[外電] Mathis賴以為生的武器－捕手Game-calling

[fountainNess (StevenSouza今年40HR)]

大略翻譯一下

－－－

Baseball believes in Jeff Mathis and the hidden value of game-calling by
catchers

Mathis is one of the best at something that cannot be measured but is valued

https://goo.gl/jLK8DP

by R.J.Anderson


Jeff Mathis的call game能力被棒球界認可，不過它是無法被衡量的

Game-calling once got Jim Leyritz exiled from the New York Yankees.

The story, as Jon Pessah tells it in his book "The Game," goes something like
this: In the 1996 World Series opener, Leyritz instructed his pitchers to throw
 fastballs to Atlanta Braves teenage outfielder Andruw Jones -- that despite
the Yankees scouts warning their battery to approach Jones with breaking and
offspeed pitches. Jones homered twice as part of a blowout victory, with
Leyritz confessing afterward he had hoped to trick Jones. Yes, both times.

Predictably, mercurial Yankees owner George Steinbrenner did not appreciate the
explanation. "I spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on scouting, and your
dumbass players don't follow instructions!" he's reported to have said.
Steinbrenner wanted flesh for the folly, and pressured general manager Bob
Watson to trade Leyritz that night. Watson did not budge, however, and Leyritz
redeemed himself later in the Series with a clutch home run en route to a
Yankees title. Watson did relent six weeks after Steinbrenner's initial demand,
sending Leyritz to the Los Angeles Angels for a pair of A-ball pitchers,
neither of whom ever donned the pinstripes.

以前洋基有個捕手不按照指示配offspeed對付安豬，call了快速球，

結果安豬打了兩隻全壘打，率領勇士打爆洋基

老史相當不爽，於是那位捕手就被賣給天使了

It reasons that if poor game-calling is grounds for banishment, as it was with
Leyritz in 1996, then good game-calling should merit a distinction approaching
sainthood. Baseball's recent history suggests teams do believe in the hidden
value of game-calling. Witness Jeff Mathis.

game calling不好會滾蛋，那很會call的強者如Mathis就有價值了


Mathis has been in the majors almost exclusively since the 2008 season. During
his career, he's caught for four teams and deposited more than $15 million,
owed in part to a pair of two-year contracts, including the one he's playing on
 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. With some luck, he'll finish with as many
seasons played as Hall of Famer Mike Piazza (16) -- with more luck, he'll
finish with as many as Johnny Bench (17) or Yogi Berra (19). Pitchers and
coaches, those positioned to know best about Mathis's contributions, adore him,
to the point where their praise borders on hagiography. And yet his offensive
statistics are horrible -- some of the worst in modern baseball -- and suggest
he should've been out of a gig a long time ago. A reasonable person, then,
must ask: Just what are teams measuring with Mathis that no one else does?

Mathis為何能從2005打到現在？他到底有啥厲害之處？

The funny thing about Mathis is that he almost didn't become a catcher.
Predominantly a shortstop and pitcher at Marianna High School, located in the
Florida panhandle, he slid behind the plate as a senior because his team needed
him to -- he was "the only guy on his team who could handle" pitcher and
eventual first-round pick Alan Horne, per an old ESPN scouting report. The
what-if game with Mathis doesn't end there, or on a baseball diamond. He was a
skilled quarterback, one who led his team to the state title game. He had an
offer to play at Florida State University and had the chance to star in both
sports. Those aspirations ended soon after the Los Angeles Angels drafted him
33rd overall in 2001.

有趣的是他差點不是捕手，高中當過游擊跟投手，結果因為他是「隊上唯一能安撫投手」
的人被叫去當捕手。

他曾經是個厲害的四分衛，帶領他的球隊打到州冠軍，佛州州立大學也找他來打美足。

2001年他被天使以33順位選中，開啟他的premium之路。

In the 17 years since, Mathis's career has become more puzzling than quantum
physics. He is, it seems, the ballplayer who cannot be judged by statistical
evaluation.

他是個不能以數據評估的選手。

At the plate, Mathis has recorded a 52 OPS+ in nearly 2,500 plate appearances
since debuting in 2005 -- that's the worst mark among hitters with more than
2,000 trips to the plate during that same time frame. The next-worst hitter
has been Cesar Izturis, a slick-fielding shortstop who checked out in 2013 at
60. Jose Molina, a mentor to Mathis early in his career, is the next-worst
catcher -- his 64 OPS+ looks healthy by comparison. Whereas Molina enjoyed a
late-career popularity surge due to the public quantification of catcher
framing by Dan Turkenkopf and Mike Fast (both now employed by MLB teams),
Mathis is still waiting for the day when an intrepid researcher elevates him
into a cause c幨鋐re by capturing his raison d'皻re on a spreadsheet.

