Lindor, the Tribe's first-round pick (eighth overall) in last year's draft and potential heir apparent to Asdrubal Cabrera, will bat third for the Class A Lake County Captains.
View full sizeLake County's Francisco Lindor, 18, has played only five professional games. The Indians have high hopes for the shortstop, their first-round pick in 2011.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- By extending All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's contract through 2014, the Indians secured the position short term.
Long term, look 20 miles east of Progressive Field. Francisco Lindor, the Tribe's first-round pick (eighth overall) in last year's draft and potential heir apparent, will bat third for the Class A Lake County Captains.
He just turned 18 last November. At a signing bonus of $2.9 million, that's roughly $160,000 for every year of his life. More, actually, because he was 17 when they drafted him out of Montverde Academy in Florida.
Lindor has played five professional games. He hit .316 with two RBI for Class A Mahoning Valley last season. But at the Captains' media day Tuesday, he sounded almost like a seasoned vet, acknowledging what a mind game the sport can be -- and how that's the thin line between a career of bus trips and budget inns or charter flights and first-class hotels.
"The toughest part will probably be the mental side of the game. That's what every player in the minor leagues has to work on, because it's tough," he said. "It's going to be a grind, like our coach said."
Mental, Lindor said, as in dealing with failing seven out of 10 times at the plate, if you're lucky, when you're used to hitting .600 in high school.
As a senior, Lindor, a 5-11, 175-pound switch-hitter, hit .528 in just 53 at-bats. That was apparently enough to tickle the Indians and Florida State, where Lindor was headed on scholarship if the Tribe hadn't signed him minutes before the deadline.
So far, they like what they have seen, especially his confidence at the plate and how he handles himself.
"You can see it right away. He has his head on straight and his feet are on the ground," said David Wallace, the Captains' first-year manager, who managed Lindor at Mahoning Valley last season. "And, sadly to say, that's not all that common with first-round guys."
MLB.com ranks Lindor 32nd among its top 100 prospects. But Lindor, who came to the United States from Puerto Rico with his father at age 12, said he feels no extra pressure being a first-rounder and such a big investment.
"It doesn't really matter what round I was going to be," he said. "It could have been the 50th round. I have to go out there and prove myself, prove to the organization that I can play and let them know that they made the right decision in picking me."
The Captains open the season Thursday at Fort Wayne, Ind. Their home opener is April 12 against Bowling Green (Ky.), an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Catching up: Lakewood native and St. Edward High School standout catcher Alex Lavisky will start the season in Lake County again, splitting time -- again -- with All-Star Alex Monsalve. They will rotate behind the plate, at DH and maybe even at first base to keep their bats in the lineup, Wallace said.
Lavisky, whom the Indians drafted in the eighth round in 2010 (240th overall), struggled with the adjustment from high school ball to the minor leagues last season. He wound up at Mahoning Valley, hitting a combined 13 home runs, with 52 RBI and a batting average of just over .200.
Lavisky, sporting a fresh Mohawk, said having played a year -- which felt "like a whirlwind" -- has helped.
"I feel like definitely a better offensive and defensive player than last year, so I'm eager to get out there and compete," he said. "This year, being through a long season, I feel like I know what to expect."
Back home: Wallace, who replaces Ted Kubiak as manager, was an All-Star catcher for the Captains in 2003, their inaugural season. He guided Mahoning Valley to a 41-34 record in his first season as manager.
Tribe beats Carolina: Jason Donald homered and drove in five runs in the Cleveland Indians' 13-0 exhibition rout Tuesday of the Carolina Mudcats, their new Class A affiliate, in Zebulon, N.C.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Shelley Duncan each hit solo homers. Donald had a two-run single in the seventh and a three-run shot in the eighth. Starter Derek Lowe threw three strong innings in the Indians' stress-free final tuneup before their regular season opener Thursday against Toronto.
The 38-year-old Lowe looked healthy after leaving his last start early with tightness near his right ribcage. He looked fine this time, finishing with three strikeouts and no walks while retiring nine of 10 batters.
Cabrera's homer in the first came when he sent the first pitch he saw from Scott Barnes over the 20-foot wall in left.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/04/savvy_francisco_lindor_ready_f.html
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