Former ODA player comes back to area with St. Lucie Mets

The introduction of one St. Lucie Mets player caused a louder ovation April 7 than that of any player on the Bradenton Marauders, and that was at the Marauders’ home opener, no less.

LECOM Park’s Section Nine hosted 80 people who, for one day, were diehard fans of a St. Lucie player. That’s because Desmond Lindsay, a 2015 graduate of The Out-of-Door Academy, was making his return home.

Drafted in the second round by the New York Mets organization, the now 21-year-old Lindsay, an outfielder, signed with the team in 2015 instead of attending the University of North Carolina. While he has no regrets about the decision, life for Lindsay hasn’t always been easy since leaving the Thunder.

Myriad injuries have limited Lindsay to 137 professional games in three seasons, including surgery on his elbow in July 2017 while playing for the A-level Columbia Fireflies.

It was advice from his former coaches at ODA that kept him going.

“They told me to enjoy playing,” Lindsay said. “That’s stuck with me after having so many injuries. You appreciate when you’re on the field and you’re healthy and able to play. It’s a grind, but you appreciate it.”

Despite the setbacks, Lindsay remains a heralded prospect within the Mets’ system. The team’s SB Nation site, Amazin’ Avenue, ranked Lindsay as the organization’s third-best prospect and said he “might have the highest upside of any position player in the entire system.” MLB.com has Lindsay ranked fourth of the Mets’ position player prospects. Even coming off elbow surgery, Lindsay made enough of an impression in spring training to continue his ascent up the organizational ladder and earn a starting spot at Advanced A-level St. Lucie, which brought him to LECOM Park.

Lindsay’s mother, Robin Lindsay, was the loudest voice at the stadium that night, as her son was announced as hitting third and playing center field.

“I’m totally stoked,” she said pregame.

She hadn’t seen him since January. She was proud of him, she said, for persevering and making the team. She’s getting to see him live out a lifelong dream.

The Lindsays, unlike most of the people in attendance to see Desmond, are actual diehard Mets fans. Gerri Lindsay, Desmond’s grandmother, was first a Brooklyn Dodgers fan but switched to the Mets when the Dodgers left New York (“What was I going to do, root for the Yankees?” she said). She loves the Mets so much, she took dirt from home plate after the team won the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles and planted it in her front yard.

Robin Lindsay had Desmond wearing Mets clothes at 18 months old, and a week before he was drafted, he wore Mets socks.

Watching Desmond live out his dream has been surreal, Robin said. Once, during a Braden River Little League game, Desmond hit a home run that landed on a row of portable toilets beyond the fence.

“He’s going to the majors!” a voice in the crowd shouted. Everyone laughed, but Robin thought to herself, “Yeah, right.” She’s more than happy to be on the path to being proven wrong.

Desmond has remained low-key and humble throughout the process, Robin said, and she’s proud of him for that, too. Gerri said Desmond has remained something even more rare, which is kind. He went to her building’s ice cream social last year, she said, and mingled with the partygoers.

Gerri has seen a lot of baseball, and believes her grandson has what it takes to reach the real Mets someday. He does the little things, like hustling to fly balls, that others are too lazy to do. This, on top of his talent, should give him an edge.

Desmond went 1-4 with a single against the Marauders that night. It may not be in New York yet, but Desmond is finally getting to play baseball with the word “Mets” on his chest, and he said it feels great. His family agrees.

“We could not have written this story any better,” Robin Lindsay said.

While the ending to Desmond Lindsay’s story is still being written, it seems like the action is about to escalate.