[轉錄] Quintet of Yankees set to depart camp
經典賽就快來臨了，隨著報導的文章愈來愈多，
早上忍不住就衝了MLB. TV.
真期待呀~~
http://myurl.com.tw/na5m
03/01/2006 3:37 PM ET
Quintet of Yankees set to depart camp
Players excited to take part in World Baseball Classic
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- With a combination of excitement and trepidation, four Yankees
regulars will bid farewell to their teammates on Thursday, heading for the
inaugural World Baseball Classic.
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon will fly to Arizona on Thursday
night to join Team USA, while Bernie Williams will travel across Florida to
meet the Puerto Rican team in Port St. Lucie.
Al Leiter, who was a late addition to the United States' roster on Wednesday,
will also leave the team after Thursday's game.
"I'm looking forward to getting out there, seeing what it's like," Jeter
said. "To be honest with you, I don't know what to expect, what the
atmosphere is going to be like."
"I've been excited the whole time," Damon said. "It's something we have to
take great pride in, and hopefully the guys will show up and be ready to
play. I know I am."
Manager Joe Torre will play all four of his position players in Thursday's
spring opener, then say his goodbyes to his shortstop, third baseman, center
fielder and designated hitter. If Team USA or Puerto Rico -- or both -- make
it to the finals, the players would not return to camp until March 21.
"It's going to be strange," Torre said. "The four guys I'm seeing leave,
you'd like to believe they're pretty responsible and understanding of their
bodies."
A-Rod, one of the more routine-oriented players in the league, is excited for
the experience of taking part in the historic event, but he expressed some
sadness over leaving his teammates for three weeks.
"I guess once we get there it's going to be pretty exciting, but for me,
Spring Training is such an integral part of what I do," Rodriguez said. "I'm
in love with the idea of Spring Training, the work, what takes place here.
For me, it's going to be interesting to see how I get my work done there."
"I've always said that Spring Training and October are the best two months of
the year," Rodriguez added. "One, you're getting ready for a great season,
and then in October is where you make your mark. I'll miss that part of it."
Team USA manager Buck Martinez assured Rodriguez that there would be enough
people on the staff to get players as much work as they need, so A-Rod should
be able to get his share of batting practice and fielding drills in while
working out in Arizona.
"I expressed to him that, as important as winning this thing is, my
preparation for the season is the most important thing," Rodriguez said. "Any
time you're on the field, representing the U.S., it's an enormous
responsibility; but for me, my whole goal in life is to win a world
championship, and nothing goes in front of that."
Jeter isn't any more concerned about getting hurt than he would in a
Grapefruit League game. He knows that injuries are a part of the game, so
he's not going to lose any sleep worrying about it.
"You never go in thinking, 'Don't get hurt,'" Jeter said. "You go out, make
sure you're in shape and understand your body. All of the guys that are going
have been playing for a good while, and the older you get, the more you know
your body. You know when you can push yourself and when you have to step back
a little bit."
"So many times, you see guys getting hurt whether they're just fooling around
or not playing very hard," Damon said. "For me, I have to keep up with the
routine, play like every game may be my last."
Team USA is considered one of the favorites, along with the Dominican
Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Damon believes that the Classic games
will have a postseason atmosphere, with nationalistic pride on the line for
every player involved.
"The last thing we want to do is to embarrass our country, with how much
they've given to every single Major League player," Damon said. "We can't go
there and get embarrassed. We need to go out, hustle, play hard and do all
that good stuff. There are some tough teams, so we can't expect to go out and
win just by throwing our gloves on the field."
Whether the United States comes away with the trophy is another issue. Jeter
and Rodriguez are certainly confident, but they know that there are some good
teams standing in their path to the title.
"I'd say there are probably expectations for us to do well," Jeter said.
"It's a short tournament, it's only eight games, so you never know what's
going to happen. All you need is one good pitching performance, so I don't
know if you can say a certain team is a favorite."
"There are so many players from so many teams, I think we do have the
responsibility to show that we're the greatest country as far as baseball is
concerned," Rodriguez said. "We'll lace 'em up and see what happens."
Rodriguez wishes he had another week or two to get ready for the event, but
the United States' first game takes place on March 7, so he'll be as ready as
he can be. Jeter believes he's ready to go, though he knows that the quality
of the play will improve as the tournament goes on.
"Physically, I'm ready," Jeter said. "When it comes to being game-ready in
terms of timing, obviously the more games you play, the better you're going
to be. The longer the tournament goes on, the better people's timing will
be."
"For me, this is getting me ready for April 3," said Damon, referring to
Opening Day. "Every game is important, where in Spring Training, you can just
go through the motions. Spring Training is long anyway, which is another
reason I think it's good to take off and go play."
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