[翻譯]Scouts Honor Arm, Not Legs

Scouts Honor Arm, Not Legs



BY JOHN HARPER

Published : May 7th 2007 / New York Daily News



One day during spring training in the Braves' camp, Chipper Jones was talking, touching on several topics, when the subject got around to Roger Clemens, and whether he thought the Rocket would pitch again in 2007.

在今年春訓期間、一次在亞特蘭大和Chipper Jones的談話中, 我們談到了許多話題, 而當聊到Roger Clemens時, 記者問他是否認為火箭人會在2007年球季重返球場。



"Oh, there's no doubt," Chipper said. "We saw him at the end of last season and he was about as good that night as I've ever seen him. For me, he's got one of the nastiest splitters in the game, but you can never look for it because he still gets (his fastball) up there at 92-93.

"我肯定他一定會繼續投下去" Chipper這麼回答 "當我們在去年球季末遇上他時, 他的狀況還是一如既往的好, 我從未見過更刁鑽的指叉球, 而當你想要挑其他球種攻擊時, 卻發現他的快速球時速還是高達92-93英里"



"He still comes right at you, with some of the best stuff we see all year. Hell, I wish he'd retire, or at least go back to the American League."

"他仍然為對手帶來極大威脅, 他的球威也仍然是聯盟中的佼佼者。該死！我真希望他宣佈退休, 不然換回美聯的球隊也好"



So Clemens has made Chipper Jones happy, along with everyone in the Yankees' universe, with his decision to return to the Bronx. But more to the point, Jones' scouting report on the Rocket offers all you really need to know about whether he'll still be effective at soon-to-turn 45.

看來Clemens重返Bronx的決定不僅僅滿足了洋基球團的需要, 也回應了Chipper Jones的請求。而Chipper對火箭人的看法, 也某種程度上解答了人們對這個將滿45歲的投手是否仍可為球隊做出貢獻的疑慮。



Clemens' numbers from last season with the Astros are proof enough that he can still be effective, even dominant. He went 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA over 19 starts, beginning on June 22, and averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, with 102 K's in 113 innings.

Clemens去年球季效力太空人的數據, 就足以證明他不僅僅仍然是個績效超高的投手, 他幾乎可說是完全掌控比賽。在6月22日重新回到球場之後, 他繳出了7勝6敗、防禦率2.30的成績, 在113局的投球中三振對手102人次。



The Astros averaged only 3.9 runs in his starts, and failed to score more than three runs in any of his six losses.

別忘了, 在他先發的場次中, 隊友平均每場只為他攻下3.9分, 在他6場承擔敗戰的比賽中, 太空人甚至沒有一場得分超過3分。



Right to the end, Clemens looked strong. In the start to which Jones referred, Sept.29 in Atlanta, Clemens pitched five shutout innings before giving up two in the sixth, then coming out for a pinch-hitter with the Astros behind 2-0. In his six innings he racked up seven strikeouts, with Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones among them.

就算球季接近尾聲, 他仍然一樣難以擊倒, 在Chipper Jones提到的那場比賽中 - 9月29日太空人作客亞特蘭大, 在前五局中, 勇士都無法越雷池一步, Clemens一直到六局才失掉2分, 而之後則在教練決定更換代打的情況下被換下, 在六局的投球中, 他三振勇士打者7個人次 - 其中包含Chipper Jones和Andruw Jones在內。



Last night two NL scouts basically agreed with Jones' assessment, expressing only minor concerns.

昨天晚上兩位接受記者採訪的國聯球隊球探基本上和Chipper Jones的看法一致, 不過還是有個小小隱憂。



"The thing you know about him is that he's going to be in shape," one scout said, "and at his age that's the biggest hurdle, obviously. I think the only real worry with him is his legs. He's had hamstring and groin injuries in the past, and if he pulls something now, at his age, it takes longer and longer to come back from something like that."

"根據我們對Clemens的了解, 可以確定的是, 他一定會想辦法讓自己的身體保持狀況," 其中一位球探說道 "而這也是我們在談到像他如此高齡選手時的主要顧慮, 不過以他的狀況看來, 我們唯一需要擔心的其實是他的腳, 他的腿筋和鼠蹊部都曾有過拉傷的記錄, 如果他現在有任何部位拉傷, 考量他的年齡, 傷勢將會需要比過去更長的時間才能復原。"



Clemens had a hamstring injury that made him ineffective for Houston in the 2005 World Series against the White Sox.

Clemens在2005年太空人對決白襪的世界大賽期間, 就因為拉傷腿筋而無法對球隊做出貢獻。



Another scout who saw three starts last season echoed Jones' sentiment regarding Clemens' splitter, calling it "the pitch that resurrected his career after he left the Red Sox (in 1997). It sinks so hard and late, with such bite on most nights, that it gets strikeouts for him and keeps hitters off his fastball.

另外一位曾在去年看過三場火箭人先發賽事的球探也完全認同Chipper Jones對Clemens指叉球的看法, 認為其指叉球是讓他在1997年離開紅襪後能重回巔峰的主要武器。Clemens的指叉球不僅下墜幅度極大, 運行軌跡也總是在最後一刻才出現變化, 在絕大多數的比賽中, 其指叉球的威力不僅僅讓他能三振對方打者, 還讓打者無法只抓其速球攻擊。



"I don't know if he'll be quite as effective going back to the American League. ... He may find himself throwing 90 pitches by the fifth inning on some nights.

"我不敢說他在美聯也能像在國聯一樣表現出色...或許在某些比賽中, 他會發現自己在五局結束前用球數就已經高達90球。"



"But overall I don't think it's a huge factor. He'll still give you six innings, two or three runs in most of his starts. And I do believe his presence will have an impact on the rest of that staff."

"不過就整體而言, 我不認為國聯和美聯的差異會對他的表現造成太大影響, 他仍然可以保持投完六局、失分大概在2到3分間的水準。"



Former Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre agreed on most counts.

前洋基投手教練Mel Stottlemyre也同意上述說法。



"When he tires, his legs tire before his arm does," Stottlemyre said last night. "He uses his legs so much to generate power, that's the only concern regarding his age. But as long as he stays healthy, he's still a premier power pitcher with a great splitter, and the intensity is something that rubs off on other guys."

"當他感到疲憊時, 他的腿會比他的手先發出警訊," Stottlemyre在昨晚接受訪問時這麼表示 "他非常倚賴他的腿來幫助他施力, 因此這(腿)也是在考量他的年齡之後最值得擔心的部份。不過只要他能保持健康, 他就仍然是個有著絕佳指叉球的頂尖投手, 而他的無比鬥志也勢必會感染其他人。"



It rubs off on observers, too. As Chipper Jones said: "With the stuff he throws, I can't imagine why he would retire."

就如Chipper Jones所言 "我無法想像仍然有著如此球威的他會選擇退休。"





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