[外電]Tribe aims to establish winning identi

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Tribe aims to establish winning identity in second half Revamped roster has Indians within striking distance of first place at All-Star break By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 7/17/2013 12:39 P.M. ET http://ppt.cc/ekE8 CLEVELAND -- Every team strives to find its identity. With a revamped roster and new manager, the Indians knew it might take time for them to find theirs this season. As this campaign rolls into the second half, the Tribe believes it has determined its brand of baseball. 每支隊伍都在尋求自己的風格特色。也許笑臉人還需要些時間來從大改的名單和新的總仔中建立起自己的特色。但隨著下半季到來，印地安人已經打出了具笑臉人風格的棒球。 "I think this team is really starting to settle in," Indians veteran Jason Giambi said. "We've found that identity of who we are. We're going to come back. We're going to play hard. We're going to do the little things." That is who the Indians want to be down the stretch. 「我認為這隻隊伍真的開始準備好了」，老大哥 Giambi說：「我們探索自我；我們努力打球；我們從小處著手；我們要回來了！」這也是笑臉人一直都希望做到的事情。 Cleveland heads into the season's final 10 weeks situated within striking distance of the American League Central-leading Tigers. Detroit has a Cy Young Award winner, a reigning Triple Crown champion and two straight division titles. The Indians believe they just might have the moxie to pose a realistic challenge down the stretch. 克里夫蘭在球季的最後十個星期前仍和分區冠軍底特律老虎保持狙擊距離。雖然底特律有著賽揚獎投手、打擊三冠王，和連兩年分區冠軍，但印地安人相信他們到最後都還能和老虎隊叫板。 That confidence might stem from a recent wake-up call. The Tigers roared into Cleveland on July 5 for a four-game series and completely and utterly overpowered the Indians over the first two games. Following the second straight drubbing, Indians players called a closed-door meeting. The message was simple: The Indians had strayed from their identity and were putting the pressure on themselves. 這些自信可能是由於最近一次的奮起令來的： 7月5號老虎來勢洶洶的作客克里夫蘭四連戰，前兩戰也的確碾爆了笑臉人。在第二天的挫敗後，笑臉人球員集體開了個秘密會議，因為球隊正在偏離他們自己的方向，而且他們也給自己太多壓力了。 It was time to put the pressure back on the opposition. "There's a way to compete," Indians manager Terry Francona said, "and a way to fight back." 是時候讓壓力落在對方身上了。「總是有方法去競爭，」總教練Francona說：「也總是有方法反擊。」 The Indians responded with a crisp victory over the Tigers in the third game of the series and kept things interesting until the final out in the fourth game, which the Tribe lost in extra innings. That turnaround helped the confidence within Cleveland's clubhouse, where the players are beginning to believe that a rough stretch is simply that and nothing more. 第三戰印地安人乾淨俐落的解決了老虎隊，並讓第四戰一直到最後一個出局數前比賽都還有懸念（儘管印地安人在延長賽輸球）那場翻身的勝利使得自信心回到了球隊：一個系列賽就只是個系列賽，沒什麼大不了。 Giambi spoke in the players-only meeting, but quipped that he forgot what he said or why he felt the need to talk to his teammates. The 42-year-old veteran did say he has seen the team grow over the past few months. Giambi在那次球員會議中發表了些談話，不過他推託說他忘了說過什麼，或者是為什麼他覺得有需要和他的隊友們說些什麼。不過42歲的老大哥說他這幾個月真的看到了球隊的成長。 "You don't want to fall into what young teams can very much fall into," Giambi said. "That's the dwelling, like, 'Oh, God, we lost.' We could've very easily done that when we played Detroit. We could've very easily gone, 'Oh, it's over.' "Everybody has a vision of how you want to play and, unfortunately, they took it to us those first two games. But we didn't quit. We didn't panic. We answered back." 「你不會想和那些年輕人一樣陷入很深的負面情緒，」Giambi說：「像是『天啊，我們輸了！』我們其實可以相當容易的走出來，『喔，結束了。』」「每個人對於你會表現怎麼樣都有自己的預期，不過不幸的是，他們前兩戰痛宰我們。但是我們沒有退縮，我們沒有恐慌，我們回答：我們會再回來。」 That was a theme for the Tribe in the first half. 而這就是笑臉人上半季球隊的主題。 Consider the 20-game stretch that began on May 21 following an 18-4 run to the top of the AL Central standings. The subsequent 4-16 stumble knocked the Indians out of first place, included an eight-game losing streak and had the team's fan base -- more than familiar with in-season collapses -- thinking back to last season. 從開季的18勝4敗的美中龍頭，3/21號後的20戰4勝16敗（包括八連敗）使笑臉讓出美中第一，也使得球迷想起了去年及以往的季中崩盤。 A year ago, the Indians rolled into the All-Star break just three games out of first. The Tribe went on to suffer through an abysmal August and finished in fourth place with 94 defeats. This is not that team. 一年前，印地安人在明星賽前距離美中第一只有三場勝差，但在一個糟糕透頂的八月後，笑臉人以94敗坐收分區第四名。但現在已經不是以前那隊了。 "More than half of the team is new," said Nick Swisher, who was signed a four-year, $56 million contract over the offseason. "In that sense, you can't bank on what happened in the past. We weren't even here for that. We were doing our own thing back then." This team answered the early June swoon with 15 wins in the next 20 games. 