Bears News: Willson Contreras commissions painting of his moving hug with Joe Maddon |
CHICAGO — One of the most iconic scenes of the Chicago Cubs' 2019 season came in the final game, with catcher
Willson Contreras sharing a moving hug with manager
Joe Maddon after it was announced that Maddon would be relieved of his duties following the season finale. Contreras and Maddon embraced one another in the dugout during the Cubs' season-ending loss at Busch Stadium to the St. Louis Cardinals, and it was captured on video.
The moving moment clearly meant a lot to Contreras, who is on record saying that Maddon became like a father to him while managing the Cubs, because the backstop commissioned a painting to be made that depicts the hug. Illinois-based painter Austin Ploch was paid to recreate the scene on canvas, and Ploch recently tweeted out an image of the finished product, which is something that Contreras will be able to cherish for the rest of his life. This video says it all and how the players perceive Joe Maddon. I’d imagine this is a tough day for the core group of Cubs players. Maddon was their first manager when these guys were called up and it’s really all they know. pic.twitter.com/hfOWKYscOk New painting! After their final game this year Willson reached out and asked me to paint this for him. Pretty clear how much Joe meant to these guys. pic.twitter.com/e2hps28edA
