Francisco Lindor has been outspoken about hearing boos from the Mets fans in his debut season, admitting he doesn’t like hearing the jeers from the home faithful, which has led some to wonder if the star shortstop can make it in New York long term.
One former World Series champion with the Mets isn’t sure Lindor will last with the Mets given his response to the fanbase’s frustration.
“He can’t handle it,” Bob Ojeda said on Moose and Maggie on Thursday. “You bring people in here who can’t handle it, and then they show they can’t handle it, who’s at fault? The athlete? No.”
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Ojeda won 18 games with the 1986 Mets, and experienced the highest of highs in New York City, being part of a World Series championship group. Lindor has been on the opposite end of the spectrum, batting just .228 with a league-average 100 OPS+ in his debut season in New York after signing a record $341 million contract. Ojeda wants to see Lindor show more resilience when it comes to the fans making their expectations known.
“There are people who embrace it. I loved getting booed here,” Lindor said. “It showed they cared. It showed they gave a darn about my ballclub, and it drove me. I loved when they cheered more, but I appreciated it when they booed. It didn’t make me fold up and cry, and hide in my locker, and do little antics, thumbs down. It made me tougher. It made me smarter.
“There’s no better town to play in. there’s no better town to win in, I can promise you that. But you gotta take a hit. You gotta be able to take a punch.”
Lindor’s bat has started to come around, but the Mets as a whole continue to fall out of the playoff race, still chasing the pinnacle that Ojeda and the franchise experienced 35 years ago. To do that, they will have to overcome this year’s frustrations, specifically Lindor’s slow start to his first season in a demanding city.
“Show me what you are when you’re going bad…When he’s going good, he’s the greatest guy in the world,” Ojeda said. “Show me who you are when you’re going bad.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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