old brother, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, a World Series champion with the 2016 Chicago Cubs.
“My brother is my role model. I don’t have a lot of friends. He’s my friend,” William Contreras said. “If I have something to ask somebody, I ask Willson.”
William Contreras teared up when asked about Venezuela, his home country. He was on Venezuela’s team that won its first World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, although he was 0 for 13 with no RBIs.
He and teammates Jackson Chourio and Antonio Senzatela joined Americans Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson of the 2017 Houston Astros in winning the WBC and World Series in the same year.
“It means everything because that’s the first time Venezuela guys win the WBC and the World Series,” William Contreras said. “It’s history, history for my country. I love Venezuela. It’s my country.”
He joined Gene Tenace (1972), Johnny Bench (1976), Steve Yeager (cowinner in 1981), Darrell Porter (1982), Rick Dempsey (1983), Pat Borders (1992) and Salvador Perez (2015) as catchers to win the award.
A three-time All-Star, Contreras hit .270 with 18 homers and a career-best 94 RBIs as the Brewers won their fourth straight National League Central title.
“Think about what he’s achieved, and he’s disappointed his numbers aren’t better,” Murphy said. “He’s disappointed that he isn’t Gold Glove.”
Contreras was best at leveraging baseball’s robot umpires, leading MLB with 185 challenges and 105 overturns during the regular season. He won 22 of 33 in the post-season.
“It’s not magic,” Contreras said. “I think it’s the experience of playing every day throughout the season.”
He batted .444 with a pair of solo homers in the Division Series against the San Diego Padres, hitting a tiebreaking, seventh-inning drive in the opener and another homer in Game 3. He batted .357 with one homer and three RBIs in the Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I told him before the game: You will be the MVP of the World Series,” Murphy said. “People recognized what that kid did for us. There was no doubt in my mind. Yeah, he’s special.”
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