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Will Willson Contreras Incident Be Spark Or Distraction For Reeling Red Sox? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras gets hit by a lot of pitches. He's been plunked 131 times during his Major League career, most recently in Monday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Contreras took exception to that one, however, as it was the 24th time he's been drilled by the Brewers. By comparison, no other team has hit him more than 14 times.
The All-Star first baseman has noticed, and he's sick of it. After homering in Monday's 8-6 loss to Milwaukee, Contreras threatened to "take one of them out" if they hit him again.
The Red Sox still have two more games against the Brewers this week, so all eyes will be on Contreras to see if he gets hit again and how he reacts if he does. For their part, Milwaukee players seem to think it's an act and don't appear to be taking him seriously.
On the one hand, perhaps Contereras is trying to light a spark under his new teammates and get them to rally together. Boston's 2-8 entering play on Tuesday and could desperately use a charge to get them going. Maybe he thinks a fight, or at least the threat of one, will fire them up.
Contreras is off to a good start individually, but maybe all the losing is getting to him a little bit. Maybe he's trying to establish himself as a veteran leader on a club that's still searching for its identity.
On the other hand, the Red Sox really need to focus on playing better, cleaner baseball right now. They shouldn't have to worry about Contreras' personal beef with the Brewers, who aren't their rivals and don't play them again this season. The last thing they need right now is a manufactured act or sideshow to distract them.
Time will tell how Boston responds over the next two days. If the Red Sox bounce back and win the series, perhaps Contreras can take some credit. If they continue to struggle, however, he may need to try something else.
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