The possibility of seeing Francisco Lindor as captain of the New York Mets was officially ruled out. The club’s owner, Steve Cohen, assured this week that while he is in charge of the organization he will not appoint any captain, thus closing a debate that had been swirling in Queens for some time.
The statement inevitably pointed towards Lindor, who in recent years has established himself as one of the natural leaders of the clubhouse, both for his internal voice and for his relationship with the press and the fans.
Far from the controversy, the Puerto Rican shortstop responded with serenity.
“I respect that,” Lindor said. “It’s a decision for Steve and management. Whether I’m named captain or not, I’m going to act the same way. This isn’t going to change me.”
An unusual tradition
The Mets have had just four captains in their history: Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, John Franco and David Wright.
In the Major Leagues, the figure of the captain is increasingly unusual. Currently only two teams officially have one: the New York Yankees, with Aaron Judge, and the Kansas City Royals, with Salvador Perez.
Cohen made his position clear: he believes that captaincy is not a necessity in modern baseball and that leadership can be exercised without a formal title.
Leadership without label
Lindor, who is currently recovering from surgery on his left hand, assured that his focus is on returning to the field and contributing to a team that, despite the departure of veteran voices, maintains an experienced presence.
The organization has figures such as the Dominican Juan Soto, as well as additions such as Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette. On the pitching staff, names like Sean Manaea and David Peterson have also taken on vocal roles.
“There are a lot of good guys here who know the way,” Lindor said. “Let everyone continue doing their thing. I’m going to be the best person I can be.”
Without the “C” on his chest, but with the same commitment, Francisco Lindor will continue to be one of the visible faces of the Mets project until 2031. In Queens, the leadership will not have an official title, but it will have proper names.
Fuente: MLB
