[新聞] Melky's friendship with A-Rod is working out
Melky's friendship with A-Rod is working out
Friday, September 07, 2007
BY ED PRICE
Star-Ledger Staff
重點: A-Rod是牛奶弟幕後的良師益友(mentor)
1. 每天早晨當洋基隊在主場時, 一輛載客服務的車子會從Melky Cabrera在Edgewater
的公寓將他載往曼哈頓。之後, 他回到家吃過午餐再前往洋基球場。這在曼哈頓的時
間所作的練習是他本季，以某程度而言能夠幫助洋基從谷底翻身的主要關鍵。
(看來先前J-Train說他賽前打擊練習遲到，可能有誤會，原來還有這背後的故事)。
2. 在曼哈頓的兩個半小時裡，Cabrera丟著練習用球，舉重，同時在他幕後的良師
益友A-Rod的注視下作著伸展的練習。這種高度量身定作的訓練課程給Cabrera帶
來的成果，是讓他變得更為閃亮，更為強悍，使他有能耐去應付第一個大聯盟嚴酷
的完整球季。總教練Torre說: "他一直保持他的活力。能夠維持活力的相關訓練
對於球隊相當重要，老實跟你說，這就是我們這個球季多少能夠從逆境翻轉打到
這個成績的一個重要因素。"
3. 從六月一日，當Cabrera成為洋基固定的中外野手時，大約在那個時候他就開始和
A-Rod一起做賽前的練習。而他成為每日的先發選手後(本季所有比賽除了五場外他
全部先發), Cabrera的打擊率是.320, 打出6支全壘打, 7支三壘打, 18支二壘打,
得了50分。而這段期間，洋基的戰蹟是56勝33敗。
4. 季初A-rod認為Cabrera的體形可以練得更好, 便邀請Cabrera加入跟他作每天的訓練。
A-Rod並沒有強迫Cabrera同意，只是敝開大門歡迎他加入。Cabrera的回憶是，A-Rod
只說了: "跟我來吧! 走啊 'Leche.'"。(Cabrera在球員休息室的綽號是'Leche', 就
是西班牙語牛奶的意思, 發音很像Melky)。當Cabrera決定接受A-Rod的邀請後，他很
快就對這訓練感到著迷。
5. 表面上，這兩人是不可能成為搭擋的。他們外在的形象幾乎是完全相反的: A-Rod是個
冷漠的超級巨星，Cabrera則是個無憂無慮的小孩子。不但如此，今年的比賽過程中，
Cabrera這個8月11日才剛滿23歲的小伙子總和他的好哥們Cano在一起打打鬧鬧消磨時
時間，A-Rod卻是花著心思努力注意比賽的內容。但是比較不明顯的是，A-Rod會盡力
教導說西班牙語的年輕球員及Cabrera要認真去打好比賽。A-Rod的確提到當Cabrera
變成固定上場的球員時，他對Cabrera對比賽投入的態度感到"印象非常地深刻"。但拒
絕把Cabrera的好成績的任何一點歸功給自己，也不願意談論他是如何幫助Cabrera。
(這可能要回溯到2004-2005年的季後，當媒體提起A-Rod誇讚自己訓練課程有多棒時，
導致了正在春訓的波士頓紅襪隊的球員傳來一陣又一陣的嘲笑)。
6. 問Cabrera跟A-rod作例行性的訓練是否可以幫助他打好比賽，Cabrera挑起了眉毛, 瞪
大了眼睛說: "哇賽...是的!" 就好像他幾乎沒法相信訓練前和訓練後為何產生這麼大
的差別。(Cabrera是多明尼加出身的球員，他一直很認真地在學好英文，但是仍然不
太敢用英文和人交談)。這種提昇"核心的"力量的訓練已經幫助Cabrera提高了揮棒的
速度。他的體重也從今年初的207磅降到198磅，但最重要的是他肌耐力的提昇。打擊
教練Kevin Long說: "我從沒看過他拖球棒(drag), 沒有看過他有這種揮棒速度跟不上
的時候，這說的容易但做起來並不簡單。這表示每天他的身體都充滿了活力，你會想
到總會有幾天他會有拖球棒(bat dragging)的時候, 只是我一直都沒有等到。"
(註:拖球棒(bag drag): 指一直沒有用到力量的方式把球拉到反方向(constantly
pulling pitches with little power to the opposite field), 詳請請參考
http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/80764.html )
7. 每天洋基隊在主場時，載客服務的車子在九點時把Cabrera載到紐約市內。之後11點半
時他又被載回家裡吃午餐再趕到洋基球場。這些與A-Rod私人的訓練員一起作的訓練是
多樣化的。包括投練習用球，舉重及在泳池裡作敏捷性的操練或活動。當洋基在主場,
他倆會到A-Rod自己的訓練中心。假如洋基是打日場的話, 他們就作身體的伸展和按
摩。而當洋基到客場時, 他們則會在球隊住的旅館找個合適的房間或在附近找個體育
館作訓練。他們每天都會作這些訓練，即使洋基當天沒有比賽也一樣。
8. 除了A-Rod以外，Cabrera認為自己還要感謝Torre及教練團給他機會變成固定上場的球
員。Long說: "牛奶會變得砲管更大，也會變得更強壯，但是把他和Alex放在一起作訓
練, 對他而言絕對會增加很多的好處，在守備及打擊兩者都有。" 他繼續說: "我只是
希望不管(明年)A-Rod會不會還在這裡，牛奶小弟要記得持續作他作過這麼多的訓練，
我想他會記得的。"
NEW YORK -- Every morning when the Yankees are home, a car service picks up
Melky Cabrera from his Edgewater apartment and takes him into Manhattan.
