[翻譯]Mo: Save the worry

Mo: Save the worry

Confident he'll close door on doubts



BY ANTHONY McCARRON

Published : May 9th 2007 / New York Daily News



Mariano Rivera is sitting at his locker at the Stadium, tucked into a corner of the Yankee clubhouse and mostly hidden from view. It is a peaceful spot in a busy room and perhaps provides just the kind of solace the struggling closer needs as he tries to pitch through what he calls "the worst start of my career."

Mariano Rivera坐在自己位在洋基休息室角落的更衣櫃前, 那是一向人聲鼎沸的休息室中難得的安靜角落, 讓這位近來遭遇他所謂"職業生涯中最糟糕的開季表現"的洋基當家終結者, 可以得到片刻的寧靜。



The 37-year-old Rivera, generally considered the best closer in baseball history, entered last night's game against the Rangers with a 1-3 record, an 8.44 ERA and just three saves in five chances. Opponents were hitting .318 against him. He lost Monday's game when he gave up a home run to Seattle's Adrian Beltre, the second-game winning homer he's allowed this year, but he insists he hasn't lost it.

37歲的Rivera, 被普遍認為是棒球史上最佳終結者, 不過在昨晚的比賽前, 他的成績是1勝3敗、防禦率8.44, 並且在五次救援成功狀態上場投球卻只拿下三個救援點, 被打擊率更高達.318。在週一晚間的比賽中, 他讓水手隊的Adrian Beltre擊出勝利打點全壘打, 這也是他今年第二度被全壘打擊敗, 但Rivera還是堅稱, 事情都在他的掌握之中。



"It's easy when everything goes fine," Rivera said. "You show your true character when you struggle like this. I don't know what people are thinking about me, but I know I feel the same way as I did last year and the year before. I feel real good, the velocity is there. It's nothing I have lost, it just happens. If you are a closer, you're going to blow saves and get saves. There's no in between.

"當事情進行順利時, 什麼事看起來都是理所當然且輕而易舉," Rivera說道 "不過唯有面臨掙扎時, 人才會顯現出自己真正的特質。我不知道人們現在怎麼看我, 不過我知道我自己和過去幾年並無不同, 我對自己的狀態感到滿意, 球速也有達到應有水準, 我感覺自己並沒有狀態下滑的問題, 輸掉比賽並不代表我狀況不佳。擔任球隊的終結者, 你會得到的結果本來就只有兩種, 不是救援成功, 就是失敗。"



"I feel I'm being tested right now, my character, my faith, how I conduct myself. It's different. But I love it. If God allows this test to be on me, hey, I'm willing to carry it. We are just starting; we'll see where we finish.

"我感覺現在老天爺正在考驗我, 考驗我的個人特質、我的信仰還有自我調適的能力。目前的狀況或許和過去大不相同, 不過我很享受這個過程, 如果這真是上帝給我的考驗, 我將樂於接受。球季才剛剛開始, 還不到下定論的時候。"



"I'm going to battle," Rivera continued. "I'm not going to sit down and start crying and wonder what happened. No, I'm not going to second-guess myself. I'm just going to do what I have to do. I believe I'll finish strong."

"我會勇於接受考驗," Rivera繼續說道 "我不會只是坐著掉淚、怨天尤人。我絕對不會對自己的能力有所質疑, 我只會繼續做我該做的事情, 我相信最後的結果將會令人滿意。"



But until Rivera's results change, questions about him will loom. Is it rust or age that is plaguing Rivera? Are we witnessing a blip in his career, or is this the beginning of his inevitable decline?

不過在Rivera回復往日身手之前, 人們對他的質疑將持續浮上檯面。究竟是慢熱還是因為年歲已大, 讓Rivera遲遲無法進入狀況？我們現在看到的究竟是個小小亂流？還是他的職業生涯已經走到了無法避免的下坡路？



With a few consecutive saves, a few cutters barreling in on hitters' hands, these questions will burn away like an early morning mist in a warming sun. But if this is a real downward trend for Rivera, the Yankees' season may be doomed, no matter how good Roger Clemens is.

只要連續幾場救援成功, 幾顆刁鑽的卡特球, 這些疑問就會像是晨霧般消失無蹤。不過如果這真是Rivera職業生涯開始走下坡的轉折點, 那麼這也代表著洋基的冠軍希望將消失無蹤, 無論火箭人表現多麼傑出都將於事無補。



Inside the clubhouse, the Yankees believe Rivera will be the same old Mo. And some opponents, such as the Rangers' Michael Young and Frank Catalanotto, can't understand the fuss. They were amazed at Rivera's famed cutter when the Yanks were in Texas last week.

