Milwaukee, WI
‘We’ve seen that skit’: Brewers seem over feud with Willson Contreras
Breaking down the Brewers’ big-league extension for Cooper Pratt
On the ‘Microbrew’ podcast, Curt Hogg and JR Radcliffe discuss the surprising nature of the Cooper Pratt extension.
BOSTON – It transcends jersey color, roster construction, what year it is and whoever happens to be on the mound: When Willson Contreras plays the Milwaukee Brewers, he is going to get mad.
The latest chapter in a decades-long inevitability between player and opponent occurred April 6 at Fenway Park. Contreras, now with the Boston Red Sox, was wearing different colors from each of the previous, interdivisional spats with Milwaukee, but it looked the same as each of the prior phases.
A Brewers pitcher hit Contreras, and he did not appreciate it.
The fireworks in Fenway occurred in the third inning when a sinker from Brandon Woodruff grazed the top of Contreras’ hand – though the visiting side, including Willson’s younger brother and Brewers catcher William Contreras, thought otherwise. The pitch was up but hardly in, just off the plate to the inside by a couple of inches.
The Red Sox first baseman immediately slammed his bat in frustration and began taking steps toward the mound before redirecting his path to first base. All the while, he harped toward Woodruff.
“That’s how he plays,” said William Contreras.
This was not just a one-off; there is history there. Plenty of it.
It was the 24th time Contreras had been hit by the Brewers in 121 games and the sixth time that Woodruff had hit him, both facts that were quickly brought up after the Brewers’ 8-6 win.
Contreras, 33, has long viewed it as purposeful by the Brewers, dating back to even the days of Craig Counsell as manager when Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs played dozens of fierce games over the years.
“It’s not just the hit by pitch, it’s the 24th pitch they’ve hit me in my career,” Contreras said. “Twenty-fourth. That’s the sixth time [Woodruff] has hit me and they always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old.”
On the other side, the Brewers insist they aren’t trying to hit Contreras, but rather it’s a byproduct of playing so often over the years and his proclivity to lean over the plate. Contreras, after all, is plunk-prone. He ranks second among active players in hit by pitches.
To relitigate all the hit-by-pitches (and, in most cases, ensuing dust-ups) would be a task too arduous for this space, but there are many. They date back to his tenure with the Cubs, which began in 2016, and up until this night in Boston the most recent dustup was last June.
There has been strife over more than just being hit by pitch, too. Last year, Rhys Hoskins got into it with Contreras over what the Brewers perceived to be a dirty play at first base involving now-Sox teammate Caleb Durbin.
Some in the Brewers clubhouse also quietly stewed about Contreras stepping out of the box and onto home plate as Jacob Misiorowski delivered a pitch to try and throw him off during his MLB debut last June.
Safe to say the Brewers are over it.
“We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years,” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said. “It’s nothing new.”
Contreras, though, is not.
“Next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out,” he said. “That’s the message.”
The ordeal puts the younger Contreras in a difficult spot, effectively having to choose between his brother and his team whenever the sides play. But William is also leaving no questions to where his allegiances lie when the dust flies up during play.
“He’s my brother – after we leave the stadium,” he said.
William attempted to calm Willson down once again after the Woodruff hit by pitch, but to no avail.
“I tried, but it’s impossible,” little brother said.
Willson continued barking toward the mound after getting to first, only ceasing because he had to run two pitches later to second base, where he went in with cleats high and took a chunk of shortstop David Hamilton’s pant legs with him.
“We’ve been through this – it’s, what, nine years for me? – It seems like every year,” Woodruff said. “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. I knew the pitch count was still down, even though I had given up a few runs. And I knew the bullpen was short. So I knew I needed to go out there and just keep competing.”
A riled-up Contreras kept burning the Brewers with his bat as the game went on, getting a hit in each of his next three at-bats, including a mammoth solo homer in the ninth.
The Brewers, though, got the final word in the series opener.
“That was a great win,” Yelich said. “It was a ‘toughness’ win from the guys. Got down early, it was cold out there, we got a short bullpen and we found a way to win. We’re willing to grind with anybody. Just really proud of the guys for stepping up and finding a way there, just willing it.”
Now, we wait and see what’s next.
Ashes, dog stolen in Milwaukee break-in
A Milwaukee woman is asking for help after she said her puppy and a red heart containing her sister’s ashes were stolen during a May 27 apartment break-in.
