Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras knows the people back home in his native Venezuela are hurting as they try to deal with the fallout from a pair of massive earthquakes that left hundreds dead.
The pull to return home to help is real. That isn’t an option for Contreras at the moment, so on Monday night against Washington, he did what he could to show that what’s happening back home isn’t far from his mind.
Contreras unleashed a massive bat flip after ripping a 421-foot homer in what became a 6-3 Boston victory. He then broke down in tears in the dugout, the anguish that’s been a constant since portions of his homeland were turned into rubble last week pouring out of him.
“Everything that’s going on in Venezuela, it’s not easy to hide,” Contreras told reporters after the game. “It’s not easy just to show up and play with everything that is going on in my country.”
The urge to do something, anything, to help is real. Contreras looked toward the Boston dugout and shouted “Venezuela” before making the trip around the bases following a three-run shot that marked his 18th homer of the season.
“I feel like I could be there helping people and I can’t do that,” Contreras said. “And the homer just represents something that I pray to God for it to happen, because that’s the only thing I can do for Venezuela right now physically. And that’s why I was emotional.”
The 34-year-old Contreras was born in Puerto Cabello, about three hours west of the capital of Caracas. He described frustration over reports of volunteers and aid packages having trouble getting through to those who need it.
“It sucks seeing so many bad things going on in Venezuela,” he said. “I don’t think we deserve all of this. We’re a good people. Good country. We are good people.”
Contreras’ night on the field ended a bit early. First base umpire Nic Lentz ejected him in the second inning after Lentz ruled Contreras failed to check his swing on a Miles Mikolas pitch that ended up being a strikeout.
“Man, kind of surprising. Nick and I have a really good relationship,” Contreras told MLB.com. “We had a really good talk right before the game. He also mentioned Venezuela, which is good for him to know about it. I think it kind of surprised me, because I never made eye contact with him.”
Contreras continued, saying ,”It wasn’t directed at him. He told me, ‘Because you tapped your helmet.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I didn’t make eye contact with you.’ I didn’t argue. I didn’t yell. I didn’t do anything wrong. And he told me, ‘Yeah, but I have to throw you out.’ I was like, ‘You didn’t have to, but you made that choice. That’s it.’”
“I wasn’t feeling good the whole day. I was kind of down, sad and I hit a homer,” Contreras told assembled media postgame. “And I think that of course, I’m helping the team to win, and it’s good. But I think every homer from now on is going to be for the Red Sox and Venezuela.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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