Francisco Lindor is turning the World Series into a hugfest

The intense competition of postseason baseball usually does more to fuel angst and tension between opponents than it does to bring them closer together. We’d assume that would be even more true in the middle of a World Series game between two franchises looking to end historic championship droughts while their respective cities live and die with every pitch.

For most players, that probably is true.

For Francisco Lindor, it clearly isn’t.

The fun-loving Cleveland Indians shortstop always has time for fun and friendship, and that was never more apparent than the moment he randomly hugged a Chicago Cubs reliever after chasing a foul ball during the Indians 7-2 win in Game 4.

OK, so maybe the hug wasn’t entirely random. The Cubs reliever is believed to be Hector Rondon, and it would appear there’s a previous friendship. Nonetheless, we’re not used to seeing hugfests break out in the World Series.

A slugfest, maybe. But we couldn’t even get that in Game 3 with the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field. A hugfest, not so much/ That’s usually reserved for postgame celebrations. Lindor, though. He’s making it cool to hug it out during the game, and people are really catching on.

You might also remember Lindor and Javier Baez shared an embrace or two in Cleveland.

That also wasn’t lost on fans watching.

The hug count is up to a lot, and it’s going to keep rising as long as Lindor is on the field.

And why not? Even though he’s only 22, this might prove to be the only time he’s afforded an opportunity to play on a big stage. We certainly hope not, but there are no guarantees in baseball. He’s embracing it, as he should. As a result, he playing relaxed and looking like the best player on the field during every single game.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @Townie813