CHICAGO — Halfway down the long staircase that connects the batting cage to the visitors’ clubhouse at Wrigley Field, Willson Contreras, new to this side of the ballpark, crossed paths with Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright on his way up.
Wainwright patted Contreras on the chest, near his heart.
“Our way back to championships goes through this guy,” Wainwright said to a reporter standing nearby.
An emotional, whiplash weekend that included Contreras’ removal from the position that he feels defines him, brought Contreras back to of all places Wrigley, his first big-league home and where he will always be celebrated as a World Series champion.