Winker and Nick Castellanos became the first two Cincinnati Reds outfielders to be named starters together since Gus Bell and Frank Robinson in 1956. They were selected via fan vote.
Nothing but love for our left fielder. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/i2tTq6T00f
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 2, 2021
While Winker and Castellanos are the dynamic one-two punch in the Reds batting order from the second and third spot and they are as close as blood brothers, their personalities are as far apart as the left- and right-field foul lines.
Castellanos is stoic, pretty much a non-smiler and as serious a heart surgeon. Winker displays his emotions like the old-style department store show windows.
And it was never more evident than during Thursday’s interview session.
Castellanos, who will start in right field for the All Star Game on July 13 in Denver’s Coors Field, was quick, cryptic and sincere.
“An incredible honor,” said Castellanos, who leads MLB in batting average (.346), hits (103) and doubles (27). “The love and support I’ve heard from the stadium, coaching staff, players from the other team. ... I’m honored and really thankful for everybody who cast ballots, not only for me, but Jesse also.”
Fans were informed via the Great American Ball Park scoreboard during Thursday night’s game and gave them both standing ovations when they came off the field after the inning.
Asked what it meant to him, Castellanos said, “Everything, really. That’s what I play for, the love and respect from the people who pay to come to watch me play, as well as all my friends and family. It is everybody who has been part of my ride.”
It was Winker who put into perspective who and what Castellanos is all about.
“For my first time to go to this event, for him to be there means a lot,” said Winker, the ASG starter in left field. “Everybody in that clubhouse ... this would not happen without them.
“And Casty? Ever since he has come here, man, the guy has been a mentor,” he added. “He is just really consistent and that’s something I really picked up from him. He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low, man. He plays every day, he is a great teammate, a great guy to be around. It is so great that we get to share this moment and he’ll probably hit a home run.”
As for himself, Winker needed long pauses between questions and his answers to battle his emotions, especially when he was asked how his family reacted.
He paused 12 seconds and when he spoke he was crying and said, “They’re just happy. They’re proud. Uh ... I can’t believe ... I never thought this could happen for me. I’m very thankful, thank you, everybody. It means a lot to me.”
Winker, facing San Diego pitcher Ryan Weaver, struck out his first three times Thursday before a 52-minute rain delay.
“I was told about it about 10 or 15 minutes before I ran out there (to start the game),” said Winker, who’s hitting .322 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI. “It is one of those things where you are playing baseball but my head was ... well, the rain delay was the best thing that happened to me.
“I got a minute to come into the clubhouse and we talked about it and laughed about it,” he said. “Tucker (Barnhart) had a great line to me. He said, ‘Hopefully, Weathers ain’t starting the All-Star game.’ That kid has an electric arm. But it was something, I’m not going to lie, that I was thinking about the whole game.
“This is something I didn’t expect by any means. Obviously, it was a goal of mine. Who doesn’t say they want to play in the All-Star game and who says they don’t want to start it?”
Tyler Stephenson, making a strong case for National League Rookie of the Year, ended Thursday’s gamer with a two-out, bases-loaded walk-off single to give the Reds a 5-4 victory.
After the game, he talked about the two Reds All-Stars.
“Awesome,” he said. “It is an incredible moment for them. It is pretty cool because Winker is my locker mate and I can at least say I’m sitting next to an All-Star. They are more than deserving for what they have done for this team.”
The Reds trailed, 4-3, in the ninth inning Thursday. Before Stephenson hit his walk-off single, Kyle Farmer unloaded a game-tying home run earlier in the inning against San Diego closer Mark Melancon.
“Tyler Stephenson is going to be an All-Star some day,” said Farmer before talking about Winker and Castellanos.
“I can’t say enough about those guys, what they’ve done on the field, but more importantly what they do in the clubhouse. I’ve said this a bunch, how much Jesse has matured as a person and a player in the past three years.
“And Nick is the same guy every day,” said Farmer. “You know you’ll get a good at bat from him and he is going to hustle down the line every chance he gets. Those guys deserve it and they deserve more than being an All-Star.”
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