Chapter 805 78: Under the Gaze of the Giant

On a weekend in mid-September 2024, the sky over San Francisco exhibits a rare clarity. As the plane carrying the Yankees players lands on time at San Francisco International Airport, the entire Bay Area is bathed in the golden glow of the afternoon, with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge standing silently in the distance, like a silent witness.

Inside the cabin, teammates continue to playfully mess around, with Machado clamoring for the local Aaron Judge to treat them to a good meal, a suggestion that draws the support of many teammates.

Under normal circumstances, Lin Guanglai would certainly join the group at this time and fiercely extort Judge once; but at this historical juncture, even the always composed him doesn't have the mood for such things.

Sitting by the window, Lin Guanglai's attention is entirely drawn to the enormous stadium clearly visible outside the cabin window:

Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, situated on the bay's edge, just beyond the right field stands is the cold and icy waters of the Pacific Ocean—

McCovey Cove, one of the most well-known sights in the baseball world. Since the stadium's completion in 2000, it has been a typical representation of a place where pitches go high and hits go low—a batter's graveyard, where only the most powerful hitters with the swiftest swings can send the baseball flying over the stands and into the waters of McCovey Cove.

Historically, no one has conquered these waters more than the great Barry Bonds: over his career, he claimed 7 National League MVPs, 12 Silver Slugger Awards, and set the record with 762 home runs, becoming an existence that surpasses Hank Aaron, who remains undeniable in greatness despite the doping scandal.

Before the start of the 2024 season, his 2001 record of 73 home runs was widely considered an unattainable miracle. Now, Lin Guanglai is just one step away from tying this miracle.

With less than two weeks left in the season, Lin Guanglai's total home runs have reached 72, a number that has already broken Mark McGwire's 1998 record of 70 home runs in a single season, making him the third player in history to hit over 70 home runs in a single season.

Although both previous record holders were clearly exposed for using steroids, even if Lin Guanglai's home run count stopped here, achieving this feat purely by human ability would already suffice for greatness; but such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now presents itself, Lin Guanglai will surely try to seize it.

Moving his gaze away from Oracle Park, Lin Guanglai in the cabin slowly closes his eyes, continuously inhaling and exhaling, trying to calm himself down with this method; when he opens his eyes again, any prior hesitation is completely dispelled.

After all, there aren't many games left in the regular season, rather than sitting here and overthinking, it's better to grab the bat and face opponents head-on on the field—he believes he can do it.

The next afternoon at four o'clock, when the Yankees bus drives into the Oracle Park passageway, hundreds and thousands of fans are already gathered near the entrance. Thanks to its diverse population, not all Bay Area people are Giants fans; at least among the vast Asian community in San Francisco, Lin Guanglai is their hero.

The fans gathered at the entrance burst into thunderous cheers, holding up an array of signs: "Number 73!!!", "World's Lin", "Surpass the Legend"... Watching these enthusiastic fans through the car window, Lin Guanglai waves at them through the glass.

Meanwhile, a black SUV closely follows the Yankees bus into the parking lot. The fans don't know who's inside until the person steps out:

Barry Bonds, the legend who changed baseball history yet is questioned by history, appears once again in the ballpark where he fought for many years, causing a stir among the surrounding crowd.

Getting off the bus, Lin Guanglai naturally sees this scene and even locks eyes with Bonds not far from them. Bonds doesn't smile, only nodding lightly to Lin Guanglai, his expression complex and beyond simple words.

As the Yankees players walk out of the player tunnel to the field for pre-game practice, Lin Guanglai can clearly sense a subtle commotion throughout the stadium—something he's long been accustomed to.

After all, for a long period, whenever the Yankees played away games, many fans of other teams would make such remarks; he doesn't doubt that without stadium security separating them, these fans might even want to take him apart to see what he's made of.

"Lin, we've just received news that Barry Bonds himself has come to Oracle Park today to watch the game—in a situation where you're just one home run away from tying his record, do you have anything to say?" On the sidelines, an ESPN reporter immediately finds Lin Guanglai and poses this question to him.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Guanglai smiles lightly, "If you want to tie the name of an era, you should do it under his sky—Barry Bonds is undoubtedly a great player, if possible, I want to catch up with him with a 'Splash Hit'."

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