Good morning, Chicago.

It seems like just yesterday that Willson Contreras was beginning his career with the Cubs, with a pinch-hit home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat in a 10-5 win over the Pirates at Wrigley Field.

That was over 10 years ago, on June 19, 2016, during a season that would go down in Chicago history, and one that will be celebrated again next week at Wrigley when the World Series champs are feted with a gate honoring them at Gallagher Way.

Contreras was 24 at the time and made the long, hard ride to the majors through the Cubs system. One of his minor-league managers bluntly told Contreras he was lying to himself and he would not make it to the majors, urging him to give it up.

But Contreras ignored him and the rest of his doubters, becoming a vital player on that championship team and eventually turning into a four-time All-Star. He's currently enjoying one of his best seasons with the Red Sox, who began a three-game series with the White Sox on Tuesday night on the South Side with an 8-1 win.

Contreras entered the series hitting .284 with 20 home runs, 59 RBI and a .920 OPS, ranking among the American League leaders in all categories. This is the guy who seemed to go through a hundred goodbyes with the Cubs, who never found the right trading partner and wound up letting him leave via free agency after the 2022 season to the St. Louis Cardinals.

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