Francisco Lindor has not only been the star shortstop for the Mets, but also one of the most listened to voices on and off the diamond. His charisma, leadership and attitude have managed to unite the fans and keep the media at bay, making him for many people inside and outside of baseball an unofficial captain and a reference in Major League Baseball.
Just a year ago, the conversation was about the possibility of the Puerto Rican becoming the fifth captain in the franchise’s history, however, Mets owner Steve Cohen has a very different view.
Steven Cohen’s words: “Having a captain in baseball is not a common thing”
Only two Major League Baseball teams currently have captains: the Yankees, with Aaron Judge, and the Royals, with Venezuelan Salvador Perez. Many Mets fans who already see Lindor as an interim captain were hoping that Steven Cohen would back him, although the American philanthropist’s response was quite the opposite, stating that the Mets will never name a captain while he owns the team.
Having a captain in baseball is not common, in fact, it is unusual. What the previous administration did was their way of doing things. I see things differently
The Mets have had just four captains in their history:
- Keith Hernandez
- Gary Carter
- John Franco
- David Wright
What did Francisco Lindor say about Steven Cohen’s words?
Before Cohen‘s remarks, when asked about the captaincy last spring, Lindor commented the following:
I do feel like I’m one of the leaders in the team. If it happens, it would be an honour. It would be a privilege. It’s something I would never take for granted.
Already in the present after what was said by Cohen, the player commented:
I respect it. Definitely, it’s a decision for Steve and management. I respect it. At the end of the day, whether I’m named captain or not, I’m going to act the same way. This is not something that’s going to make me a different person. So, I respect it. I’m glad he made everything clear, so we can stop talking about this. And move on.
I’m going to focus on baseball. I feel like we have leaders without captains and all that. The clubhouse is the clubhouse. Let’s play baseball and focus on winning.
These were some of Lindor‘s words at the press conference.
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