Indians' Lindor has a fan in fellow shortstop Tulowitzki
BY SCOTT MITCHELL, TORONTO SUN
CLEVELAND — Not only are two of the top four teams in baseball on display during the ALCS, two of the best shortstops in the game are going head to head, as well.
When Troy Tulowitzki was drafted seventh overall by the Colorado Rockies in June of 2005, Francisco Lindor was just 11 years old.
Six years later, however, Lindor would join Tulowitzki in fraternity of shortstops taken in the top 10 when the Cleveland Indians tabbed the Puerto Rican-born Florida high school product with the eighth-overall pick in 2011.
Four years later, Lindor, 22, connected with Tulowitzki, 32, in the big leagues, and now, they’re sharing the American League Championship Series stage.
It didn’t take long for Lindor to play a starring role, either, as he crushed a Marco Estrada changeup over the centre field wall in the sixth inning for a two-run home run in Game 1 on Friday night at Progressive Field.
“I remember during BP one time we talked and he told me he used to watch me play,” Tulowitzki said. “That’s something I’ve been hearing a lot lately. It shows I’m getting a little bit older, but it also shows that you have respect around the league, which is neat.”
The premier spot on the diamond, the shortstop position is where some of the best athletes in the game reside — if they can manage to stay there through the minor league grind and the aging process.
It’s an exclusive club, one that keeps its members close, more so than any other position.
“To stay at shortstop you have to go through a lot,” Tulowitzki said. “There’s a lot of people, at least for me, that say you can’t stay at that position, you’re too big, so you know how hard it is to play shortstop at the big league level that I tend to respect those guys a little bit more because I know how difficult it is and, I think, we all share that love and passion for the game because we know how difficult it is to play that position for a long period of time.”
While many wondered if the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Tulowitzki would stay at the position long term — he answered those questions emphatically early in his career and is still one of the best with the leather in the majors — there were no such questions with Lindor.
Instead, scouts wondered if the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder possessed enough pop in order to become a star-level player and not just a good defensive shortstop with some speed.
Like Tulowitzki, it didn’t take long for Lindor to answer those questions, as he hit 12 home runs and batted .313 in just 438 plate appearances when he was recalled last season.
This year, he proved that was no fluke by hitting 15 home runs with a .301 average and a .358 on-base percentage in his first full MLB season.
Already the Indians’ franchise player and catalyst both offensively and defensively, Lindor’s 6.3 wins above replacement this season was the second best in baseball amongst full-time shortstops, behind only sensational Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Corey Seager’s 7.5.
Tulowitzki, whose own WAR was 2.8 this season, is a fan in a number of ways.
“He’s a great young player,” Tulowitzki said. “Every team would want him on their team, I’ll tell you that. He’s impressive to watch. The thing that stands out to me about him is not only is he a good player, he’s a good guy. Just talking to him the few times I’ve talked to him, you’d say, ‘Man, this guy has his stuff together.’ He’s not full of himself, he’s humble, I’ve really been impressed with him.”
TRAVIS HURT AGAIN
Prior to setting his ALCS roster Friday, Jays manager John Gibbons wanted to make sure there was some extra middle-infield depth around just in case Devon Travis’ knee injury flared up again.
With that in mind, the Blue Jays added Ryan Goins to the roster at the expense of first baseman Justin Smoak.
It proved to be a savvy move, as Travis ended up limping off the field in the fifth inning of Game 1 on Friday, with Goins taking over at second base.
It appeared Travis had aggravated the same bone bruise to his right knee, an injury that kept him out of the final two games of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.
Travis, who went 0-for-2 out of the No. 9 hole, looked hobbled after covering first base in the bottom of the fifth inning, and could barely put any weight on his leg one batter later and had to leave the game.
Thanks to the fact it’s a pre-existing injury that the Jays were, obviously, aware of, they will have to request permission from MLB to replace Travis on the roster.
The other injury question mark coming into the series was Francisco Liriano, but the left-hander deemed himself good to go and will be eligible to return from his seven-day concussion hiatus for Game 2 on Saturday.
After going with an extra bullpen arm in Scott Feldman during the ALDS, Gibbons also added outfielder Dalton Pompey to the mix this time around, allowing the 23-year-old Mississauga product a chance to reprise his role of one year ago as a pinch-running specialist.
DRONE DANCE
The Indians were forced to shuffle their already paper thin rotation Friday when scheduled Game 2 starter Trevor Bauer needed stitches to close a gash on his right pinkie finger, an injury he suffered while repairing one of his drones, a regular hobby for the 25-year-old right-hander.
Bauer, since the cut was on the top of his hand, will now start Game 3 in Toronto, with Josh Tomlin taking the ball in Game 2.
“I think we’ve all, probably everybody in here, at some point or another had a drone-related problem,” Indians manager Terry Francona joked Friday afternoon.
“In the grand scheme of things, all it is is us flip-flopping them. We have to win four games, anyway, and they were going to pitch twice.”
There have been a lot of strange baseball injuries over the years, but this is a new one.
“You know, I was in the shower, and when I got out of the shower my phone was blowing up, and (Indians GM) Chris (Antonetti) was like, ‘Call me,’ ” Francona said. “You could have given me a lot of guesses, and I wouldn’t have probably got this one.”
