Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 552 - 125: Into the Tiger’s Den

"Unforgivable! How dare he desecrate our Hanshin Tigers' tradition! He's such a jerk!"

"He better not show up at Koshien — or we'll show him what hell looks like!"

"We must shut him up with victory! Such disgrace must be repaid in full!"

After Lin Guanglai's comments at the pre-match press conference for the Japan series were spread by major media outlets, his "Colonel Sanders Curse" remark quickly went viral throughout the Kansai region and all across Japan, sparking a massive frenzy and a fan conflict.

The Hanshin Tigers fan forums and social media exploded instantly, anger and humiliation spreading among them like wildfire, with some extremists even issuing "death threats" to Lin Guanglai himself.

Meanwhile, many other fan groups, including SoftBank and Giant fans, banded together to express their support and solidarity for Lin Guanglai.

"Are the Kansai Hanshin Tigers fans making a big fuss? Isn't it those lapdog media of yours that first disgusted the players? Besides, I reckon Lin Guanglai didn't yell at you by name, did he? What, is Colonel Sanders a banned word in Japan, not even to be mentioned?"

"Just try to understand, the last time they made it to Japan's Number One, they were defeated by our Daiyou Hawks Team. Except for meowing a few times, there's indeed nothing the kitty can do when facing the Eagle King who soars high in the sky..."

"I don't know what certain Tigers fans are bragging about; despite being one of the earliest teams in Nippon Professional Baseball, their results are only at the bottom of the two leagues — can they beat SoftBank this year? They sure make me feel blue!"

The fan conflict only added fuel to the fire for the upcoming Japan series, further heating up the pre-match atmosphere — no one knows how the teams and players themselves feel at this moment, but at least for the Nippon Professional Baseball officials, the more buzz there is, the happier they seem to be.

"Tell me, how many times have I told you to tone it down a bit and not to make things so ugly with those Hanshin fans, and yet you turned around and hit them right where it hurts at the press conference — are you just ignoring what I say?" In the hotel room where the SoftBank Team was based, Akiyama Koji looked at the standing Lin Guanglai with no hint of pleasure.

"Do you know there was a chance for things to turn around at first, but now after what you said, there's only one path left for you..." After calming down a bit, Akiyama Koji slowly spoke, "Tomorrow's game, you have to secure the victory for me!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Guanglai, who had been accepting criticism sheepishly just a second earlier, quickly lifted his head and assured with a thumping chest:

"Don't worry, Manager Akiyama, I can't speak for other things, but I assure you of this — tomorrow's game, we'll definitely secure the victory; and I'll make sure to win it in a way that those annoying Hanshin fans are left speechless!"

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The October wind, carrying the distinct moisture of the Seto Inland Sea, brushed against the iconic ivy-covered walls of Koshien Stadium, bringing a hint of autumn chill; however, this slight coolness barely entering the stadium was instantly evaporated by the searing hostility emanating from the stands.

The first match of the Japan series hadn't started yet, but the over fifty-thousand-capacity Koshien had already turned into a boiling yellow sea:

The aggressive tiger head emblem of the Hanshin Tigers covered every visible corner of the stands — flags, towels, jerseys, caps... everything here was yellow; only those scattered black-and-white spots represented the negligible SoftBank fans who traveled to Hyogo.

It's not clear if such a feverish atmosphere had any impact on Lin Guanglai, but at least the other SoftBank players on the field today felt its effects to some extent: In the top half of the first inning, facing Hanshin Tigers' ace foreign pitcher Randy Mason, SoftBank's first three batters were sent out one-two-three, drawing applause from the home fans in the stands.

As the team players exchanged fields, the broadcast began announcing the visiting SoftBank Team's starting lineup. At this moment, many Hanshin Tigers fans stood up from their seats, faces filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

Every name mentioned was accompanied by a massive chorus of boos; however, anyone with eyes could tell that this was merely the appetizer before the main course — Hanshin Tigers fans were gathering strength, eagerly awaiting the real "star" to appear.

Then he came —

"Batting fifth, pitcher, Lin—" The announcer didn't even finish the name when a colossal booing sound erupted from all sides of the stands, as overwhelming as mountains collapsing and seas roaring, instantly engulfing everything.

"Booooooooooooo—!!!!!!!"

Such a display wasn't a regular booing aimed at guest players, but the purest form of negative energy, filled with disgust and disdain. The decibels were so high that the steel structure of Koshien Stadium trembled slightly, even the commentators in the booth could feel it through the glass.

The last time someone received such treatment, one would have to go back to the "monster" Jiangchuan Zhuo in 1978: He was drawn by the Hanshin Tigers in the nomination conference but had actually completed an early signing with the Yomiuri Giants — in that era when systems were not yet perfected, Jiangchuan Zhuo was heavily criticized by all sectors of society, and every time he represented the Giant Team at Koshien after that, he would receive the most "affectionate" greetings from Hanshin Tigers fans.