The Cubs are fun to watch when they’re clicking, with bullpen dance parties, bat flips and on-field antics.
But when things aren’t going well, it’s fair to point the finger at players for showing off a bit, as there’s a time and a place for everything.
Willson Contreras learned that lesson during Sunday’s game, when he was caught pimping a near-home run, by flipping his bat and standing at home plate. The problem is that the ball stayed in the park, and he was forced to jet to second base.
https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/1041424157282631680
Manager Joe Maddon was not happy about it.
Joe Maddon on Willson Contreras flipping his bat and standing at home plate on a double: "Horrible. I didn’t like that all. That will be addressed. The whole team didn’t like that.''
— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) September 16, 2018
Contreras owned up to it after the game.
Contreras: "I thought it was gone. I hit it super good … Thank God I was able to run hard and make it to second base because what I did was not good for baseball. … It was bad. I’m embarrassed with myself. I apologized to the pitcher and my team.''
— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) September 16, 2018
The interesting thing is that the Cubs lost the game, 2-1. Had Contreras ran out of the box, and ended up with a triple, the Cubs likely could’ve pushed a pivotal run across the plate.
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