「超過一半的球員都是新來的，」Swisher說，他是季末以4年56M簽下的：「在這樣的情況下，你不能停頓在以前發生過什麼。我們還沒走到那個地步呢！」這隻隊伍以稍早的六月狂勝（20戰贏了15場）回應了大家。 "It felt like 2012 there for that May stretch," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "But I don't think last year's team would've been able to turn it around the way we have this year. I don't think last year's team would've been able to show as much potential and consistency. That's been the big thing about this year." 「五月的那些連敗感覺很像12年時，」二壘手Kipnis說：「但我不覺得去年的隊伍有辦法像我們今年一樣起死回生。我不覺得去年可以展現如此的淺力和協調。這些都是我們今年才做得到的。」 The Indians have reached at least 50 wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2007, when the team came within one win of reaching the World Series. It has not always been pretty, but this Cleveland club -- Team Streak, if you will -- has shown its ability in prolonged stretches. The rotation has improved, the lineup has been fast and potent and the team has had a knack for two-out rallies and late comebacks. 印地安人今年是從07年來首度在明星賽前拿下50勝，當時球隊只剩一場勝利就可以前進世界大賽。雖然不總是令人滿意，但印地安人球團在長遠中展現了他們的能力：先發輪值被補強；打線變得強悍而有速度；球隊攻擊力在兩出局後以及比賽後半部反攻也都增強了許多。 Through the ups and downs, which have been drastic in both directions, the Indians have battled through their share of adversity. Key cogs such as Michael Bourn, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Zach McAllister and Swisher have missed time with injury. Then again, players such as Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes, Cody Allen, Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn have helped shore up the overall depth and production. 儘管起起伏伏，不管是在好壞都相當極端，笑臉人仍在劣勢努力的奮鬥。主力如Bourn、Cabrera、Perez、Pestano、McAllister和Swisher都因傷缺席過一陣子，但Kluber、Gomes、Allen、Aviles和Raburn都適時的填補了球隊的漏洞和產出。 Justin Masterson rebounded from a rough 2012, returned to being one of the league's premiere ground-ball specialists and workhorses and earned a spot on the All-Star team. Kipnis also made the All-Star team by emerging as Cleveland's best overall offensive weapon. Lefty Scott Kazmir -- out of the Majors a year ago -- could be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate at season's end. Masterson從跌跌撞撞的2012年走出，再次回到了那個聯盟獨特的滾地球大師和頂尖工作馬，同時他也入選了明星賽。Kipnis同樣也克里夫蘭全方面打者身份進入了明星賽。而左投Kazmir，儘管一年多沒在MLB出賽過，今年季末有可能是東山再起獎的熱門人選之一。 The contributions from the entire roster, and from some unexpected callups from the Minor Leagues, have pleased Francona. "Through it all, we've been a team, which I'm very proud of that," Francona said. "I like the idea that we play however many innings we're supposed to, whether it's nine, 10, 11 or whatever. They always play. They seem to care about each other. 整個輪值名單的貢獻，以及一些小聯盟上來的驚奇都一再地讓Francona樂不可支。「說到底，我們是一隻隊伍，這是我一直狠驕傲的一點，」Francona說：「我喜歡我們盡力去打能打的每一局，不管是9局、10局、11局，或更多。大家總是全力以赴，他們看起來都很關心彼此。」 "Again, what we've done in the first half makes the second half potentially really exciting." In the months ahead, the Indians plan on building on the identity they have started to establish. "We don't want to be known for being hot for a little bit and that was it," Bourn said. "That's not what we're going for. We want to be a team that's known for being a good team." 「再說一次，我們在上半季所做的讓下半季的可能越來越刺激了。」數月之前，這隻隊伍還在討論應該要建立怎樣的球隊風格。「我們不想要變得更有名一點點，因為那就那樣而已。」Bourn說：「這不是我們想要做的。我們希望讓大家都知道我們是隻很好的隊伍。」 First-half awards ─上半季功臣 MVP: Jason Kipnis The first-time All-Star emerged as the Tribe's best all-around offensive weapon. 這個第一次的全明星目前看來是笑臉最全方面的攻擊主力。 Cy Young: Justin Masterson The All-Star has rebounded and turned into one of the league's top workhorses 這位全明星也重新振作，並變回聯盟最頂尖的工作馬之一。 Rookie: Cody Allen The right-hander has developed into a reliable option in a variety of innings and situations. 這個右投手已經在大量的局數和狀況中，成長成一位可以信賴的後援。 Top reliever: Cody Allen The back end of the bullpen has had its issues, but Allen has helped shore thing up. 牛棚後段雖然一直都有點問題，不過Allen還算是支撐起來了。 Players to watch in second half ─下半季就拜託了！ Nick Swisher Swisher missed time due to injury in the first half and will aim to pick things up offensively. Swisher上半季因傷錯過了不少比賽，期許他接下來在攻擊面更有建樹。 Michael Bourn The leadoff man will look to pile up his usual numbers after missing time with a hand injury. 我們的開路先鋒Bourn從手傷復出後，將會尋求追回他以往的成績。 Vinnie Pestano The setup man will be looking to rebound after experiencing some first-half struggles. 佈局投手Pestano可望也可以從上半季的一些困頓中觸底反彈。 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 114.37.179.157