他在2500個PA只有52 OPS+

同個時間超過2000PA的打擊爛咖，第二爛防守很好的游擊是Cesar Izturis，第三爛是
Mathis的師父Jose Molina

Jose Molina在生涯末期因為捕手framing被看重

徒弟Mathis也在等大家注意到他的生存之道

All the tangled variables involved in quantifying game-calling provide a nearly
insurmountable obstacle for analysts hoping to capture its value in an
objective form. Because of that, Mathis's defense will continue to look more
good than great when measured by numbers. His career 28 percent caught-stealing
rate is one percentage point higher than the league-average, and his 1.96 pop
time -- scouts' go-to measure for judging catchers' ability to shut down the
basepaths --  was two-hundredths quicker than average in 2017, per Baseball
Info Solutions. Baseball Prospectus, bless their hearts, offers the most
complete view of a catcher's defensive by considering their framing, blocking,
and throwing. Mathis's mitt, per BP, has been worth about five runs per full
season. Solid, no doubt; the second coming, not quite.

Mathis生涯阻殺率28％只高於聯盟平均1％，而他起身速度1.96秒，也只比平均好2％

對捕手評估比較用心，包含framing、擋球、傳球的BP，認為Mathis一季值得五分，

不錯，但沒到很頂


Add it all together and Mathis has tallied 3.9 Wins Above Replacement in his
career, according to BP. His numbers at other sites are worse: 1.2 wins at
Baseball Reference, and -0.8 at FanGraphs. Forget defying statistical
evaluation -- Mathis is the player who has evaded the statistical evolution.
Teams are said to be as smart as ever, staffed by Ivy Leaguers who are
equipped with endless amounts of data. (The Diamondbacks are no exception:
They employ well-regarded quants Mike Fitzgerald and Jack Goin.) Mathis would
seem to flunk every red-number test thrown his way. How then is he still on a
big-league roster?

Mathis生涯WAR

BP: 3.9
BR: 1.2
FG:-0.8

用什麼數據跑，Mathis應該都很爛，那他為何還是MLB級？

"I think a lot of the reason I'm still able to be in this game is because of
the pride I took on the defensive side, handling those pitchers, and getting
to know all those pitchers," Mathis told CBS Sports.

「應該是我很會跟投手相處、了解他們」他說 

Others agree.

"Mathis had an uncanny ability to be able to have a good, strong, solid
relationship with our entire pitching staff," said ex-Angels general manager
and farm director Tony Reagins. "Obviously his offense wasn't major-league
average, but his ability to call a game and his ability to have that
relationship with the entire pitching staff made our team better."

前天使GM Tony Reagins表示「Mathis能跟整個投手群建立很強大的關係，他call game
還有跟投手打好關係的能力讓球隊更好」

There is statistical support for Mathis's genius, but it's buried deep in
numbers prone to noise and variance. He's earned 100-plus plate appearances in
11 big-league seasons. In 10 of those tries, his team's pitchers have posted
better strikeout-to-walk ratios with him behind the plate than with the primary
alternative; in nine of those years, his team's pitchers have posted better
ERA and OPS against than with the primary alternative. Those numbers stretch
over four teams and countless pitchers, pitching coaches, ballparks, opponents.
That can't be a fluke -- can it?

在Mathis打超過100PA的11個球季中

有10個球季，他帶領的投手比其他同隊捕手有更好的三振－保送比率

有9個球季，他帶領的投手比其他同隊捕手有更好的ERA跟被OPS

這個數據橫跨四隊、無數個投手、投教、球場、對手，這應該不是巧合？

Mathis's game-calling abilities at times take on the air of a religious
experience. To see it first hand is the only way to morph "believe" into
"know." Perhaps that's why the Diamondbacks signed him to a two-year deal
worth $4 million last winter. Their then-new coaching staff included manager
Torey Lovullo and pitching coach Mike Butcher. Both had previously worked with
Mathis, either during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays or the Angels.
Perhaps, too, that's why the Diamondbacks then entrusted Mathis to become the
personal catcher for Zack Greinke, the club's $206-million ace who has drawn
comparisons to Greg Maddux for his command, his intelligence, and his demanding
ways. Mathis started 56 games in his first year with the D-Backs -- 25 of those
came with Greinke on the bump. That's faith.