Later, he returns home, has lunch and heads to Yankee Stadium.
What Cabrera does in-between is the key to his season and, in some sense, the
Yankees' turnaround.
During his 2 1/2 hours in the city, Cabrera tosses a medicine ball, lifts
weights and does stretches under the watchful eye of his behind-the-scenes
mentor: Alex Rodriguez. The result of this highly tailored workout regimen is
a lighter, stronger player who is more able to hold up under the rigors of
his first full major-league season.
"He's maintained his energy," manager Joe Torre said. "And the thing about
the energy, it's so important for us to have that. It's a big reason why we
were sort of able to do something about our season, to be honest with you."
Since June 1 -- when he took over as the Yankees' regular center fielder and
about the time he began working out with Rodriguez -- Cabrera has hit .320
with six homers, seven triples, 18 doubles and 50 runs scored while playing
in every game (starting all but five).
And the Yankees have gone 56-33.
Early in the season, Rodriguez figured Cabrera could be in better shape and
invited Cabrera to join him in his daily workouts. Rodriguez didn't want to
push Cabrera into it, just leave the door open.
As Cabrera recalls, Rodriguez would say, "Come on, let's go 'Leche.'"
(Cabrera's clubhouse nickname is "Leche" -- Spanish for milk, which sounds
like Melky.)
Once Cabrera decided to take up Rodriguez on his offer, he quickly got
hooked.
On the surface, it seems an unlikely pairing. Their reputations are near
opposite: Rodriguez the aloof superstar, Cabrera the carefree youngster.
And, yes, Rodriguez has made an effort this year to spend time getting locked
in for games while Cabrera, who turned 23 on Aug. 11, is often goofing around
with best pal Robinson Cano.
But less obvious is that Rodriguez makes an effort to mentor the younger
Spanish-speaking players, and Cabrera takes his game seriously.
Rodriguez did say he is "overly impressed" with Cabrera's commitment, as
Cabrera has not missed a day. But Rodriguez refuses to take credit for any of
Cabrera's accomplishments and is reluctant to talk about how he has helped
Cabrera. (That probably goes back to the 2004-05 off-season, when Rodriguez
was quoted bragging about his workouts, leading to a flurry of
spring-training jibes from the Boston Red Sox.)
Asked if his routine with Rodriguez has helped his play, Cabrera gave an
arched-eyebrow, wide-eyed look and said, "Oof," as if he can hardly believe
the difference. "Yeah."
(Cabrera, a native of the Dominican Republic, is making an earnest effort to
improve his English but is still shy and halting in his second tongue.)
Improved "core" strength has helped Cabrera's bat speed. His weight is 198
pounds, down from 207 earlier this year. But most important has been his
endurance.
"I haven't seen him drag," hitting coach Kevin Long said. "I haven't seen
slow days from him. (That's) easier said than done. There's life in his body
every day. You would expect there to be some days where you just see the bat
dragging. I just haven't seen it."
Every day when the Yankees are home, a car service picks up Cabrera at 9 a.m.
and takes him into New York. Then he returns home at about 11:30 for lunch
before heading to Yankee Stadium.
The workouts, done with Rodriguez's personal trainer, vary. They toss a
medicine ball, lift weights, do agility drills or work in a pool.
When the Yankees are at home, they go to A-Rod's workout center. If the
Yankees have a day game, they keep it to stretching and a massage. And when
the Yankees are on the road, they work out at the fitness room in the team
hotel or find a nearby gym.
They work out every day, even if the Yankees are off.
Besides Rodriguez, Cabrera gives credit to Torre and the coaching staff for
giving him the opportunity to be a regular.
"He was going to get bigger," Long said. "He was going to get stronger. But
the work he has put in with Alex has definitely shown big dividends, both
defensively and offensively.
"I just hope that whether Alex is here or not here (next year) he remembers a
lot of what he's done. I think he will."
Ed Price may be reached at
eprice@starledger.com
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
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