10, with the third largest contract in MLB history. Lindo, this superstar in the New York Metropolitan City, why did he become famous? What kind of growth story is behind the iconic smile?
As the main speaker of the last season of "MLB Superstar Archives", Xiao Shen returned in the second season and told everyone this story about Lin Duo's fame.
text / Mary
"Superstar Archives" season 2 officially returns! In the first issue, we followed the speaker Zhang Manyuan to learn about the behind-the-scenes legend of Wu Peiqin, the first female in the history of American sports , baseball . In this issue, we finally ushered in the return of Xiao Shen, the speaker of the first season of "Sports Archives".
Video: Lin Duo, why should he win the third largest contract in the league?
10 for 341 million yuan, he owns the third largest contract in MLB history;
He is the most popular star in the MLB league in the past few years;
He has the most iconic smile in the league;
He has been selected into the MLB All-Star Game 4 times;
He is the protagonist of this issue of "MLB Superstar Archives", and is called Mr. Smiling by fans - Francisco Lindo.
Why did Lin Duo become famous? To tell Lindo's story, we must first start with his hometown.
In the Caribbean region, 1,600 kilometers southeast of Florida, there is a place called Puerto Rico . Although it does not have a strong presence on the world political stage, as an enclave and autonomous state of the United States, Puerto Rico's baseball is very strong.
This region, known as the "wealthy harbor" in Spanish , has won the runner-up in two World Cup baseball classics - this is equivalent to the World Cup in the football world, and in the history of MLB, there is never a shortage of Puerto Rican players.
27 years ago, Kobayashi was born here. Since he was a child, Lindo showed extraordinary talent. His father was his enlightenment coach. In order for Lindo to enter the major leagues in the future to become a professional player, he moved his family to Florida when he was 12 years old.
Everyone who knows baseball knows Francisco Lindo's smile, and he is also affectionately called "Mr. Smiling" by fans, but this iconic smile may cover up the series of misfortunes he encountered in life.
3 When Lindo was a child, Lindo
12 years old, Lindo left Puerto Rico to go to Florida to go to school. At that time, he could not even carry out the most basic English communication. At that time, the family of five was crowded in a small motel room that paid weekly, with only a microwave oven to heat the meals, and his relatives suffered even more misfortune:
Lindo's father was traumatic because he was traumatic. The stimulus had to resign and could only rely on government assistance;
sister could neither walk nor speak due to cerebral paralysis;
sister was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32;
mother suffered from an aneurysm...
"Life kisses me with pain, but I still sing." Lin Duo has a natural optimistic personality as a Latin American. He illuminated the stadium with his skills and his iconic smile, and even in the Players Week of MLB (Players) Weekend), he also printed his nickname "Mr. Smiling" directly behind the jersey. Yes, Lindo always greets the misfortunes encountered in life with a smile.
The hard environment has forged Lindo's perseverance, and his continuous efforts have made him famous in Florida when he was in high school.
In recent years, he has been showing off his talents. After being selected by the Cleveland Indians with the eighth pick in 2011, Lindo began his journey to the major league. As a star shortstop , he has been selected into the All-Star Game 4 times, winning Gold Glove Award 2 times, and 2 times Silver Bar Awards.
The stability, excellent football skills and humble attitude at a young age made him the star of the Indians at that time, and also made him a player promoted by the MLB Major League.
But unfortunately, Lindou played in Cleveland, a city "cursed" by professional sports. Although he has three teams in the four major leagues, he had experienced a 52-year championship drought before leading the Cavaliers to win the 2016 Cup, and the Indians' 72-year history of no championship in the World Championships continues to this day. The closest chance for the team to win was in 2016, but fate played a big joke with the Indians. The Indian who finally made it to the finals was defeated by the 108-year-old Chicago Bears , which had no championship in 108. This failure may have laid the groundwork for Lin Duo's final departure.
In the six seasons of MLB, Lindo scored an average of 29 home runs and 86 RBIs per year. But in a small-season team like the Indians, even Lin Duo, the team's star and even the face-to-face players in the entire major league, still lacks attention and exposure. He is like the stranger that fans are most familiar with, and Cleveland is still the most tragic sports city.
In 2021, Lin Duo stood at the crossroads of his life. This time he chose New York, a bigger stage, and signed the New York Metropolitan City with the third largest contract in MLB history of 10 years, 341 million yuan. He is one step closer to his dream of becoming one of the largest stars in baseball.
Linduo has the salary of a superstar, has many expectations for superstars, and has the capital promoted by the league. However, unlike many superstars, Linduo has never been the kind of player who is domineering.
Although Lin Duo, who came from a poor family, has achieved his current achievements with his own efforts bit by bit and step by step. In addition to his superb football skills, Lin Duo's simple and unpretentious personality may be something that this era lacks.
After coming to the Metropolis, things did not go as smoothly as expected. Lin Duo, who had not been able to perform at normal levels in the game, was once questioned by fans. Before the first match against the Nationals in June, he did not have any RBIs exceeding 2.
But recently, the 340 million yuan finally heard the sound. Lin Duo, who shot two home runs in a single game, seemed to have recovered.
transfers to New York with a sky-high contract. Lindo’s story is far from over. Now New York provides him with a bigger stage to show himself. How will the next story develop? Will he become the best hope to end the 35-year championship drought in the New York Metropolis?
For more stories about this Mr. 341 million, please see how Teacher Xiao Shen told this issue of "MLB Superstar Archives".
In fact, in the MLB major league, not only Xiao Shen told that Lin Duo has such a legendary story, but also the experience of such a player also "subverted" our imagination:
was only 22 years old, and only accumulated 143 appearances in his major league career. Even before playing the full season, he even won a record-breaking long contract of 14 years and 340 million US dollars. No matter from which perspective, this is unprecedented, and these all happened to one person - Fernando Tatis Jr.
Why did the team spend so much money on a young man who was only 22 years old and had not played the full season? If you want to know the answer, please pay attention to the third episode of "MLB Superstar Archives" told by Ke Fan.
Of course, if you want to recommend your idol to everyone, you are now facing an opportunity. "MLB Baseball Creation Camp" launched the #Why Become a Famous# topic event on the entire platform. Everyone is welcome to participate in the topic sharing, and you can tell those unknown stories; you can share those classic games; you can replicate the famous baseball movements to pay tribute to the legend... I look forward to everyone unlocking various forms and using their own ways to let more people understand the superstars you like.
