Carlos Beltrán calls it a “blessing.” That Bernie Williams had gone first. That Kevin Long entered his life. The time in which he played.
Beltrán had been a second-round pick in 1995, and after he played A-ball in 1996, just before he would turn 20, Royals officials and Beltrán determined the natural righty hitter should attempt to switch-hit to better capitalize on his speed from the left side.
That Beltrán embraced the notion owed much to Williams — who, like Beltrán, was a fleet center fielder from the northern coast of Puerto Rico. So Beltrán knew well that at 19, after two seasons in the low minors, Williams had made a fateful decision— a natural righty, he would learn to switch-hit or he would give up pro baseball and return to his native island to go to medical school.
Working tirelessly with particularly Brian Butterfield and Carlos Tosca, Williams adapted to hitting from both sides. That only changed Yankees history, as he became a middle-of-the-order, switch-hitting force of a dynasty.
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