[翻譯] Dice-K defies conventional pitching

看板Matsuzaka_18作者nally (心如止水)時間16年前 (2009/04/10 11:49)推噓3(3推 0噓 8→)

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Living on the edge Dice-K defies conventional pitching wisdom, but gets results 活在刀口邊緣松阪挑戰傳統的投球模式，嘗到苦果 BOSTON -- As much as any pitcher in baseball, Daisuke Matsuzaka lives his professional life on the edge. And for the most part, he is successful out there. With a growing number of pitchers, pitching coaches and managers preaching the virtues of lowered pitch counts, pitching to contact, getting ahead early in the count, getting outs early in the count, Dice-K seems to be at the other end of the spectrum. He is a notorious nibbler, a pitcher who will not give in to a hitter, who will not throw a strike even when it appears that a strike must be thrown. 波士頓訊--像是任何一位投手一樣，松阪是在刀口邊緣討生，且大部分的時間，他都能成功解決。隨著大量的投手增加，投球教練跟管理者都會苦口婆心告訴他應該降低球數、早些讓球數領先、早點讓打者出局，不過松阪一直處於另一種層次，他是著名的啃食者，不讓步給打者，且即使應該要投好球了，也不輕易投出好球。 This would be a recipe for disaster for most pitchers. For Matsuzaka in 2008, it was a recipe instead for an 18-3 record and a 2.90 ERA. Last season, he pitched only 167 2/3 innings in part because of those soaring pitch counts. But over his two seasons in the Major Leagues, Matsuzaka is 33-16. His pitch counts may have been high, but his setbacks have not been many. 這對大部分投手而言，是發生災難的處方。但對於2008年的松阪而言，卻繳出了18勝3敗、防禦率2.90的好成績。上一季因為飆高的投球數，讓他僅投167 又2/3局。但在過去兩年的大聯盟出賽成績中，松阪累積共33勝16敗。他的投球數也許很高，但是他的挫折卻不是很多。 On Thursday at Fenway Park, success did not find Matsuzaka, or vice versa. This may have had as much to do with the opposition as with Dice-K. The Tampa Bay Rays are the defending American League champions. And they have an understanding of what might be a workable approach against the right-hander. 在芬威球場，星期四下午，成功之門沒有為松阪開啟，且得到相反的結果。松阪的對手--光芒積極要爭取美聯第一的位子，而他們也瞭解該用什麼有效方法來對付松阪。 "He has a good fastball," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "but he doesn't want to throw it over the plate for a strike." 光芒總教練Joe Maddon說：「他有很好的速球品質，但他卻不肯投出本壘版上方的好球。」 Matsuzaka can succeed even with this approach, Maddon said, because he has remarkable command of his breaking pitches. The way to hit against Masuzaka, the manager suggested, is to remain disciplined at the plate. "You have to maintain your patience with him," Maddon said. "You have to stay structured." 不過即使如此，松阪本來可以靠他的方法成功的，光芒總教練Joe Maddon說，因為松阪變化球的控球夠好。至於對付松阪的方法，Joe Maddon說打擊者必須要保持打擊節奏。「你跟松阪對決一定要有耐心，你必須要維持自己的打擊節奏。」Joe Maddon說。 The approach that the Rays took against Matsuzaka on Thursday appeared to be the right one. They touched him for four runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. More dramatically, they hammered three home runs off him. One was by third baseman Evan Longoria, a genuine emerging slugger, but the other two were by players not known for immense power: outfielder Matt Joyce and backup catcher Shawn Riggans. The three home runs allowed tied a career high for Matsuzaka. And these three home runs produced a four-run deficit from which the Red Sox would never fully recover in a 4-3 loss. Again, it is possible that this display of power may have had more to do with the Rays than with Matsuzaka. Maddon contends that Tampa Bay has more power than many people realize. 星期四下午，光芒對付松阪的方法顯然正確了，他們在5又1/3局裡，從松阪手中打出4分，且更可怕的是，從松阪手中轟了三隻全壘打。一支是三壘手Evan Longoria-一個有名的強力打者，但另外兩個卻不是以巨砲聞名的，包括外野手 Matt Joyce以及捕手Shawn Riggans。這三隻全壘打追平松阪生涯被轟的紀錄。而三隻全壘打所製造出來的四分，也讓紅襪終場無法補救，最後以4比3輸球。不過，光芒總教練Maddon說，光芒擁有比一般人們印象中更強大的打擊力。 "People always talk about our athleticism and our speed, but I think we also have a great deal of power," Maddon said. "There's more power on this team than people know or understand." 「人們總是提到我們隊伍的運動精神與速度，但我認為我們擁有強大的打擊能力 --這超出一般人們所知道或瞭解的。」光芒總教練Maddon說。 