這也許也是為什麼響尾蛇會讓Mathis接捕難搞的Zack Greinke

Few pitchers get to work with a backstop as skilled as Mathis. Those who do
get to work with a top-flight backstop remember it.

Toby David, a former minor-league pitcher, still vents about the bad catchers
he had to deal with, too. "We had a catcher in the low minors who, anytime a
runner got on first, would always call fastballs away," he said. "He sometimes
wouldn't even let you shake off. He wanted to make sure he had a good shot at
throwing out the baserunner, regardless of whether you were tossing meatballs
up there." As for the good catchers? David talks fondly about Dane Sardinha
and another one -- the one he got dressed down alongside by the coaches after
a clean inning.

某個小聯盟投手如此評價壞的捕手「只要有人在一壘就只call速球」

「他不讓你搖頭，他只想要抓跑者，你丟肉包球也沒差」


而好的捕手可能就像跟David合作過的Dane Sardinha還有另一個

他跟那個捕手有次丟了三上三下還被教練罵...

The reason for the coaches' ire seems laughable now. David's catcher had
"spotted up," or set up on the edges of the plate, allowing for the soft-tossing
 lefty to nibble on the edges. At the time, the Miami Marlins forbade their
minor-league catchers at levels lower than Double-A from setting up anywhere
but the middle of the plate on counts that weren't 0-2 or 1-2. The Marlins
wanted their young pitchers to learn to pitch to contact and to trust their
stuff. Neither David nor the catcher stayed in the system for long. That
catcher, named Greg Lovelady, has since resurfaced in an important baseball
role: Head coach at the University of Central Florida.

為何會被罵？

當時馬大魚要求投手在不是0-2或1-2的時候，只能丟紅中 

他們希望投手學會丟給打者打，相信自己的stuff

那個被罵的捕手沒留在馬魚系統很久

他叫Greg Lovelady（這什麼怪名，愛小姐）

他後來成為佛州中央大的總仔

The people interviewed for this piece -- coaches, scouts, former pitchers and
catchers, analysts -- almost all answered the same way when asked what made a
backstop good at the intellectual side of catching. According to them, a good
game-caller is a catcher who has the trust of his pitchers; who understands
what the pitcher on the mound is good at and how they tick; who has the trust
of his pitchers; who can game-plan and later make in-game or in-at-bat
adjustments; and who has the trust of his pitchers. Trust came up a lot --
trust, like that engendered by breaking the rules to help the pitcher along,
inadvertently or otherwise.

一個好的game-caller

是能得到投手信任的捕手

能了解投手的優點跟他們丟球的方式

還能得到投手信任的捕手

有比賽計畫、能在比賽中、打席中做出調整

並且是能得到投手信任的捕手

信任很重要所以出現了三次


就像上面那個案例，能得到投手的信任，一起打破球團的規定

"Toby and I had a great inning, we did our jobs, but at the end of the day that
 wasn't what the goal was, and that wasn't what they wanted," Lovelady said.
"I don't know if he was aware of that, because he had been there, but I was
not aware of that, I had just shown up [from playing in the College World
Series with the University of Miami]."

「我們有很好的一局，但那不是他們想要的」愛小姐說

Lovelady is now a rising star in the coaching ranks, having succeeded at Wright
 State before taking over UCF prior to last season. The Knights won their
conference in his first year, owed in part to the nation's fifth-best ERA --
their run prevention improved by 1.2 runs compared to the previous team.
Lovelady deserves at least part of the credit for that. He's the one who runs
the roster, he's the one who used his pro experience to alter how his catchers
approach the game, and he's the one who calls the pitches -- the same way most
amateur coaches do.

愛小姐現在是教練界的明日之星

他在Wright State得到成功

帶領UCF第一個球季就拿到聯盟冠軍

有國家第五好的ERA，比以前少丟1.2分

愛小姐用他的經驗指導捕手

他會在比賽中call pitch

Game-calling as a collegiate or high-school catcher often means little more
than looking to the dugout for the signal, flashing the appropriate number of
fingers, then doing it again. Catchers don't get a chance to learn their
opponents over three- and four-game series, so they rely on their coaches'
expertise. "We do a lot more studying than they do, just because that's what
our job is," Lovelady said.

