Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Chapter 730 45: Benches Cleared, Escalating Tensions

His strong action drew the attention of the nearest first base umpire, all the players on and off the field, as well as everyone in the stands, broadcast viewpoint, and in front of the TV.

As the person responsible for maintaining the order of the game, the first base umpire rushed out first to separate the two involved in the conflict;

And although the specifics of what happened were unclear, players from the Astros and Yankees charged out from the dugout and the outfield bullpen, expressing support for their own players in this manner.

This American League Championship Game G1 had just begun not long ago, yet a bench-clearing scene had already unfolded, taking everyone by surprise:

The rednecks in the Texas stands didn't care about anything else, they directly hurled fierce and vulgar language at Lin Guanglai and the entire Yankees team—in their view, this conflict was not about right or wrong, only about taking a stand, and no matter who started it, they just needed to support their own people.

The commentators and viewers watching the game were waiting impatiently for the broadcast replay of the first base incident:

They were eager to discover what Gurriel had done to make Lin Guanglai, who had always been referred to as a "gentleman" by fans, so angry.

"Lin, so what exactly happened just now?" Sabathia asked as the first to rush into the chaotic crowd; beside him was Girardi, who was equally puzzled.

As Lin Guanglai's teammates, they naturally knew what kind of person Lin Guanglai was, understanding that the opposing side must have done something extremely outrageous to provoke such a strong reaction from him.

After being held back by his teammates, Lin Guanglai's initial rage gradually calmed down, and he explained to those around him:

"He made a pulling eyelids gesture to mimic slanted eyes at me, the meaning of which I probably don't need to explain further, right?"

Girardi and Sabathia exchanged glances, and their faces instantly turned serious:

In North America, racial discrimination is a sensitive social issue that should not be touched, as even a slight misstep could cause shock both inside and outside the field, and any team needs to handle it seriously when such a situation arises.

"I understand, Lin. I will respond to the chief umpire as a representative of our team, and after the game, our team will also appeal to the league officials—you can be assured, we will definitely make the Astros give you an explanation!"

As the head coach, Girardi was the first to make his promise.

Meanwhile, after the broadcast signal showed the specific scene of the first base incident to Major League Baseball fans worldwide who were following the game, Gurriel's behavior also caused a huge uproar outside the field:

"This is an absolutely intolerable and unacceptable action! Gurriel's gesture is not only discriminatory against all Asian communities but also a tarnish on the etiquette and culture of the sport of baseball! Suspension, he must be suspended!"

The first to express opinions were, of course, the commentators from East Asia, including those from China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan Region, who all spoke fiercely to express their views—being Asians themselves, Gurriel's action was undoubtedly a provocation against the entire community and must be punished.

Similarly, the YES Network and various media from New York Region, which serve as the Yankees' mouthpiece, unanimously stood behind their own player, asserting that the league must impose severe penalties on Gurriel after the game:

"Racial discrimination is absolutely intolerable, otherwise, what would be the meaning of the efforts made by the pioneers of the Negro leagues and Jackie Robinson?"

Even the Texas media, which sided with the Astros, dared not speak for Gurriel when faced with such an issue and attempted to lighten the charges against him:

"Gurriel's action was indeed excessive, but I believe he didn't do it intentionally, after all, Cuban players are also part of a minority group, perhaps there is some misunderstanding…"

The bench-clearing incident caused by the dispute between Lin Guanglai and Gurriel lasted for quite some time, and when the crowd dispersed and the game resumed, approximately 20 minutes had passed since it first started;

As for Lin Guanglai, the protagonist, after the game resumed, he dashed to second base with a splendid sprint and entered the scoring zone range.

"Boo——!!!" The boos from the Astros fans on site grew increasingly louder, but Lin Guanglai, fueled by the opponent's operations, wasn't about to indulge them:

As Aaron Judge, batting second, finally hit a mid-range hit to right field against Dallas Keuchel, and Lin Guanglai, on second base, quickly launched towards home plate, beating the Astros outfielder's throw to home and touching the plate first.

Upon scoring, Lin Guanglai also responded to these noisy Astros fans:

He pressed both hands downward and then raised his left index finger in front of his mouth, directing a "silence" gesture towards the more than 40,000 home fans in the stands;

His actions incited even more intense confrontation among the Texas fans.

Later in the game, when Yuli Gurriel, the instigator of this conflict, stepped into the batter's box, the Yankees' starter Luis Severino didn't hesitate to greet him with a pitch hitting the body, standing up for his good buddy in this way.