“I want to get back to it. I want to get back to playing October baseball.”

During Saturday’s Tribe Fest, Indians shortstop Francisco took part in a lengthy Q&A with Tom Hamilton, the team’s radio voice. Lindor spoke about his approach, his brief Karate experience in Japan this winter, last season’s big moments, last season’s tough finish, getting to play in Puerto Rico this season and being the featured athlete on R.B.I. Baseball 18. Here are Lindor’s comments…

On his approach to playing:

Lindor: “Literally, I just go up to the plate with a mind-set and approach, and whatever happens after that happens. Every offseason, I work as hard as I can to become the best player I can be to help my team, but then throughout the season, a lot of the coaches, the coaching staff, my teammates, they help me a lot. Whatever happens through the season, as long as I’m prepared, I’m fine with what happens.”

On the 22-game winning streak, and his clutch RBI double in the ninth inning of win №22:

Lindor: “Definitely, I was aware of what was happening. Everyone was in the clubhouse talking about it — the media, not the players. The media was talking about it. Fans were talking about it. Going into that last at-bat, like I said, all Iwas thinking was, ‘Put the ball in play. Whatever happens, it happens.’ I hit it off the wall, I got to second and I celebrated way too much. I thought I was going to pass out. I got light-headed for a second. And then it was just fun. You play the game for moments like that, for the experience, for the joy of winning and it’s just fun seeing how everybody, all the fans, were involved and the players on the top step in the dugout. It was a cool moment. But, it’s sad that we didn’t make it to the World Series.”

On his grand slam in Game 2 of the ALDS:

Lindor: “It was fun. There were a lot of cool moments this past season that I take home and I embrace them and I look back at it. Hitting the ball, I remember hitting the ball and I kind of blew on it. I was like, ‘Please stay fair, please stay fair.’ As soon as it hit the foul pole, I remember looking at Sandy [Alomr Jr. at first base] and just celebrating with Sandy. And then looking back to the dugout and seeing everyone going crazy, seeing the fans and then looking up in the stands and seeing my family screaming. That was something special.”

On his Karate photos and videos from Japan:

Lindor: “I went to Japan this offseason in Tokyo and I took some karate lessons, so be careful. You don’t know what I can do now. No, I had an hour-and-a-half session of karate. It was special going to a different culture and learning from what they do and learning their sport. That’s an art. Learning their art. It was cool. I thought I was going to face someone and with what I learned in an hour, I thought I was going to put someone down and it was the complete opposite. They put me down real quick. I didn’t even last 10 seconds.”

On whether he’s focused on something specific this offseason:

Lindor: “Not really. I continue to work on the basics: Fielding, running techniques, hitting. The first couple weeks of the offseason, when I start hitting, I break down my swing and try to start from zero and then I just go up from there. I don’t want to change too much, but I definitely want to make adjustments. You can improve every year. You can get better. You can learn from what you did throughout the season, learn from all the mistakes and you go from there. But, like I said, I did everything. Hitting, fielding, running, mind-set and endurance.”

On always having a smile on his face and showing emotion on the field:

Lindor: “We have a good time just like everybody else. Some guys show it a little bit more than others. Some don’t. I show mine. That’s the way I was raised and that’s the way I’ve played the game my whole entire life. I smile a lot. I show my emotions. I try not to throw anything on the ground when I get mad, when I get frustrated. My first year, I remember I got called up, and I dove a couple times and I hit the ground when I messed up the ground ball with my right hand. And [Jason Kipnis], one of the times I dove, he came next to me and was like, ‘If you break your wrist, we’re going to fight.’ I said, ‘OK, I won’t do it no more. I’m done.’ So, I haven’t hit the ground like that anymore. It might happen once in a while, but I like to show emotions. I’m human and that’s the way I was raised. That’s the way I will always do it. However, I respect the game. I’m not trying to show anybody up. That’s just me. I’m a happy kid and I enjoy life.”

On whether Sandy Alomar Jr. was an idol of Lindor’s when he was a a kid growing up in Puerto Rico:

Lindor: [laughing] Yeah, yeah. Sandy, and his brother. His brother is one of the reasons I wear №12. Roberto Alomar, he’s an idol to me. Sandy, he was a catcher, so I didn’t pay much attention to him.”

[Sandy throws an empty water bottle at Lindor from off stage]

Lindor: [laughing] “No, no, being Puerto Rican, you definitely want to be like them. But, nah.”

[Sandy throws a mini basketball at Lindor from off stage]

Lindor: “He’s throwing stuff!”

On playing in Puerto Rico in April:

Lindor: “Extremely special. The last time I played in Pureto Rico I was 13 or 14 years old. I can’t wait to go back, to go back and play in front of my family, in front of the Puerto Rican crowd and in front of all the Indians fans out there. It’s going to be extremely special. I can’t wait. I might shed a tear or two — it’s that special to me going back to my homeland and playing in front of the people that can’t really travel and they can’t see us play out here. As well, with what they’re going through right now in Puerto Rico. It’s getting a lot better. I want to tell you, it’s getting a lot better. They’ve come a long way, but there’s still some rough times out there, but it’s a lot better since Day 1. And I just can’t wait to go back and be in front of them and hear the drums and see my teammates listening to all the music I play in the clubhouse. it’ll be in the stands that day.”

On the Indians’ current roster:

Lindor: “It’s definitely an extremely special group. We’re a family, we all get a long. And at the end of the day, if we win, we’re going to win together. If we lose, we lose together. When I mess up, I take responsibility for it, and that’s how everybody on the team is. When they mess up, they say, ‘I’m sorry, guys. Pick me up.’ That’s what I love about the Indians. That’s what I love about the city of Cleveland. Everybody’s kind of like that. Everybody takes full accountability for their mistakes. That’s what it’s all about in life. When you mess up, you accept it and you keep moving forward.”

After the R.B.I Baseball 18 cover is unveiled…

Lindor: “I love it. I love it. They made me look good in that picture. So, thank you R.B.I. for making me look a lot better.”

On being picked to be on the cover:

Lindor: “It’s special. It is definitely something special. It’s something I’ll definitely frame in my house. I’ll have it framed up. Words can’t describe how happy I am, how blessed I am. I want to thank the Lord for everything that he has done for me and for the fans. I play the game for the fans. There I am. I’m rocking the Indians [uniform].”

On why he’s excited for the coming season:

Lindor: “The chance of winning. Winning. We all know we can win it. We all know we’ve got what it takes. We’ve been there. We just haven’t closed it. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to being with my new teammates and my old teammates, and everybody throughout the whole season. It’s so much fun going from Day 1 in Spring Training all the way to the last day off the season. A lot of things happen. Whether it’s good things, bad things, a lot of things happen. A lot of good moments. A lot of time for me to smile, so I love it.”

On manager Terry Francona saying the team is going to come back “with a vengeance” this year:

Lindor: “Definitely. From my personal experience, I was a little bit embarrassed. Yeah, we had a good season, but you get to that point and you can’t close it. It’s sad. I felt like I didn’t play long enough. Something was missing. Something was missing and I want to get back to it. I want to get back to playing October baseball, early November and going back to my house and saying, ‘Yes, we did it.’”

— JB