MILWAUKEE – Brewers catcher William Contreras had his homeland on his mind Friday after the death toll in Venezuela climbed past 900 in the wake of two major earthquakes.
He wore his catcher’s gear and batting gloves from the World Baseball Classic, in the bright yellow, blue and red colors of the Venezuelan flag, for Friday’s 6-2 win over the Cubs, during which he also hit a two-run home run.
With tears in his eyes during his postgame interview, Contreras dedicated the Brewers' victory to his homeland and sent love to his family and loved ones in Venezuela.
Contreras is from Puerto Cabello, right in the middle of the area affected by the quakes, but said his family and friends who still live there were all safe. The same was true for Venezuelan teammates Jackson Chourio and Angel Zerpa, according to Brewers coach Nestor Corredor, who hails from Portuguesa but, like Contreras, makes his offseason home in the U.S. now.
“Everybody is OK, thanks to God,” Corredor said. “But it’s affecting a lot of people we know in baseball and work with. I put myself in their shoes. It’s very difficult.”