Francisco Lindor shows sense of humor after first major-league hit
Francisco Lindor might have a career in comedy if this baseball thing doesn’t work out.
Lindor, the Cleveland Indians’ 21-year-old top prospect, was called up before the Indians’ game on Sunday but didn’t get the start against Detroit. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and struck out on four pitches. Lindor stayed in the lineup as the DH and came up again in the ninth with the Indians down 8-1. Facing right-hander Joakim Soria, he stroked a line drive to right field that looked like a sure double.
But as Lindor flew around first base, he tripped, hit the dirt, and had to settle for a single.
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He got up and with a huge knowing smile across his face, immediately began pointing at Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera as if to accuse him of causing the fall. Of course, Cabrera was nowhere near Lindor when he went down. The stunt earned a hearty chuckle from Cabrera and the first base umpire.
From MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian:
“It wasn’t [Cabrera],” Lindor said. “I just had to pick on somebody, and he was right there.”
“I didn’t feel my legs,” Lindor said with a laugh.
Getting his first big-league hit isn’t all fun and games for Lindor though.
After the Indians bullpen held Brandon Moss’ 100th career home run ball for ransom, the members of Cleveland’s starting rotation are doing the same and won’t give Lindor his keepsake until they get what they want: Samsung electronics.
Those demands are no joke. Will Samsung be as generous as Apple, who paid the ransom for Moss, or will Lindor be on the hook for all of it himself? You’ll also notice the staff is asking Lindor to “pay the second half of Zep’s request.”
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What’s that all about? Well, Apple didn’t cover everything from the bullpen’s wish list. Indians reliever Marc Rzepczynski asked Moss for a 50 gallon drum of lube, and now it appears they expect Lindor to come through with that, um, interesting order.
From cracking jokes with Miguel Cabrera one minute to having the ball from his first major-league hit be held for ransom the next, this situation got serious for Lindor in a hurry. Welcome to life in the big leagues!
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