大學或高中階層的捕手game-calling大概就是指看休息室的暗號

捕手沒機會學習

「我們做了很多學習」愛小姐說

But whether or not college catchers should be allowed to call their own games
is a lively debate, and one that has reasonable people on both sides. A
catcher has a better view--of pitcher and batter -- than anybody in the dugout.
Having a catcher who understands it, there's really no substitute for it,"
said Drew Dickinson, the pitching coach at the University of Illinois, where
batteries have been required to call their own games since head coach Dan
Hartleb took over in 2006. In the last five drafts, the Illini have produced
four pitchers or catchers selected in the top-10 rounds, including the
two-first round picks (Cody Sedlock and Tyler Jay).

大學捕手是否該自己call game？

這是個熱門議題

「沒有東西可以取代一個很懂的捕手」伊利諾大學的投手教練說

他們學校讓捕手自己call game

而他們在近五個選秀

製造了四個前十輪的投手或捕手

包括兩個首輪Cody Sedlock and Tyler Jay

Dickinson understands the importance of learning to call a game independent of
the bench. He reached Double-A after being selected by the Oakland Athletics
in the "Moneyball" draft, and believes players learn quicker when they're given
 the reins. He also believes the downsides are overstated. "The last thing a
coach wants to do at a certain level is say 'hey guys, you go ahead and take
it' and that's putting their trust into an 18-, a 19-, a 20-year-old kid for
their livelihood," he said. "My side of this is, well, teach those kids, you
know?"

「我認為應該要教這些孩子如何自己來」

Just how do teams teach those kids how to call games? Mathis's development
provides a hint.

如何訓練捕手學會call game?

看看Mathis的發展過程

"I've known Jeff since he was 18 years old, really," Butcher said. "His
pitcher-catcher relationship, so far as how he deals with pitchers, helps him
out. He's able to anticipate extremely well because he knows our guys that
well. He's done his homework. He puts himself in position -- obviously he
knows what's coming when he's calling pitches -- but to understand what the
pitcher is trying to do in those situations so he can anticipate balls in the
dirt or elevated fastballs."

「我從他18歲就認識他，因為他夠了解投手，所以他能預測他們想要什麼，他做很多功課
，他下了很多功夫，所以他在call投球的時候，知道投手會丟什麼過來，他知道球會落地或
吊高球」我蛇投教Butcher說

Butcher was indeed around when Mathis first became a professional. Butcher was
also around later on, when Mathis became a punchline. Put simply, Angels
manager Mike Scioscia -- himself a big-league catcher of more than 10 years --
preferred Mathis's defense to Mike Napoli's offense. Sabermetricians and
others of the quant cloth questioned, scoffed, and belittled Scioscia and
Mathis for the decision (which has been legislated and retried many, many
times).

有名的案例：說蝦寧願讓Mathis上也不用拿坡里

當時Butcher也在天使

But there's one aspect worth addressing. Scioscia wasn't merely John the
Baptist or an apostle when it came to Mathis's defense -- he was the unmoved
mover; the source of all that was, is, and ever will be; the reason Mathis
approached defense piously. "He really made a point to us that the
catcher-pitcher relationship was front and foremost in our job description,"
Mathis said of Scioscia. "He just wanted it to be known and that to be our
focus, not to be offensive, not to be baserunning, this, that, or the other.
The defensive side, and really the game-calling and pitcher-catcher
relationship was something that had to be front and foremost for his catchers.
"

「說蝦希望讓大家知道投捕關係是捕手最重要的事情」Mathis說

There are countless stories in baseball's past of a mentor urging their
apprentice to embrace this or that -- many of them hooked to the foul side of
time because the players don't have the talent or opportunity or luck needed
to have their stories told and their inspirations made clear. For instance,
Phil Garner isn't heralded as the muse to St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike
Matheny by anyone, even though Matheny was so moved by Garner as to include
this episode in his book: after Matheny jogged off the field following his
first big-league half-inning, Skip asked Rook why he had called a certain
pitch to a certain batter. Matheny didn't have an answer. That, he says,
taught him a lesson and sent him down a more intellectual road.

