Francisco Lindor deserved better from Guardians
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- May 21, 2024
Guardians social media errs with 'Frankie' post
By all accounts, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor received a warm reception Monday in his first trip back to play in Cleveland. The fans showered Mr. Smile with an ovation worthy of his stature as a past Cleveland star.
To be frank, though, the Guardians’ social media team blew it with a disrespectful post welcoming the Puerto Rican star back to Progressive Field. Francisco Lindor spent six seasons in the majors with the Guardians, leading Cleveland to a winner-take-all Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
Yet, on Monday the Guardians’ social media team reminded the world how the team often referred to Lindor with a nickname he didn’t prefer.
Not ‘Frankie’
“For the first time since 2020, welcome back to Cleveland, Frankie,” the Guardians posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Lindor was named after his grandfather Francisco. Contrary to what some broadcasters called him when he played with the Indians/Guardians, he prefers to be called Francisco. He has made that clear often, and his wishes should be respected.
The four-time All-Star made his preference clear in 2021 during his first spring training with the Mets after he was traded from Cleveland. Every player deserves to be called by his given name, especially in 2024.
The Guardians’ social media team should be embarrassed by their blatant disregard of what their former star prefers. More than 19 hours after making the post, the post is still up. The Guardians’ disrespect harkens back to a time when Roberto Clemente was called Bob or Bobby even though he hated it.
Francisco Lindor not the first
Heck, the Cleveland franchise has a “rich” history of changing Latino stars’ names. Roberto Avila was the first Mexican born player to win a batting title in MLB history. He won the 1954 AL batting title playing for the Cleveland Indians. The team referred to him as Bobby Avila.
MLB history is full of examples of broadcasters Anglicizing Latino names. Even today, you can turn on your television or radio and hear a broadcaster give a player lazy nickname because it’s a lot easier to call a guy by an American nickname than pronounce the name correctly.
Lindor, 30, was asked for his preference by a Mets beat writer during his first spring training camp with the team in 2021. Mets broadcaster Howie Rose then asked Lindor his preference in April 2021.
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“I prefer Francisco,” Lindor told Rose in 2021. “I think I like my name. Frankie, it’s a little bit more Americanized for me. Frankie, it was fine. I never complained. There’s no excuses.
“I never complained in years past, but now I want my name. I want Francisco. My momma named me Francisco. My grandpa was Francisco, so Francisco it is. It is what it is.”
Surely, the Guardians are aware of those interviews. The Guardians’ social media team should have shown Lindor the respect he earned. They should have honored him the way the fans did. His name is Francisco, after all.
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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