It was something no one wanted to go through.”
Teammate shortstop Francisco Lindor (30) watched Puerto Rican closer Edwin Diaz (29), who was out for the season due to a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during victory celebrations at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), from the stadium to the clubhouse and to the hotel. Tears poured out profusely. Although Lindor regretted the tragic injury of Puerto Rican Diaz, a member of the New York Mets in the same major league, his will to participate in the WBC three years later remains unchanged.
Lindor looked back on Diaz’s ceremony injury at the WBC through an interview with ‘MLB.com’ on the 21st (Korean time).
Diaz suffered a right knee injury while celebrating with his teammates on the mound after confirming his advance to the quarterfinals with a 5-2 win against the Dominican Republic in the last game of Group D in the first round, which was eliminated on the 16th. There were no violent movements, but suddenly Diaz collapsed and the festive mood cooled.
Lindor, who was delighted with the victory with second baseman Javier Baez, who formed a keystone combination, saw someone collapsed in the group belatedly. “All I saw were spiked sneakers with trumpets on them. At that time,카지노사이트 I knew that Diaz had collapsed,” said Lindor, who recalled, “I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t know I loved Diaz so much. My heart ached so much. If I went back to that moment and did it in slow motion, that wouldn’t have happened.”
Diaz, who suffered a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee, went straight to the operating table the next day and was diagnosed with at least eight months of rehabilitation. When the ‘precious body’, which was signed with the Mets last winter for a huge amount of 5 years and 102 million dollars, was out of the season in vain, some argued that the WBC was useless again. There are also many top-notch pitchers in the major leagues who refused to participate in the WBC because of preparation for the season.
I’ve seen the unfortunate injury on the field, but Lindor’s thoughts on it are different. “I’m proud to be a Puerto Rican,” said Lindor, who declared, “Three years later, the WBC will be 100% participating.” Everywhere I go, I say Puerto Rican. Even the moon will shout that. I am so proud of my roots. No matter where you come from, it is a blessing, an honor and a privilege to engrave the name of your country in your heart.”
When asked whether he preferred to win the WBC or win the World Series, Lindor said, “I want to do both before I retire.” “The WBC has to continue to exist. The WBC makes baseball better. Nobody wants to get injured. I understand the feelings of those who oppose the WBC, but we all love our country and want to represent it,” he said, emphasizing the meaning of the WBC.
Puerto Rico ended the WBC with a 4-5 defeat to Mexico in the quarterfinals. Back with his team, the Mets, Lindor is now back on the road to winning the World Series. “We will miss Diaz, our top closer and an important player on our team. But we are all pros, and we have work to do,” he said, adding that he will overcome Diaz’s hiatus and continue to help the Mets win the World Series.