Mike Matheny以前被總仔問說為什麼要對某個打者call某個球。

當時他沒有答案

從此之後他更了解捕手的工作

If the lesson Mathis learned from Scioscia can be summed up in a similarly
neat anecdote, one that casts Scioscia as a catcher-obsessed Mr. Miyagi, it
might involve memory and intention as well. "When Jeff was with the Angels
farm system, under Scioscia, our catchers were required to learn every pitch
of every game -- to be able to recall," Butcher said. Books like "Moonwalking
with Einstein" have shown that just about anyone can use tricks, like the mind
palace technique, to retain and access large bundles of information. Memory
isn't innate, the book theorizes; it can be worked at and developed with smart
practice. Likewise, "a great memory isn't just a by-product of expertise,"
author Joshua Foer wrote, "it is the essence of expertise."

「當時說蝦希望農場的捕手了解每場比賽的每一場球，能夠回想它們」Butcher說

In Mathis' case, homing his memory -- his total pitch recall -- served as more
than the essence of his game-calling expertise -- it served as an example of
how to develop the other parts of his craft: with careful, constant work.
"It's hard work, it's time, it's repetition, and it's knowledge of the game.
I think all of those things are extremely important," Reagins said about the
art of game-calling. "It's taking ownership of your craft. I don't think it's
just something you're born with, I think it's something you're taught, and
it's something you repeated many, many times."

Mathis腦中記下非常多球

這是他學會的，努力、願意花時間、對比賽有足夠的理解

But to better appreciate Mathis, it's important to appreciate the finer
aspects of game-calling.

The desire to maintain a competitive advantage precludes Mathis from divulging
his secrets, or giving an example of how he would advise his pitcher to
challenge any given batter. His pitchers have occasionally spilled the beans
on his behalf -- each making certain to praise the backstop.

跟他合作過的投手也對他有好評價

Dan Haren, who the Diamondbacks now employ as a "pitching strategist," once
tweeted this:

我丟88曾經這樣推特

@LyleMSpencer
#Marlins Jose Fernandez: 2.40 career ERA, 1.95 with Jeff Mathis. Dan Haren
retired w/3.75 ERA. With Mathis: 2.57 in 35 games.

@ithrow88
@LyleMSpencer best catcher I threw to in my 13 years in the big leagues.

Lyle Spencer:
 JoFz生涯ERA 2.40 +Mathis 1.95
Haren生涯ERA 3.75 +Mathis 2.57

我丟88:
@Lyle 13年來合作過最好的捕手

Mathis has been credited with changing Greinke's pitch selection to include
more breaking balls -- the same tweak he made when he called games for the
late Jose Fernandez in Miami. "I shake him one time. The last guy I faced,
because I wanted to throw one changeup at least. But once in a game? It's
incredible,"Fernandez said in 2013. "Tempo-wise, he's calling, you throw it,
like I said, I shake him one time. I tell him, 'Hey, this time I didn't look
at the videos. I didn't do anything. I trust you. I know you're going to do
your stuff. I'm 100 percent I'm going to do what you want. He knows me really
well. He knows when I like to throw the pitches."

ZG開始丟更多變化球也是Mathis的功勞

JoFz這樣說過Mathis「有一場比賽我只搖了他一次頭，那是我面對的最後一個打者，因為
我想至少丟一個變速」 

「我跟他說『我沒看影片，我相信你』他知道我喜歡怎麼丟。」

From the outside, game-calling is seen as more than knowing when the pitcher
likes to throw his fastball or his changeup -- it's seen as an intersection of
art and science. What is the best way to get a batter out? Is it focusing on
the batter's weaknesses? Is it occasionally, like Leyritz in '96, paying
interest to game theory by giving in to the hitter's strength to fool him? Is
it, as the most ardent iconoclasts argue, simply using a random number
generator to call pitches?

game calling是個互動的藝術跟哲學

Those interviewed for this piece offered a different approach, expressed best
by Jerry Weinstein. "Pitch-call to the strengths of your pitcher,"  the
Colorado Rockies catching instructor and baseball lifer said. "I've always
said that the so-called 'wrong' pitch thrown with confidence is better than
the 'right' pitch thrown with doubt. This game is based on confidence. So, if
the pitcher feels confident in his ability to execute a particular pitch,
that's far more important than the so-called 'right' pitch."

