Cubs' Contreras 'embarrassed' after bat-flipping on a double
Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was remorseful on Sunday after a bat flip didn't sit well with his manager and teammates.
With his team trailing 2-0 against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs catcher entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning and drove a Luis Castillo offering to deep center.
Contreras bat-flipped and strutted toward first base, thinking he tied the game with a two-run home run.
His knock didn't end up clearing the fence, however, and the 26-year-old wound up with a double after a head-first slide into second.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
"I thought it was gone. I hit it super good," the backstop said, according to MLB.com's Phil Rogers. "I hit it hard and made it to second base because what I did was not good for baseball ... It was bad. I'm embarrassed with myself. I apologized to the pitcher and my team."
Maddon said he's already addressed the incident with Contreras, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, but initially didn't sound pleased with the backstop during post-game comments.
"Horrible. I didn't like that (at) all," Maddon said, according to Rogers. "The whole team didn't like that."
Entering Sunday, Contreras had been benched in four of the last six games in favor of Victor Caratini. He's posted a .185/.313/.222 slash line in September.