在球隊中, 隊友都對Rivera遲早會回復往日身手一事深信不疑。就連其他球隊的球員, 像是遊騎兵的Michael Young和Frank Catalanotto, 也都表示無法理解為何人們要對Rivera的狀態感到擔心。 在上周的比賽中, Rivera威名遠播的卡特球仍舊讓他們印象深刻。



"Guys were coming into the dugout saying, 'Man, that thing is really moving,'" Catalanotto recalled last night.

"在打擊區面對Rivera之後回到休息室的人還是會說 : 天啊, 那球可真會跑" Catalanotto回憶上周比賽的情況說道。



"He threw me cutters," Young added. "They all looked like Mo, and that's a pretty big compliment."

"他用卡特球對付我," Young補充道 "所有的球看起來都和Mo過去所投的並無兩樣 "



But Rivera has been unable to make that cutter go where he wants all the time this season. Yankee catcher Jorge Posada says that when Rivera's location has been off, the ball has drifted over the heart of the plate, easy pickings for major league hitters.

不過Rivera在今年球季的確幾次無法將卡特球投到他所預期的位置。洋基捕手Jorge Posada表示, Rivera的卡特球一旦失投, 就會成了對大聯盟打者來說極易攻擊的紅中球。



A major league scout who regularly watches Rivera said while the pitcher is still throwing his cutter between 93 and 95 miles per hour, it has been coming in higher in the strike zone, making it easier for hitters to see.

一位時常觀看Rivera投球的大聯盟球探指出, 雖然Rivera的卡特球時速仍然介於93到95英里, 但是進壘點比起過去幾年較為偏高, 讓打者更容易看清楚球路。



"The further the ball is from your eyes, the harder it is to see, unless it's up in your eyes," the scout said. "Maybe he's got a little edge off because of his irregular work, like one thing leads to another. If he's on a normal schedule, he's unhittable. I think he'll bring the ball down and he'll be back to being Mariano Rivera. Maybe it's a week, maybe tonight."

"球的進壘點距離打者眼睛越遠, 打者就越難看清球路, 不過當球一旦偏高, 那就是另外一個故事了, " 那位球探指出 "或許癥結點在於他最近的出場機會實在很不規律, 一旦能規律出賽, 他將仍然是難以擊敗的。我相信他遲早會變回過去那個一手掌控球賽的Mo, 這搞不好就發生在一個禮拜內, 甚至就在今晚。"



But it might take more time, the scout added, if Rivera is beginning to dwell on his troubles. "Is it starting to bother him up here?" the scout wondered.

不過那位球探也強調, 要是Rivera本人因為目前的狀況而開始懷疑自己的話, 那可能就需要更多時間來找回昔日的自己。"這些狀況究竟有沒有真正對他造成困擾？" 那球探亟欲知道答案。



Rivera believes that his irregular work schedule has hurt him this season. He had made 12 appearances, which is actually slightly above average for this date in the season over his career, but two of his appearances came on the same day - both ends of a doubleheader. He's already pitched six times on rest of three or more days. All of last season, he pitched on similar rest 11 times.

Rivera本人也相信不規律的出場是讓他表現不佳的主因, 到目前為止, 他出場救援12次, 這比起過去幾年平均數字為高, 而其中還有在一天雙重戰中連續兩次出場救援的記錄。這個球季他已經有6次在休息超過3天的情況下出場救援, 去年一整年這樣的情況也不過只出現11次。



He had thrown 10-2/3 innings, an unusually low number. And his five save opportunities were tied for the fewest of his career over the same period.

到目前為止, 他僅僅投了10又2/3局, 這數字少得非常不尋常。他總共有5次救援成功的機會, 這也平了他職業生涯中同時期的最低記錄。



"Pitching is finesse, and if you don't do it constantly, you will lose it," Rivera said. "I'm not saying that because I'm doing bad, to create an excuse. I don't want you to think that. I'd just hope for more opportunities."

"投球是需要不斷地調整才能維持狀態, 如果你不持續地、規律地投, 你就會失去球感," Rivera說道 "我這樣說並不是在為自己的表現不佳找藉口, 你們千萬不要這麼解讀, 我不過就是希望有更多出場機會罷了"



"He gets stronger, better, when he has more work," Posada added. "When he's working a lot, his location is better.

"只要出場機會多, 他的表現就會越好、越強勢," Posada補充說道 "當他投球次數增加時, 球的進壘點就會更加刁鑽"



"So I wouldn't call this a decline, no. He's going to be fine."

"所以我並不認為他正在走下坡, 沒這回事！他遲早會恢復正常的。"