BY SCOTT MITCHELL, TORONTO SUN
CLEVELAND — Not only are two of the top four teams in baseball on display during the ALCS, two of the best shortstops in the game are going head to head, as well.
When Troy Tulowitzki was drafted seventh overall by the Colorado Rockies in June of 2005, Francisco Lindor was just 11 years old.
Six years later, however, Lindor would join Tulowitzki in fraternity of shortstops taken in the top 10 when the Cleveland Indians tabbed the Puerto Rican-born Florida high school product with the eighth-overall pick in 2011.
Four years later, Lindor, 22, connected with Tulowitzki, 32, in the big leagues, and now, they’re sharing the American League Championship Series stage.
It didn’t take long for Lindor to play a starring role, either, as he crushed a Marco Estrada changeup over the centre field wall in the sixth inning for a two-run home run in Game 1 on Friday night at Progressive Field.
“I remember during BP one time we talked and he told me he used to watch me play,” Tulowitzki said. “That’s something I’ve been hearing a lot lately. It shows I’m getting a little bit older, but it also shows that you have respect around the league, which is neat.”
The premier spot on the diamond, the shortstop position is where some of the best athletes in the game reside — if they can manage to stay there through the minor league grind and the aging process.
It’s an exclusive club, one that keeps its members close, more so than any other position.
“To stay at shortstop you have to go through a lot,” Tulowitzki said. “There’s a lot of people, at least for me, that say you can’t stay at that position, you’re too big, so you know how hard it is to play shortstop at the big league level that I tend to respect those guys a little bit more because I know how difficult it is and, I think, we all share that love and passion for the game because we know how difficult it is to play that position for a long period of time.”
While many wondered if the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Tulowitzki would stay at the position long term — he answered those questions emphatically early in his career and is still one of the best with the leather in the majors — there were no such questions with Lindor.
Instead, scouts wondered if the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder possessed enough pop in order to become a star-level player and not just a good defensive shortstop with some speed.
Like Tulowitzki, it didn’t take long for Lindor to answer those questions, as he hit 12 home runs and batted .313 in just 438 plate appearances when he was recalled last season.
This year, he proved that was no fluke by hitting 15 home runs with a .301 average and a .358 on-base percentage in his first full MLB season.
Already the Indians’ franchise player and catalyst both offensively and defensively, Lindor’s 6.3 wins above replacement this season was the second best in baseball amongst full-time shortstops, behind only sensational Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Corey Seager’s 7.5.
Tulowitzki, whose own WAR was 2.8 this season, is a fan in a number of ways.
“He’s a great young player,” Tulowitzki said. “Every team would want him on their team, I’ll tell you that. He’s impressive to watch. The thing that stands out to me about him is not only is he a good player, he’s a good guy. Just talking to him the few times I’ve talked to him, you’d say, ‘Man, this guy has his stuff together.’ He’s not full of himself, he’s humble, I’ve really been impressed with him.”
TRAVIS HURT AGAIN
Prior to setting his ALCS roster Friday, Jays manager John Gibbons wanted to make sure there was some extra middle-infield depth around just in case Devon Travis’ knee injury flared up again.
With that in mind, the Blue Jays added Ryan Goins to the roster at the expense of first baseman Justin Smoak.
It proved to be a savvy move, as Travis ended up limping off the field in the fifth inning of Game 1 on Friday, with Goins taking over at second base.
It appeared Travis had aggravated the same bone bruise to his right knee, an injury that kept him out of the final two games of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.
Travis, who went 0-for-2 out of the No. 9 hole, looked hobbled after covering first base in the bottom of the fifth inning, and could barely put any weight on his leg one batter later and had to leave the game.
Thanks to the fact it’s a pre-existing injury that the Jays were, obviously, aware of, they will have to request permission from MLB to replace Travis on the roster.
The other injury question mark coming into the series was Francisco Liriano, but the left-hander deemed himself good to go and will be eligible to return from his seven-day concussion hiatus for Game 2 on Saturday.
After going with an extra bullpen arm in Scott Feldman during the ALDS, Gibbons also added outfielder Dalton Pompey to the mix this time around, allowing the 23-year-old Mississauga product a chance to reprise his role of one year ago as a pinch-running specialist.
DRONE DANCE
The Indians were forced to shuffle their already paper thin rotation Friday when scheduled Game 2 starter Trevor Bauer needed stitches to close a gash on his right pinkie finger, an injury he suffered while repairing one of his drones, a regular hobby for the 25-year-old right-hander.
Bauer, since the cut was on the top of his hand, will now start Game 3 in Toronto, with Josh Tomlin taking the ball in Game 2.
“I think we’ve all, probably everybody in here, at some point or another had a drone-related problem,” Indians manager Terry Francona joked Friday afternoon.
“In the grand scheme of things, all it is is us flip-flopping them. We have to win four games, anyway, and they were going to pitch twice.”
There have been a lot of strange baseball injuries over the years, but this is a new one.
“You know, I was in the shower, and when I got out of the shower my phone was blowing up, and (Indians GM) Chris (Antonetti) was like, ‘Call me,’ ” Francona said. “You could have given me a lot of guesses, and I wouldn’t have probably got this one.”
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