novelraw Chapter 732 47: Taiko no Tatsujin, Activate!
Chapter 732 47: Taiko no Tatsujin, Activate!
Under the intentional promotion by the media, the conflict in the ALCS Game 1 between the Yankees and the Astros almost immediately became a hot event affecting the entire baseball circle of North America, and even the world. Numerous MLB players who were already in the offseason expressed their opinions on this incident on social media.
Leading the charge were Asian stars in Major League Baseball like Ichiro Suzuki, Yu Darvish, and Tanaka Masahiro. They all united in their stance, siding with Lin Guanglai and defining the incident as a matter involving the dignity of Asian baseball players, demanding an official response from the league.
Lin Guanglai's personal friend, the hot-tempered Bryce Harper, went directly on social media to voice his rage:
[If you think this is just a 'joke,' then you are part of the problem. #WeNeedAnAnswer#]
This tweet was subsequently retweeted by key players from several teams, including Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, and was cited by authoritative media including ESPN and The Athletic.
Meanwhile, Lin Guanglai's teammates in the Yankees similarly took to social media to support him: [We all know who you are, brother. We fully support you — you represent more than just the Yankees!]
"Rob, regarding what happened in the game between the Yankees and the Astros, we need to respond quickly — especially considering the Asian players and many partners from Asia who are very dissatisfied with such an incident occurring on the stage of the league championship series..."
As the assistant placed a series of files and reports on his desk, MLB Chairman Rob Manfred rested his hand on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot — he and his staff had been up all night dealing with the aftermath of last night's mess.
In less than 24 hours, Major League Baseball had already received protest letters from across the nation and even around the world. Besides various North American Asian communities, important partners representing Asia, including the players' union and the Japan Baseball League, have all expressed the desire for the Major League to demonstrate zero tolerance and zero compromise on racial discrimination, and to immediately punish the Astros and Gurriel.
At this point, the MLB league was actually on the spot:
Initially, Manfred leaned toward downplaying the dispute between Lin Guanglai and Gurriel.
The players themselves would reconcile privately and on social media, while the MLB would make symbolic punishments, such as suspension during the next season's regular games and community service — a punishment he considered sufficient.
To be politically incorrect, the voice of Asians in North America is not enough for them to pay much attention; if Lin Guanglai were replaced by a Black player within the Yankees, things might not be so easily settled.
But now, this way of handling it has proved inoperative:
Partly because Lin Guanglai's growth rate is just too fast. In just one season, he had already reached the top of the Major League ecosystem and might become a superstar like Trout in the future. Therefore, when handling these matters, it is necessary to consider the player's feelings.
Furthermore, Lin Guanglai's influence in Asia is actually quite overwhelming; his background, growth trajectory, and the achievements and connections he has accumulated in the Asian professional baseball league far exceeded Manfred's expectations;
Even the team he currently plays for, the New York Yankees, is the one with the loudest voice in all of North America, and forces related to the Yankees are constantly putting pressure on the matter.
Considering all these factors, Manfred couldn't help but sigh, silently blaming Yuli Gurriel for creating so much trouble for no reason: he knew that at such times, only decisive measures could quell the rage from all sides.
Thus, on the morning before the second matchup of the championship series between the Yankees and Astros, an announcement was officially released by MLB on their website and social media platforms:
"Regarding the incident in the ALCS Game 1, the MLB expresses deep regret. We sincerely apologize to New York Yankees' Lin Guanglai and all Asian players and fans — we must state that last night's actions are completely unacceptable and contrary to MLB values."
"Therefore, we will impose the following sanctions on the Houston Astros and Yulisky Gurriel Castillo..."
In the Minute Maid Park home team locker room, upon seeing the penalty notice just issued by the league, the expressions on the Astros' coaching staff were as if they were in mourning.
While the fines for the team and player were negligible, what made the Astros coaching staff feel like it was the end was the suspension penalty for Gurriel:
Due to his improper behavior in Game 1, the league not only imposed a ten-game suspension and no pay penalty for Gurriel in the 2018 season but also entirely banned him from the championship series against the Yankees.
This meant that unless the Astros could beat the Yankees to advance to the World Series, Gurriel's 2017 season would end here.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fucking Yankees, fucking Lin, fucking Asians! Fuck!" Unable to accept the league's punishment, Gurriel himself fell into a frenzy, pounding the locker room wall with his fists like a madman.