Lindor Eager to Represent PR In
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Lindor eager to represent PR in WBC '17 Much has changed for the 23-year-old since he took in the debut Classic in 2006 By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | February 1st, 2017 CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor walked through the gates of Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, looked down at the field and saw some of his country's baseball heroes. Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez was there, as were slugger Carlos Delgado and Bernie Williams. They had traded their Major League uniforms for ones with "Puerto Rico" stitched across the chest. A 12-year-old Lindor and one of his cousins took in a handful of World Baseball Classic games during the tournament's 2006 debut. Lindor had big league dreams back then, of course, but couldn't yet ponder what it would be like to suit up for his country. More than a decade later, Lindor will get that chance as a member of Puerto Rico's 2017 World Baseball Classic roster. "I went to a couple games," Lindor said. "It was in Puerto Rico, so it was fun just having it there and seeing Delgado and Bernie Williams and all those guys representing my country, and seeing how the whole entire country would stop just to watch that one game. It's pretty special. I'm looking forward to it. I always dreamed of representing my country." In only a short time in the Majors, Lindor has blossomed into one of the game's young superstars. The Indians shortstop is coming off a campaign in which he was named an All-Star and earned both Gold Glove and Platinum Glove Awards for his defensive wizardry. One year earlier, Lindor was the runner-up in balloting for the American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. Correa also grew up in Puerto Rico and plans on playing for his country in the Classic. That will present Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez with a tough decision: Will he play Lindor or Correa at shortstop? Asked if he wants to man that position for his country, Lindor flashed his famous smile. "I'll leave that to Edwin," Lindor said with a wink. Lindor left Puerto Rico with his father, Miguel, when he was 12 years old in order to have a better opportunity to advance his baseball career. They settled in Florida, where Lindor attended Montverde Academy, played baseball and worked hard to further his education and learn English. In 2011, the Indians selected Lindor with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft, giving Cleveland a future cornerstone. Since reaching the Majors, Lindor has not only excelled on the field, but he has made an effort to give back in the community as well. Last season, the shortstop created a charitable program, Lindor Smile Squad, through the Indians to provide baseball experiences for kids and adults with disabilities. Lindor has also partnered with MLB to help speak to children in Cleveland and around the country through the R.B.I. (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program. "He's just a fantastic young man," Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "I had a chance to chat with him a little bit at the Winter Meetings. I think he's going to be a tremendous asset for the Indians and the industry for a really long time." For the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Lindor and Puerto Rico will be part of Pool 2, which also features Mexico, Venezuela and Italy. That group of teams will begin play at Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco, which is located in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. "They have great crowds over there," Lindor said. "I'm ready for it." In fact, Lindor has waited for this moment since he was a kid in the stands at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. "It's an honor. It's a blessing," Lindor said. "I'm excited. I'm very excited. I can't wait. I can't wait to wear my Puerto Rican jersey. I'm proud of my country. I want to represent it everywhere I go. That's the reason I play: For Puerto Rico, for Cleveland and for my family. I'm very excited." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, In offseason, Aggies' gym is 'Club Naquin' COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- One of the most accomplished athletes to emerge from Texas A&M University's baseball program, Tyler Naquin isn't quite just one of the guys when he works out in the weight room with current Aggie players. Sure, he blends in well with a dozen or so athletes who congregate for early-morning workouts at the state-of-the-art training facility in College Station. He often sneaks in, and no one realizes he's there. Until he takes over the music selection. "Then they'll look down and they know I'm in there," Naquin chuckled. Beyond his third-place finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 and his role in helping the Indians win their first pennant in more than a half-century, Naquin is known for his taste in tunes. And when the blaring sound system in the weight room switches to an array of techno music or Kid Rock, that's the signal to the others that it's time for, as Aggie players call it, "Club Naquin." "I try to get everybody going," Naquin said. Dressed in workout garb adorned with Indians logos -- a black bandana bearing the "C," a black Indians dry-fit T-shirt and matching shorts -- Naquin feels entirely at home at the facility where he spent most of his time as a student-athlete. Nearly five years have passed since he was selected by the Indians in the first round of the 2012 Draft, but when it comes to staying in shape and preparing for the upcoming season, this is the only place he wants to be. "It's awesome," said Naquin, who grew up in Spring, Texas. "I live 25 minutes from here -- enough to get away from everything but close enough to come to town and do my work. It's good being around the guys." Naquin's workouts start at around 9 a.m. with some stretching, agility and warmup exercises on a practice area adjacent to Olsen Field. He moves inside to the weight room for a variety of concentrated drills, including using free weights and barbells. The workout ends with swings off the tee in the sprawling batting cages near the weight room. Naquin rarely strays from his daily routine, though he is careful not to overdo it, simultaneously pushing and pacing himself as he prepares for his sophomore season with the Indians. "Mentally, it's 365 days a year," he said. "I don't think there's a day off just because of the mental side of it. But you have to take some time for your body." That generally means lifting weights three or four times a week, with agility drills mixed in twice a week. He's recently added mobility exercises for his hips and shoulders. "There's always room to improve no matter where you're at," he said. "There's always something to work on in this game." In that respect, it's presumably good for current Aggies to have Naquin around on a regular basis during the offseason. Mostly, he is just one of the guys -- except he's the only one in there whose photo, a gigantic poster-size action shot, hangs high atop the weight room. His is one of six photos of current Major Leaguers and Aggie alums to adorn the facility, along with the Tigers pitcher Alex Wilson, Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha, Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling, Angels infielder Cliff Pennington and Athletics pitcher Daniel Mengden. Naquin's jersey, along with those of other accomplished alums, hangs on a wall outside the weight room. A little farther down the hall, his likeness is everywhere on a mural that celebrates the best moments and players in Aggie baseball history. Still, he can get around largely unnoticed until he manipulates that ear-splitting sound system. "I'm Texas though and though," he laughed, ticking off a list of several legendary country music singers he considers his favorites. "But when I get in the weight room, I love to blare some techno music. That and Kid Rock. They seem to like it." Alyson Footer is a national Indians reportedly agree to Minors deal with Wily Mo Pena Outfielder hasn't played in Majors since 2011, spent 4 years in Japan By Matt Kelly / MLB.com | January 31st, 2017 The Indians have signed outfielder Wily Mo Pena to a Minor League deal, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The agreement guarantees a $700,000 salary if he makes the Major League club. The Indians have not confirmed the deal. Pena, who turned 35 last week, has not played a Major League game since he was a member of the D-backs and Mariners in 2011. However, he has remained somewhat relevant in the world of baseball, thanks to several excellent seasons -- and some tape-measure home runs -- in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. From 2012-15, Pena collected 71 homers and 222 RBIs with the Fukoka Softbank Hawks, Orix Buffaloes and Tohuku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He then took the 2016 NPB season off, before playing most recently in the winter league in his native Dominican Republic.