ST. LOUIS – Everyone only saw Willson Contreras screaming after each catch, saw him kneeling on the ground after striking out the last runner in the ninth inning. But no one knew that, behind that glove and that fierce look… was a pain that he had hidden for nearly a year.
A Letter from Home in Venezuela – and Bad News in the Mid-Season
In mid-May 2024, as the Cardinals were preparing for a trip to Milwaukee, Contreras received a letter from a loved one – no email, no text, just a handwritten letter:
“Brother, if I’m gone, play for both of us. Don’t give up like me. You are my unfulfilled dream.”
The writer is Wilson Jr., Willson’s younger brother, who was once a promising pitcher but could not overcome depression after a serious injury. He left this world before he had the chance to wear an MLB uniform like his brother.
“I don’t catch for the team. I catch for someone who doesn’t have a chance anymore.”
Since that letter, every pitch Willson took was no longer just a tactic – but a promise. He asked the coaching staff to wear a small strap in his glove – where the picture of the two brothers as children was pinned. Before each game, he touched it and whispered:
“Let’s play, brother.”
Resurgence in the storm – and the catch of a lifetime
In the final round of June, in a thrilling game against the Dodgers, Contreras caught three consecutive batters in just eight pitches, bringing a thrilling 3-2 victory. That night, he did not celebrate as usual. He just sat quietly in the dugout, holding the old letter, tears silently falling behind his catcher’s mask.
“I kept my promise. But the season is still long – and I will continue to play… for both of us.”
More than just a starter, Willson Contreras is the beating heart of the Cardinals
On a team that is rejuvenating, amid pressure and expectation, a quiet story like Willson Contreras’ reminds people that baseball is more than just a sport – it is where the human heart finds its way home.