Hitting Coach Explains how Former Royals Star Carlos Beltran Became a Switch-Hitter

“They said, ‘Hey, we’ve got an idea… There’s a kid down there, 20 years old, his name is Carlos Beltran,'” Long said. “‘He’s a right-handed hitter only, and we want you to go down there and teach him how to hit left-handed.’ I said, well, hold on, this is during the middle of the season. He’s in High-A… I said ‘I’ll gladly go down there and give it a shot, but don’t you think this is a little far-fetched?’ They said, ‘Well, this is what we want to do as an organization, and we think you’re the perfect guy to do it.'”