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee woman is asking for help after she said someone broke into her apartment and stole several items, including her puppy and her sister’s ashes.
What we know:
The break-in happened May 27 at a first-floor apartment near 45th and Hampton.
Treneicia Baker said she got her puppy to help her grieve after her older sister, Keisha, died of heart failure in early March. Baker said she and her sister lived together and never spent a day apart.
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She said the puppy, a teddy bear bichon, had become a major source of comfort.
“I got her because the house was too quiet. I was lonely,” Baker said. “She kept me company, and she kept my mind at ease when things were rough when I was missing my sister.”
Baker said the person who broke into her apartment stole several items, including a laptop, towels, credit cards, a gaming system and food from her kitchen.
The Milwaukee Police Department said no one is in custody.
What they’re saying:
“They tore up the whole house literally from the front door to the bathroom was tore up,” she said.
But Baker said the biggest losses were her puppy and a red heart containing her sister’s ashes.
“I just want my sister’s ashes back and my puppy,” Baker said. “What would you want with someone’s ashes? That’s irreplaceable. You can’t get that back.”
As Milwaukee police investigate, Baker is asking for help getting back what she says cannot be replaced.
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“It would mean everything to me,” she said. “Literally everything.”
Baker said she believes the break-in was random.
What you can do:
Anyone with any information is asked to contact MPD at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Johnson pleas for “something” to be done about gun violence
Mayor Cavalier Johnson makes a plea for “something” to be done about gun violence after a Milwaukee shooting that left police and suspect injured.
One person was injured in a shooting Tuesday morning, June 9, near a day care center and two schools, Milwaukee police said.
The shooting occurred just before 8 a.m. on the 2700 block of North 44th Street. A 31-year-old suffered unspecified injuries in the incident and was transported to a local hospital, police said.
No additional information about the victim was immediately available. Police are seeking unknown suspects.
The location of the shooting is blocks away from Washington High School of Information Technology, Milwaukee Math and Science Academy and Gregory’s Little Helpers child care center.
Washington High School did not go into lockdown, according to a WISN-TV (Channel 12) report. However, principal Jose Frias sent a note to families saying the school was safe and classes would continue normally, the news station reported.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city, Common Ground
MILWAUKEE — Leaking ceilings, cracked walls and big holes are the conditions Carolyn Ferguson has been living in for years at the home she rents from Highgrove Holdings, LLC.
READ ALSO | Milwaukee tenants, Common Ground push city leaders for more landlord accountability over nuisance violations
“It rains in here, it rains in the dining room in there,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson is one of several tenants working with community nonprofit Common Ground and the city of Milwaukee to sue her landlord over alleged neglect, code violations, vacancy and unpaid property taxes.
The mother of 17 is raising her last daughter and is fighting cancer. The condition of her home is another burden.
“I’ve got to worry about that, and worry about the surgery, and all this other stuff and I mean he’s just making it even worse for me than it is,” Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
On Monday, during an unrelated press conference by Common Ground, Highgrove Holdings owner David Tomblin made a surprise appearance and faced questions from TMJ4 chief investigative reporter Jenna Rae. While he didn’t answer many of them, he did say the group has made progress.
Watch: Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued
When asked about the city of Milwaukee’s lawsuit over issues at his properties that he is not addressing, Tomblin responded.
“Well, we are addressing them, but in the proper time,” Tomblin said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
Ferguson said she has not seen any of those fixes.
“He hasn’t fixed anything, like I said, out of the nine years I’ve been here, he’s had at least seven years and nothing, nothing at all,” Ferguson said.
The issues are impacting multiple generations of the Ferguson family. Carolyn’s daughter used to live at the property until she moved out after poor conditions were never addressed. More than a year later, that unit is still boarded up.
“When is he going to fix my momma’s ceiling? When is he going to do something about the roof? When are you going to do something about that basement downstairs? I would ask him a lot of questions,” Edwina Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones called Tomblin Monday night. He picked up and requested to know the names of the tenants who were interviewed. Jones said that information would be available after the story was published, so he declined to answer questions.
While Tomblin said there will be a press conference with tenants soon, he did not commit to a date or time.
Common Ground’s Kevin Solomon said the pressure on Tomblin is working.
“It’s political, and it shows that our pressure is clearly getting under his skin. The lawsuit will play out; Common Ground will stay on it,” Solomon said.
The next court date for the lawsuit is at the end of July.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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