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- [Willson] It doesn't happen very often to reach a milestone with a grand slam.
But it was hard, and once we reach the milestones, we all take pride in that.
The first thing that came to my mind was just get the ball, and give it to my dad.
There's nothing, nothing more special than that.
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I think milestone means a lot for every player.
You feel proud about reaching something important in your career, and for the team that you play for.
I started the season with 95, and I knew that I was close to 100.
I was telling myself let it happen, and then we came home against the Pirates.
- [Commentator] We go bottom of the first, here come the Cubs.
Let's take a look at David Ross's lineup.
- Well, I was leading off...
- Willson Contreras swinging a good bat, and in that lead-off spot.
- When I used to lead off, I was like, super patient when I know that I'm aggressive.
Because that's my game.
I like to be aggressive on the first pitch because it might be the only pitch that I
see right down the middle.
The game was about to start, and I asked somebody, like, "Should I swing the first pitch
of the game," and they said, "Why not?"
I was like, "Okay."
- So, Contreras getting set to climb in against the southpaw...
- Dillon Peters, I remember one at bat that he struck me out, and he stared at me.
- One-two from Peters...swing and a miss, struck him out.
- I was like, okay, you think you got this, but I knew at some point I was going to get him,
and I did in this at bat.
- He cracks one in the air, right center field and deep, back toward the wall.
This ball is going to be off the vines.
He just missed hitting his 100th career home run.
- I thought I had a chance to hit a homer.
It was like, I got it, got it, got it, got it...nope, just run.
That's why I tell myself why not jump in on the first pitch?
It might be the only pitch that you see in one at bat on the whole game.
I was like, fine, that's a double, I'll take that.
And then the inning kepts going.
♪ [music] ♪
- Ground ball to the right side, the throw goes to first, Contreras advances to third.
- My teammates just started taking good at bats.
- The three-one ripped on the ground...that's fair.
Contreras scores, Cubs lead 1 to nothing.
- I just score, got to the dugout, and just waited for my next at bat.
- [Interviewer] When did you think your next at bat would be?
- I didn't expect it to be in the same inning.
♪ [music] ♪
- Line drive, and that's a base hit into left field.
- Line drive, base hit to left field, another run is in.
- My teammate just keep taking good at bats.
- There's ball four...I think that's going be all for Dillon Peters.
- And made good thing happen.
- A little chopper toward third, going to be a tough play.
Rolling, rolling, staying fair...
- Oh, I love those.
Those never disappoint.
♪ [music] ♪
- Outside ball four forces in a run.
- And he works.
- Four, nothing Cubs, and back to the top of the order to Willson Contreras.
- Yes, sir, very rough guy.
- Was hitting number 100 on your mind here?
- Oh, yeah, for sure.
A hundred home run for myself, it means a lot to me.
I never thought that I was going to hit 100 homers in the big leagues, because in the minor leagues
I never hit homers.
I remember I played twice Low-A, I hit four homers, two years.
And then Kane County Cougars, I hit 11, and then High-A I hit 5, that's 20.
AA I hit 8, that's 28, in AAA I hit 8, so that's 36.
So, yeah, it is what it is.
But I thanks God, because I never gave up.
I gained weight, I gained little more power, and they called me into the big leagues.
- And out of the on-deck circle right now for the Cubs in Hendricks' spot is Willson Contreras,
a young catcher who was called up a couple of days ago.
- During the 2016 Father's Day, that was crazy, actually.
- And listen to these fans at Wrigley.
Welcome to the big leagues, and welcome to the Chicago Cubs, Willson Contreras.
- I was living the dream.
I was living my moment.
♪ [music] ♪
I couldn't stop thinking of my family, my mom and dad, that they deserve more than I do.
So when I got to the club, I was just trying to not disappoint.
- I think Cub fans are excited about Willson Contreras, a standing O before his first
big league at bat.
- I knew that I was going to swing at the first pitch, and it happened to be a homer.
- High and deep to center field, and it is gone.
Can you believe it?
What a scene, and what a moment for Willson Contreras, homering in his first Major League at bat.
- That's when I realized that I could hit homers in the big leagues.
♪ [music] ♪
- What happened to the first home run ball that you hit?
- Yeah, so I got it back, and then I talked to my dad, this is the first homer.
And then he took a look at it, he was like, you got to sign this.
Okay, I'll sign it for you.
It was really cool moment.
And I knew, at some point, I was going to hit the 100, and give it to him.
- There's ball four, now the bags are loaded for the top of the order
to Willson Contreras.
- Hitting with bases loaded is not easy, the pitcher get tougher.
But if you focus, and you know what your plan is, and you're looking for a pitch, good thing happens.
- This is a tough situation for Bryse Wilson to enter this game...
- I know that he has a really heavy sinker, and his ground ball rate is really high.
So I know that if he throws the breaking ball high, I had better chances to hit it in the air
than the sinker.
Baseball is getting harder and harder.
At some point, I'm thinking that we're getting to hit more off-speed than fastballs.
♪ [music] ♪
And that's one thing that I just noticed this year, the teams, they're using more off-speed than fastballs,
especially the Pirates.
Was talking to myself looking for fastball, looking for off-speed.
And then I knew that the next pitch was about to be a breaking ball.
It's not like a guess, it's more like a feeling, like attaching the dots.
In the first at bat, I hit a fastball.
♪ [music] ♪
And most of the team knows that I'm aggressive on the first pitch.
Then, a guy that has a really heavy sink, and that doesn't throw that hard, I was like,
he's not going to start with a sinker, he'll sit on breaking ball.
Then, when I got in the box, I was telling myself I know you're trying to get
to 100, but don't try to hit it, just try to put the ball in play.
Once I saw the [inaudible] breaking, I was like, here it is.
I just put the barrel on it, and the ball flies.
- And he drives one to the outer-left center field, and deep back to the wall.
It's got a chance...
- And he drilled that towards left center field, that one on its way...
Gone!
- Home run number 100 for Willson Contreras, and he makes it a grand slam home run.
How about that?
- Hitting the number 100 at home, especially with my team, with the Cubs,
I got real emotional.
- Just the third catcher in Cubs history with 100 home runs.
- It was unbelievable and unforgettable.
- Where home run number 100 comes in grand fashion.
- I decided to look for off-speed, and then that was a pitch that I got.
Once I hit it, I knew it was gone, but I had no idea where the ball went.
We have some shadows all over the infield, I lost track of the ball for a second,
and I just started looking all around.
And then when I saw it...I was asking for the baseball.
I knew I wanted it, because my dad was here, and the first thing that came to my mind was just get
the ball, and give it to him.
After the game, my dad asked me, "Did you get the ball back?"
I had it in my backpack, and then I gave it to him, and gave him a nice hug, and he was really proud.
Every milestone that I've reach in my career, I'm going give it to him.
He deserve it more than I do.
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