Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 652 - 12: Atypical Yankees–Red Sox Showdown (Part 2)

The Yankees' hitting coach Alan Cockrell fulfilled his promise and began refining Lin Guanglai's hitting mechanics.

In Japan, most of Lin Guanglai's batting practices were pitcher-centered, practicing against hypothetical opponents based on the characteristics of the pitchers he would face next, thereby achieving precise hits in the game;

However, in the United States, it's noticeably more batter-oriented, especially with their use of an automated tool called Statcast, which provides data that collaborates with coaches and the team to introduce many new concepts—such as the instantaneous speed when the ball leaves the bat, and the angle of attack during the hit, all of which are new experiences for Lin Guanglai. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Cockrell acknowledged Lin Guanglai's hitting talent, but he simultaneously kept modifying the Japan-style habits ingrained in him:

For instance, the leg lift motion common in Japan hitting mechanics is deemed unnecessary by Cockrell. In his words, there's no time in Major League Baseball for extra movements like that, as it would only reduce the swing speed.

The same goes for pitching: Every formal pitching practice by Lin Guanglai is conducted under the monitoring of the Statcast system—this system accurately measures aspects such as pitch time, distance, peak rate, average release point, and rotation, aiding the pitching coaches in providing data-based feedback.

In the realm of classic baseball stereotypes, many believe Japanese baseball is detailed while American baseball is rugged; yet, at least from Lin Guanglai's brief experience, with technical micro-adjustments aided by data analysis, Major League Baseball has certainly reached the world's forefront.

As training intensifies with Lin Guanglai slowly showcasing his robust strength, he noticeably feels the hostility previously present in many teammates diminishing: This is the world of professional baseball, where showing ability that matches your status dispels all doubts.

Certainly, while Lin Guanglai's performance is brilliant, there are others who perform no less impressively; especially during open hitting practice at Steinbrenner Field, where some amazed the entire Yankees team, including coaches and players, with one long hit after another.

"Did you see that ball just now? It went straight out! My God, I bet the ball traveled at least 420 feet!"

"420 feet? Stop joking, that ball flew to the palm trees at the back, I reckon it was at least 450 feet!"

"Did anyone keep count just now? How many home runs has Aaron hit out of the ballpark today?"

Right by home plate at Steinbrenner Field, a bunch of Yankees players stand shoulder to shoulder, all eyes fixated on Aaron Judge in the right batting zone; each of his swings eliciting cheers from the players on the sidelines.

"Aaron, that's enough for today." Alan Cockrell waved his hand, stopping the practice, "I'm afraid if you keep hitting like this, it'll destroy everyone else's confidence!"

Saying this, Cockrell approached Aaron Judge and gave him a firm pat on the back, "Well done, your hitting form is simply outstanding, you definitely have the strength of a top Major League batter—play well in the new season, I think you could hit at least 30 homers!"

"Also, thanks to your training plan, Alan." Aaron Judge wiped the sweat off his forehead, his face also showing a satisfied smile.

"Aaron, what did you eat during the off-season to become this good? Could you teach me?"

"Exactly, we're all teammates, you can't hide things from us—and if you really hit that many home runs in the new season, you'd better treat us to a meal!"

As soon as Aaron Judge returned to the location of the Yankees players, a small commotion erupted among them: the young teammates have all been minor league teammates with him, having quite a nice relationship; while the veteran players are happy to see their farm continually produce potential talents, expressing considerable goodwill.

In such an atmosphere of universal cheer, the pre-season warm-up phase of the 2017 season has arrived—due to the impact of the World Baseball Classic, many Major League Baseball teams have their players recruited by their respective national teams for participation, which gives young players more opportunities to showcase themselves during pre-season training.

The Yankees opened pre-season with quite a success; in the first two matches against the Philadelphia Phillies, they first won decisively 9-4, and then narrowly lost 5-6; subsequent matches against division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, also posed no trouble, both ending with clear victories for the Yankees.

What journalists found a bit unfortunate was that Baltimore Orioles' young star Manny Machado, due to participating for the Dominican in the World Baseball Classic, couldn't appear in this pre-season warm-up match:

After all, recognized across the league as an avid A-Rod fan, when the New York Yankees chose to assign the number 13 jersey to Lin Guanglai, Machado openly criticized on social media the Yankees' lack of respect for their idols and even challenged Lin Guanglai, saying he'd demonstrate when meeting him on the field.

For journalists who thrive on drama, not witnessing the face-off between these young stars was indeed disappointing; fortunately, both the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles belong to the American League East Division, meaning they'd meet quite frequently in the new season, ensuring plenty of spectacles.

Additionally, it's unclear why, but Joe Girardi didn't let Lin Guanglai pitch in these first 4 games, only allowing him up for a few at-bats during less critical moments; Lin Guanglai's performance was quite average, couldn't be called stellar, but definitely above the big league average.

However, for Lin Guanglai, who caused such a stir over the off-season and was heavily publicized by the media, being just above average certainly wouldn't satisfy those who dislike him; just as social platforms were about to explode with negative comments, the New York Yankees officially announced tomorrow's pre-season starting pitcher selection, and Lin Guanglai's name was prominently listed.

And the opponent he will face comes from the same American League East Division, a team deeply connected to both Lin Guanglai himself and the New York Yankees—

Boston Red Sox.

The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is considered the biggest in professional baseball; since their first confrontation in 1901, they have competed for over a hundred seasons, in over 2000 games now, making it the greatest rivalry in North American and global sports.

The mutual disdain between metropolises, Babe Ruth's Curse of the Holy Infant, the shame and glory of overcoming a three-game deficit... Various factors have created a tense atmosphere between the two teams;

Every "Yanks-Sox War" draws worldwide attention and fierce clashes between fans online and offline—even the insignificant pre-season games are no exception.

Especially from the perspective of Red Sox fans, Lin Guanglai surprisingly opted to leave Boston, an elite city, rejected a partnership with Mookie Betts, a star ascending to the peak, and chose the astute New York, aligning with the Yankees, who've been suppressed by them in recent years, directly labeling him as an "anti-Red Sox advocate."

Not to mention some seeing Lin Guanglai as the "outsider" who descended from heaven, robbing their own proud young talent, Andrew Benintendi, of the top honor of the Top 100 Rookie.

New and old grievances and the hype within and without the field combined make this inaugural match of the new season between the Yankees and Red Sox captivating even before it starts, attracting mass attention, leading broadcasters like Fox, ESPN, and MLB TV to upgrade this insignificant pre-season match to a national live broadcast.

In the Boston Red Sox spring training camp locker room, John Farrell was also announcing tomorrow's starting lineup:

"Andrew, you'll be the leadoff hitter for tomorrow's game—you've been in great form during training, and Lin is a strong pitcher. Let me see your improvement during this offseason."

"Don't worry, coach, I will give him a proper welcome." In the player's seats, Andrew Benintendi spoke in a relaxed tone, grinning, prompting laughter from teammates around him.

The battle is about to erupt.