[翻譯] 還是沒人要看的Rays

看板Rays作者abc2090614 (casperxdd)時間14年前 (2010/09/07 21:29)推噓10(10推 0噓 2→)

留言12則, 10人參與討論串1/1

http://0rz.tw/GaKc4 Tampa Bay Rays: Still A Tough Sell 附圖1: 2008季後賽前一個月純品康那球場一景 http://0rz.tw/WHOIJ On Sept. 28, 1959, Henry Aaron saw the future. The Milwaukee Braves, the two-time defending National League pennant winners, played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of a best-of-three playoff series to determine who would meet the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. In Wisconsin, the Braves' story is legendary. The team moved from Boston after the 1952 season and became perhaps the greatest comet in major league history. The franchise was an immediate powerhouse, both financially and in the standings. In 1954, the Braves were in the pennant race until Aaron, then a rookie, broke his ankle in Cincinnati in early September. In 1956, they lost to the Dodgers on the final weekend of the season. They won the World Series in 1957, and took a three games-to-one lead in the '58 Series before losing to the Yankees in seven games. 在1959年9月28號，Hank Aaron看見了未來。前兩年都拿到國聯冠軍的密爾瓦基勇士隊(註: 那時是勇士而不是釀酒人)，要在五戰三勝的季後賽第一場作東出戰道奇隊，來決定誰會和芝加哥白襪在世界大賽碰頭。 (註:Henry是Hank的本名) 在Wisconsin，勇士隊的故事是個傳奇。他們在1952年季後離開了波士頓而來，成為了或許是在MLB史上最亮眼的慧星。他們不管在財務上或是成績上都是強隊。在1954年，勇士在Hank Aaron九月傷了腳踝前，一直在角逐分區冠軍。1956年，他們在最後一週才輸給道奇隊。1957年他們拿到了世界大賽冠軍，而在1958年打到了第七戰才輸給洋基隊。 Milwaukee was the first team to break the 2 million mark in attendance and -- competing with megacities New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- led the league in attendance for six consecutive years. The Braves ushered in the modern era of stadium economics: parking, concessions and the attitude that teams play in markets rather than cities. Then, in late September 1959, the Braves of Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn (all future Hall of Famers) were poised to head to the Series for a third straight season. But when Aaron and the others looked around Milwaukee County Stadium that day, they saw more empty seats than die-hard fans. Only 18,297 showed up. Aaron, looking at the paltry attendance for the most important game of the year, has always pointed to that day as the beginning of the end of the Braves in Milwaukee. The rest of the story is also legendary: The Braves led in each of the first two playoff games with the Dodgers, but lost them both. Milwaukee never contended again; by 1966, the team was gone, playing in Atlanta. The Milwaukee Braves are perhaps baseball's most-forgotten great team. 密爾瓦基勇士是第一支進場人數突破兩百萬的球隊，而且還是在和超大城市：紐約、洛杉磯、芝加哥的競爭下，連續六年在觀眾人數排行第一。勇士隊引進了現代的棒球經濟：包括停車場、販賣部和將觀眾鎖定在整個市場而非單一城市的態度。然後，在1959年的9月，在Aaron、Eddie Mathews及Warren Spahn(三位名人堂球員)帶領下的勇士，正準備要連三年進軍世界大賽。但在那天，當Aaron及其他人看著球場時，他們看見的是比死忠球迷還多的空椅子。只有18297人進場。當Aaron回想起在那場整季最重要的比賽上寥寥無幾的觀眾時，總說那天就是讓勇士在密爾瓦基的日子結束的起頭。剩下的故事也成了傳奇：勇士隊連續兩場在比賽中途領先，但最後都輸球。密爾瓦基從來沒再進過季後賽。到了1966年，球隊走了，落腳在亞特蘭大。密爾瓦基勇士隊成了史上最偉大的一隻被人忘記的球隊。附圖2: Crawford在和教士隊牛棚人數一樣多的觀眾面前接到這球 http://0rz.tw/s9fez Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Joe Maddon must be wondering if they are witnessing right now what Aaron and the Braves saw that long-ago day in 1959. The Tampa Bay Rays, the worst team in the history of organized baseball during their first decade (no franchise had ever lost 90 games in each of its first 10 seasons of existence), have never been a financial powerhouse or a fan favorite in a region historically dominated by snowbirds, transplants, spring training, retirees and football, but there are similarities to the scene in Milwaukee 50 or so years back. In recent years, the Rays have done everything right. They've drafted smartly. They've developed through the farm system. They've hired well. They've put marketable players on the field. And barring a seismic collapse this month, they'll make the playoffs again this season and have a chance to go to the World Series for the second time in three years. Crawford，Longoria和Maddon想必在思考，他們是否看到了當時Aaron及勇士隊在1959年的那天所看到的場景。Rays，這支史上在創隊頭十年裡打最爛的一支球隊(沒有一支球隊在創隊頭十年裡，每年都輸超過90場)，在這塊被候鳥、transplants(註：我不懂他指什麼) 、大聯盟春訓、退休老人和美式足球佔滿的地方上，從來不是一支有錢的隊伍，也不是一支球迷的最愛，但這和50年前的密爾瓦基很像。在最近幾年，光芒可是說是走對了每一步。他們選秀時很聰明，他們農場養出很多人，而且也找來對的人。他們在場上有值得看的球員。只要在這個月沒有崩潰，他們就能再一次進入季後賽，也是三年內第二次有機會進軍到世界大賽。 And yet Tampa Bay, despite having the second-best record in baseball (a mere game behind the Yankees heading into Thursday's action), is ninth out of 14 American League teams in attendance. When the Rays won the pennant in 2008, Tampa Bay was 12th of 14 in attendance. Teams generally can expect a spike in attendance during the year after an exciting pennant-winning season; but in 2009, the Rays finished 11th. They've never ranked higher than seventh and have never drawn more than 2.5 million fans. 但儘管光芒有全大聯盟第二好的成績(星期四時僅落後洋基一場勝差)，他們的進場人數不過是美聯14隊中的第9名。在2008年他們贏得美聯冠軍時，他們是第12名。通常一支球隊會預期拿到冠軍後的隔年會帶來進場人數暴增，但在2009他們只是第11名。他們從來沒有比第7名好，也從來沒有整年超過250萬人進場過。 The notion that fans will come out to support winning baseball is not holding with the Rays. And if the franchise cannot attract a fan base now, with one of the most exciting teams in baseball, it is difficult to envision a promising future for baseball in the region, one in which the Rays can sign and retain top players and so remain competitive. 戰績帶來球迷的觀念在光芒隊身上並不適用。如果他們現在無法建立起死忠球迷的市場和一支最棒的球隊，很難想像他們在這塊地上的前景，一個能夠簽下好錢員而且維持競爭力的前景。 On Monday, Aug.16, the Rays played the Rangers at home, and the matchup featured David Price against Cliff Lee, both of whom are among the top pitchers in the game. It was a possible first-round playoff preview. The Rays were chasing the Yankees and fighting off the Red Sox in the AL East race, and had their ace on the mound. The announced attendance for Tampa Bay's 6-4 win was 18,319. 在8月16日，光芒在主場出戰遊騎兵，而先發對戰的組合是Cliff Lee對決David Price，兩名本季最強的投手們。這場比賽可說是季後賽第一輪的前哨戰。光芒隊正追趕著洋基，也努力的把紅襪甩在後頭。光芒贏球之後宣布的進場人數為：18319 ....(待續) -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 203.67.207.28