Sports stats



SAL1 Greenville Drive

Che-Hsuan Lin Selected to the MLB Futures Game

June 26, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, S.C. - A product of Taiwan, Drive outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin has put up solid numbers since joining the professional baseball ranks in the United States in 2007. His accomplishments have not gone unnoticed as he was selected Thursday to participate on the World team of the MLB Futures Game which will be held on July 13th at Yankee Stadium, as part of the 79th Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

The MLB Futures Game pits professional baseball's brightest prospects from all over the world against the best young players from the United States in Team USA versus the World Team. 25 players are selected to each team and are chosen by MLB in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America, USA Baseball and the 30 Major League Baseball clubs

"This is quite an honor for Che-Hsuan and one that is deserved," commented Drive manager Kevin Boles. "He's one of the top up and coming prospects in all of Minor League Baseball and has all of the tools to someday reach the Major Leagues. He has a tremendous work ethic which is highly regarded around the Boston Red Sox organization."

Lin becomes the first Drive player to be selected to this prestigious game while still wearing a Greenville uniform. Former pitcher Clay Buchholz participated in the 2007 MLB Futures Game, a season after playing for the Drive.

So far in 2008, Lin has been one of the Drive's most productive players - both offensively and defensively. He leads the entire Boston Red Sox farm system with 23 stolen bases and is tied for second in the 16-team South Atlantic League with six triples.

In addition, Lin ranks second on the Drive with 40 runs scored, third with 69 hits, and first with 32 bases on balls. Lin has been at his best during the current season when leading off an inning, batting .304 at the start of a frame. He is also hitting .345 with 24 RBI's when he comes to plate with runners in scoring position.

From April 25th through May 10th, Lin registered the fifth longest hitting streak in the South Atlantic League this year by hitting safely in 16 consecutive games. During that span he batted .319 (22-for-69) with two homers, 12 RBI's, and 10 runs scored.

Lin has also shown why is rated by Baseball America as having the best outfield arm in the Red Sox minor league system, registering four outfield assists. His defensive prowess has turned would-be hits into routine fly outs, as former Drive pitcher Chris Province was quoted as saying "it appears like he's on roller skates out there" in regards to Lin's speed.

The 19-year-old has been well-known in the Taiwan baseball circles since 2000, when he helped his 12-and-under Bronco League team to the World Championship with a grand slam.

Lin has played with other Taiwan national teams, including the Junior World Championship squad a year ago. He batted .353 with a home, double, two stolen bases, seven runs and two RBI's in 34 at-bats.

"This is another example of how the Boston Red Sox pride themselves on being one of the top organizations in terms of amateur and international scouting," added Drive General Manager Mike deMaine. "The Red Sox have committed significant resources to scouting and developing international players, Che-Hsuan Lin is a great example of the fruits of their labor."

Tickets to all Drive home games can be purchased by visiting www.GreenvilleDrive.com or by calling the Drive Ticket Office at (864) 240-4500.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

• Discuss this story on the South Atlantic League message board...

South Atlantic League Stories from June 26, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central