OAKLAND – On the final turn before the Indians took the All-Star break, Amed Rosario played a ground ball from Andrew Benintendi and threw to first base to complete a 14-6 win over the Royals on progressive field. Then he knelt on one knee, back toward the plate at the edge of the field, to say a quick prayer before joining his teammates in the victory line.
It’s unclear whether Rosario’s first 87 games with the Indians had the power of prayer behind them, but they were certainly a revelation.
Who exactly is Amed Rosarsio, the man who owns 10 French Bulldogs and can remember most of their names?
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he rarely thought of anything other than being a ball player.
“I knew from the start that I wanted to do that,” said Rosario of the translator Agustin Rivero.
When he was 2 years old, Rosario’s indoor practices caused so much damage in his home that he was gently encouraged to move outside.
“So they took me outside to practice on the street,” Rosario said with a smile. “Then they took me to a baseball field to practice. My grandfather always wanted a grandson who played baseball. So my father founded me at a young age. “
One of Rosario’s first coaches was the father of Willi Castro, Detroit infielder and former Indian contender. Castro, Detroit’s opening day shortstop this season, is Rosario’s brother-in-law.
When asked who the best shortstop in the family was, Rosario laughed and said: “Willi, Willi. I’ve known him since I’ve been in professional baseball. . .nine years. “
CHANGE THE STORY
In February, the Indians traded Francisco Lindor, the face of the franchise, and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets. In return, the Indians received two short stops – Rosario and Andres Gimenez and two interested parties. If it wasn’t the biggest trade of the winter, it was close.
From the Indian point of view it was a wage dump. They couldn’t afford to pay or keep Lindor, who would have been a free agent at the end of this season if he hadn’t signed a 10-year $ 341 million deal with the Mets. Carrasco should also make $ 27 million over the next three years.
What the Indians got in return seemed almost of secondary importance as long as they were able to get someone before Lindor went away through free agency.
Rosario’s performance changed the narrative.
He paused when the Indians hit full-time shortstop, .259 (76-for-314), nine doubles, four threes, five homers and 25 RBI. Lindor, the four-time All-Star, hit .227 (70-for-308) with 11 homers and 36 RBI for the Mets. Lindor had to recover to hit these numbers after hitting 0.189 in April and 0.204 in May.
Rosario said he was never overwhelmed with the idea of replacing Lindor.
“I feel privileged that this organization won me over through a trade for Lindor, one of their best players,” he said. “I wish him the best. I just concentrate on what I can do here. “
SHORTSTOP PLAYING CENTER FIELD
When the deal first closed, manager Terry Francona was asked what kind of player the Indians believed they were getting in Rosario.
“Sporty… Quick twitching, which we must have seen,” said Francona. “Fast bat. Kind of an aggressive hitter. Perhaps it hadn’t necessarily solidified in the past, as I think everyone had hoped.”
In spring training, the Indians handed the job of shortstop over to Gimenez and began testing Rosario in midfield. The move wasn’t easy for Rosario, but he was working on it.
Rosario hopped between center and short in April, but on May 13th he started playing at Shortstop every day. When Gimenez was elected to the AAA Columbus class on May 18, the job was his.
“We knew that Rosario was a good hitter, so we tried to find out how we could best line up our team,” explains Francona Rosario’s test run at the center. “And I know they talked to the Mets about going into midfield too. So that was in the back of my mind. That’s why we ended up doing this.
“But since he’s short again, I think life is a lot easier for him. He plays with a lot of energy. He is prepared. He did a really good job. “
A bonus for the move is that Gimenez, who had to fight offensively with the Indians, made some adjustments to his swing and stance at Columbus with good results. Gimenez, 22, beats .260 (40-for-154) with nine doubles, eight homers, and 23 RBI for the Clippers.
“Speaking to Andy Tracy (Columbus manager), he was really very busy with what they’re trying to do with his lower half in terms of his punches, even his footwork and taking on defense,” said Francona. “They were very pleased with the way he accepted and accepted the challenges.
“I remember when we sent him down we said we knew he was going to be a good player. We really still feel that way. And it is nice to see that he is successful. “
Rosario said he is the same player now as he was in April when he shared midfield with Ben Gamel and Jordan Luplow and the shortstop with Gimenez.
“Nothing has changed,” he said. “For me it is my mentality to help the team as best I can. My desire to help the team doesn’t change no matter where I play in the line-up. “
What Rosario has done is bring stability to the top of the lineup. The top three hitters in Francona’s lineup are almost always Cesar Hernandez, Rosario and Jose Ramirez. Hernandez doesn’t beat much of an average (.226) but he tied his career high at Homers at 15. Ramirez leads the team on average (.260), Homers (19), RBI (52) and On-Base in percentage (.346).
Ramirez leads the Indians with 60 runs, while Hernandez is second with 53 runs and Rosario is third with 40 runs.
“It’s really good to score between these two guys,” said Rosario.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Perhaps one of the reasons Rosario wasn’t too concerned about the expectations of replacing Lindor was because the heat had been on him for a long time. When he signed with the Mets on July 2, 1972, he received a $ 1.75 million bonus. It was the biggest bonus for an international free agent in team history.
Rosario, who worked his way through the Mets Minor League system, was ranked as their top contender annually and sometimes the No.When he reached the major leagues and made his debut in 2017, his stats didn’t always live up to the hype, despite being 15 in 2019 Homern and 72 RBI hit a 0.287 hit.
“I think it’s important for me to isolate the noise from the start,” said Rosario. “Put the noise in the background and just focus on the game. If I concentrate on playing the game, then it goes well. “
THE DOGWHISPERER
As for his 10 French Bulldogs, Rosario said he has five in his house and a friend is watching the other five.
“I’m an animal lover,” said Rosario. “I love all animals. If I had the time, I wish I could have more. But with the time that I have, I can only have dogs. “
During the winter, Rosario is part of a group of MLB players who help clean up Santo Domingo’s beaches.
“My agent let me know what you’re doing,” said Rosario. “Every time you invite me, I try to be there for whatever you want to do in the Dominican Republic.
“We actually do the work. Walk through the sand, filter it and whatever comes through we try to recycle. “
Shortstop, dog lovers, environmentalists, how about a guide? Rosario was asked if he had any tips for Lindor on how to deal with Mets fans who weren’t too impressed with his early appearances and who informed him about it.
Rosario laughed and said, “No, no, no. I have no comment. ”
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