Che-Hsuan Lin just made the defensive play of the year
While he wasn’t able to come to the Major Leagues and become a starter with the Boston Red Sox, Che-Hsuan Lin has become an integral part of the Fubon Guardians, one of the best teams in Taiwan’s CPBL. Lin has had a solid season so far, but nothing will top what he did against the Uni-President Lions.
When Uni-Lions infielder Yen-Ting Pan crushed a pitch to straightaway center field, Lin scaled the wall to make a tremendous catch and rob him of a home run. However, Lin made it seem like he failed to catch it, giving Pan a home run. The umpires realized Lin’s trickery as soon as Pan made it around the bases, confirming this was the best defensive play of the season.
Che-Hsuan Lin is crushing the ball in Taiwan
Lin had a brief cup of coffee in the states with the Red Sox, as he recorded three singles in 12 at-bats during the 2012 season. After a few seasons in the minor leagues and bouncing around from team to team, Lin decided to move to the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan, where he has become instrumental in the renamed franchise’s championship pursuit.
Lin has hit .303 with 52 home runs in six seasons in Taiwan. He entered last night’s game with a .281 average, seven home runs, and 13 steals for a Guardians team that finished 50-62 in the four-team CPBL. Lin’s defense alone wasn’t enough to overcome a slow start.
Lin didn’t make a name for himself in the MLB, but he is showing that defensive skills paired with a high baseball IQ and a sense for the dramatic will play in any league. Good luck finding a cooler, more unusual baseball play than this.