New York Mets star Francisco Lindor’s wife blasted one of his former team-mates after he questioned the team's lack of leadership following a tough start this season.
The Mets find themselves third in the MLB National League East, recording a record of 23 wins and 23 losses, but are looking to turn their season around following three consecutive wins.
Nonetheless, newly retired Jason Kipnis, 36, who played alongside Lindor at the then Cleveland Indians for four years between 2015 and 2019, has slammed the Mets saying the team lacks leadership, and doubled down on four-time All-Star right-hander Francisco in particular.
"All of those veterans and no leadership," Kipnis said earlier this week on Foul Territory. Kipnis took his comments one step further when fellow former big leaguer, A.J. Pierzynski, asked whether the Mets' star shortstop Lindor was a leader. "I’m gonna repeat it again. All those veterans and no leadership," he said.
"If everybody is a veteran there, you’re kinda just under the assumption that everybody is taking care of their business and going about the things the right way."
Kipnis' comments provoked a reaction from the Lindor household, with the Mets star taking a calmer approach when addressing the topic on Friday. "I haven't talked to him," Lindor said. "That's how he feels. It is what it is. I don't really have much to say."
Lindor's wife, however, had a lot more to say and slammed Kipnis as a "bully" in a social media rant. "My husband is such a classy person, would never say what a bully Kipnis was in the clubhouse," wife Katia tweeted. "Sounds like a true leader versus the opposite of a leader."
Lindor and Kipnis' relationship has evidently soured despite helping set an American League record of 22 consecutive wins in 2017 in Cleveland. The pair also reached the 2016 World Series.
Puerto Rico-born Lindor will be hoping to continue the Mets' season revival with two more games against former side Cleveland, who changed their name to the Guardians from the Indians last year, coming up in the next few days.
The Mets won Game One 10-9 with Lindor hitting a walk-off single. "It’s emotional to do it against anybody," he said. "But yeah, I wanted to win that game. 100 per cent, I wanted to win the game in that situation there. And I wanted it to be me.”
Lindor added: "It’s winning games. That’s what counts and that’s what matters. It could be anybody on the other side.”
