Red Sox don't have time to babysit fake tough guy Willson Contreras

Oh, Willson Contreras is upset he was hit by another pitch? Is it any time these two teams play? Contreras and Milwaukee have a long history dating back to his days in the NL Central. Willson came up as a Cub, and eventually signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. When he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, we assumed this storyline was over — until it wasn't. An interleague series between the Red Sox and Brewers started with fireworks (and another Boston defeat) as Contreras was hit by another Brandon Woodruff pitch, and vowed to start a fight in the process.

If there's one thing a struggling baseball team needs early in the season, it's another distraction from the task at hand. But Contreras is used to writing checks he can't cash. That's his entire reputation in a heated yet one-sided rivalry.

Why Willson Contreras is so upset with the Milwaukee Brewers

Contreras has been hit 24 times by the Brewers after last night. Six of those were from Brandon Woodruff, who was on the mound Monday as well. These two have a long history that dates back to the beginning of Contreras' career. Woodruff likes to pitch inside, and Contreras' stance invites that contact.

“It’s not just the hit-by-pitch, it’s the 24th pitch they’ve hit me in my career — 24th,” Contreras said postgame. “That’s the sixth time (Brandon Woodruff) has hit me, and they always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out. That’s the message.”

In a way, Contreras already did some damage. As mentioned in the post above, Contreras slid hard into second base later in the game, nearly doing some damage to Brewers infielder David Hamilton.

Both the hit-by-pitch and slide were technically legal, though dangerous plays. Contreras answered one with another. That'd be fair if the fireworks ended there, but they rarely do for a man known for stirring up drama with Milwaukee in particular, and then rarely doing anything about it.

What the Brewers thought of Willson Contreras' threat

The Brewers are familiar with Contreras' game. They also know that, despite the veiled threats, he's unlikely to actually step out of line when the moment comes. If he were really so fired up to face Milwaukee, why didn't he just charge the mound when Woodruff hit him the first time? Contreras is always counting on next time until next time is here.

“We’ve been through this – it’s, what, nine years for me? – it seems like every year,” said Woodruff. “He’s trying to play a game and he’s trying to get his side fired up. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn’t going to let it affect me on the mound. I knew I had a job to do.”

Exactly. Woodruff had a job to do, and that was to win the baseball game. Milwaukee achieved that goal, and sit in first place in the NL Central as a result. They are the polar opposite of the Red Sox, standing on their business rather than allowing Contreras to drag them into the mud.

“I mean, we’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years,” Christian Yelich said. "Nothing new."

Red Sox don't have time to worry about Willson Contreras' petty problems

The Red Sox are 2-8 on the season, and lost on Monday night thanks to an errant throw by star outfielder Roman Anthony. That's the story I ought to be writing on a Tuesday morning. Boston's struggles through 10 games have their entire media apparatus overreacting. Bill Simmons already has an LVP for the season. I can assure you, there's a Dan Shaughnessy column coming.

I'm a firm believer that the right kind of drama can ignite a struggling team, and help turn around their season. But those sorts of moments – think an ejection, or a benches-clearing brawl – need to include the right players and/or a beloved manager.

This isn't to say the Red Sox don't have Contreras' back. If he were to start a war in Milwaukee, they would surely reluctantly make their way out of the dugout in support. But he's also only officially been a Red Sox for, what, a little over a week? He's not Alex Cora. He's not Anthony.

And if the Brewers clubhouse comments are any indication, Contreras ought to tread lightly. They don't take him seriously. It's time to end this act.

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