Francisco Lindor made an admission about the 2016 World Series that will frustrate plenty of fans in Cleveland.
Game 7 of the 2016 World Series was one of the most memorable games in MLB history. The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians were both seeking to end painfully long title droughts and the game ended up going into a brief rain delay before extra innings began.
The story goes that Cubs veteran Jason Heyward gave a speech that helped inspire his team once the delay was over. A new Sports Illustrated profile on Lindor explains how he did the exact opposite.
Francisco Lindor makes a stunning admission about the infamous delay
Indians fans are not going to like what Lindor had to say in the interview with Tom Verducci.
“I went to the locker room [during the rain delay] and I saw the plastic and
I said, ‘Oh, s—,’ ” Lindor says, referring to the protective sheeting to shield players’ lockers from the anticipated champagne celebration. “So I went down to the weight room and I just laid down for a nap. I was 22. If I was older, we would have won that game. It would have been different.”
Heyward gave a speech and Lindor took a nap.
Lindor was admittedly young during this but it is hard to imagine anyone being able to sleep during such a pivotal moment on the game’s highest stage. Did his team not have anyone keeping everyone focused on the moment at hand?
This was a turning point for both franchises and Indians fans are now dealing with a World Series drought that has lasted since 1948. A true star, Lindor, was traded to New York and he has now made several comments and admissions to alter his perception in Cleveland.
The best thing for fans in Cleveland to do is try to move on. Lindor is gone and there is no need to waste energy being mad about what happened in the past. But that mindset still doesn’t lessen the insanity of taking a nap during a Game 7.