Apparently. Meanwhile, Matsuzaka was piling up the pitches, needing 100 to get through 5 1/3 innings. (Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza had 106 pitches in seven innings.) There is legitimate concern about how long Matsuzaka can continue pitching in this manner, even though his conditioning program may be more than rigorous. He is putting some serious mileage on his right arm and it may not all be necessary mileage. 顯然的，松阪在5又1/3局花費了100球才完成（光芒先發Matt Garza在七局投球中花了106球）。即使松阪練投練得嚴厲，但他這樣的投球能維持多久，是受到關注的。他總是要求自己要練投多少球數以上，而這不一定是必要的。 "I think he wants to be more economical," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I know that." 紅襪總教練粉柯南說：「我認為他想省球，我知道。」 On the other hand, it is difficult to quibble with an .857 winning percentage last season or a Major League-leading opponents' batting average of only .211. So the Red Sox can strongly suggest greater pitch-count economy, but they will not issue an ultimatum to Matsuzaka. "At the same time, we're not beating him over the head," Francona said. "What was he [in 2008], 18-3? That's not too bad." 另一方面，松阪上一季勝率為0.857，或者說對決大聯盟領先隊伍的平均打擊率僅為0.211，因此紅襪強烈建議松阪應該要多省球點。不過他們不會對松阪下最後通牒。「我們在建議他省球的同時，也不會逼他啦，他表現是18勝3敗，並不差呀。」 When you win 18 of 21 decisions in a season there is not much need for detailing your shortcomings. Thursday was the rare occasion when Matsuzaka was required to explain what had gone wrong. He attributed his difficulties to a combination of not having enough life on his fastball and command problems. 當你在一季中21場出賽中有18場贏球，這樣的表現就不必太過仔細分析其短絀之處。星期四這樣的慘況，對松阪比較少見，松阪必須解釋出了什麼問題，他將他的問題歸咎於沒有好的速球與控球。 The issue of pitch counts was raised again in a postgame media session. Matsuzaka said through an interpreter that an important thing to remember with him was: "I love to throw." 投球數的問題在賽後媒體訪問又被提出，松阪透過翻譯說，他一直記得重要的事是--「我愛投球。」 Of course. Somebody who didn't like to throw, if he managed to remain in this line of work, would presumably do everything possible to minimize the number of pitches per outing that he had to use. Still, Matsuzaka gets it, he understands, he sees clearly the direction in which he needs to move. "Right now, not being able to go deep in games is stressful, both for myself and the bullpen," Matsuzaka said. 當然對於一個不愛投球的人，假如他試圖要維持當投手這一行的話，他大概會盡可能地去最小化他每次出賽所要使用的投球數。當然松阪瞭解且清楚知道，他必須改變的方向。「現在，對我與牛棚而言，無法延長投球局數是有壓力的。」松阪說。 And that's the core issue. An 18-3 record is the stuff of legend. And it would have been even more fully regarded that way last season, except that Cleveland's Cliff Lee managed to record an even more astounding 22-3. Matsuzaka's average of 5.78 innings per start in 2008 was not at all impressive, even in an era when starting pitchers are routinely pampered. By comparison with two other AL East contemporaries, CC Sabathia averaged 7.23 innings per start last season, and Roy Halladay averaged 7.24 innings per appearance – and that included one relief appearance. 這就是核心重點了，上一季除了LEE成績更突出，為22勝3敗之外，松阪的18 勝3敗成績是傳奇故事，且上季這樣的投球方式一直被關注著。松阪在2008年的平均投球局數為5.78局，且並非每場先發都讓人印象深刻，即使在這先發投手普遍被寵壞的年代中。跟其他兩位美聯的東區同年齡的比較，CC Sabathia在去年的平均投球局數為7.23局，且Roy Halladay在去年的平均投球局數為7.24局-其中還包含一場是中繼上場的經驗。 It's paradoxical. The Red Sox got the victories they need from Dice-K, but they did not get the innings they needed from Matsuzaka. The competition in the AL East is going to require maximum output from all hands, as this opening series demonstrated with Tampa Bay taking two of three from Boston. "They're a good team," Francona said of the Rays. "We'd like to think we are. It will be a long, interesting season." 這是似是而非的，紅襪需要靠松阪拿到勝利，但他們無法從松阪手中拿到長局數。美聯東區的競爭，需要從各方高手中取得最好成績，如同一開季，光芒就從紅襪手中取得兩勝。粉柯南提到光芒，「這是一支很好的球隊，我們要思考我們該怎麼做，這是一個漫長而有趣的球季。」 No doubt. In the mix for the Red Sox, the role of Matsuzaka is extremely intriguing. In some ways he defies conventional pitching wisdom, and he does not get deep enough into enough games. And yet, 18-3. And you heard him say it, he loves to throw. Now all that is needed is for him to throw fewer pitches and more innings. 無疑的，在紅襪的陣容中，松阪的角色是極度有趣的，有時候他想挑戰過去傳統的投球習慣，而無法投長局數，但得到18勝3敗的成績，且你聽到他說他愛投球。現在他所需要做的，無非就是省球，與延長投球局數。 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)