洛磯的捕手指導說「有自信的丟錯誤的球種 比起 沒自信的丟正確的球種 好，這是個關
於自信的比賽。」

It's probably no coincidence that this answer is repeated nearly as often as
the one about trust. "Probably," because trust within a battery is borne from
reassuring the pitcher time and again, in upward of 100 times in a day or
night, that he is valued and understood, and that the catcher is there for him
 -- really -- and they'll get through this little three-hour journey together.
Traces of this reality are abound with the topic. To wit, when David gave
advice for catchers, his points were simple: 1) be an ally, not a cheerleader;
2) work to understand a pitcher's mindset -- and yes, it's different from the
catcher's mentality as a hitter; and 3) don't be lazy -- a catcher who blocks
every ball in the dirt offers more peace of mind than a warm blanket on a
chilly evening.

幾個建議

1.跟投手打好關係
2.了解投手的想法
3.不要懶惰，好好擋球


The modern catcher has more tools at their disposal than Mathis did when he
broke in. Teams are using more and more information, and handing the video and
the stat printouts to their batteries with the hope they can learn how to take
away the important parts and implement them into their gameplans. Communication,
 always paramount, is more important now than ever. That's why, Mathis says,
the toughest part of catching Greinke is staying on the same page. ("Just
making sure that I'm in the right spot, making sure I'm putting down the
fingers we talked about and went over in our gameplanning.") That means using
 that trusty memory to dial up how they intended to approach certain batters,
or how they desired to end sequences.

溝通很重要

Mathis說這是跟ZG合作最困難的地方

要知道他們倆的想法是一致的

這也需要投捕之間的相互信任

The added information undoubtedly helps inform those decisions, and in theory
can make a catchers' life easier -- what better way to boost a pitcher's
confidence than pointing to numbers and other tangible evidence that a certain
 approach works? "The technology gives you a foundation. It doesn't build the
[home] for you, but it gives you a foundation, and it gives you kind of a
default position. Then you're hoping you're able to adjust faster than they're
able to adjust," Weinstein said. "But overwhelmingly, it's like gambling.
You're the house, and the house always wins. The pitcher and the catcher are
 the house, because of the rule of 68 -- 68 percent of all fairly hit balls
in the big leagues are outs. So, overwhelmingly, the odds are in your favor."

數據也許能讓捕手輕鬆一點

數據能幫投手建立信心

Other developments are probable, too.

It's possible teams feel they have a grasp on how to translate game-calling
into runs and wins. They have a leg up on the public, after all, since they
know what the public does not: who dictates the pitcher-catcher relationship.
The Diamondbacks, for whatever it's worth, are paying Mathis for about a fifth
of a win per season, based on the accepted $10-million-per-WAR ratio. BP listed
Mathis as being worth 0.6 wins in 2017 -- that's without any value added for
his work with the pitching staff. Just a couple more runs would push Mathis --
 the feller who, at first glance is easy to paint as overpaid filler -- closer
 to big bargain territory.

Mathis可能比你們想的更有價值

It's also possible teams are already using the tools that will develop the new
Mathis. Clubs like the Tampa Bay Rays  have been using virtual reality to
assist their hitters for more than two seasons now. It's possible that the
same technology could help foster catchers. "Let's say part of game-calling is
being able to judge if a pitcher is tiring, and then adjusting a plan to
reflect a lack of stuff or movement as the game goes on," said Bryan Grosnick,
a managing consultant in the field of instructional design and training
development, as well as a writer at Baseball Prospectus. "One way you could
use virtual reality is to take video of a starting pitcher over the course of
100 pitches, and allow the catcher to use the virtual reality rig to note the
signs in his body, velocity, and movement that indicate where the pitcher is
tiring and what the changes are between his offerings as a result.

光芒也用VR來幫助捕手，讓他們可以回憶、做功課

"Virtual reality wouldn't be a replacement for the work of practicing getting
behind the dish and working with the staff, but it would rather be a way that
catchers could get extra looks at pitches (and pitchers) in a real-world
situation, without wearing a pitcher down ... or even wearing themselves down
by popping into a crouch and catching an extra-long bullpen session."

不過VR依然無法拿來取代真正的蹲捕及和投手合作

只能作為輔助

No matter the developmental methods, it'll still require a special individual
to become a Mathis-like figure -- one who has oodles of drive, passion, and
curiosity, as well as the ability to capture the trust and belief of his
teammates, coaches, and front offices. The deck is stacked against any one
player filling that role, but there are some candidates worth mentioning.
Expect to hear more about 18-year-old Will Banfield in the lead-up to June's
draft. He's the rare prep catcher who calls his own games. "Scouts rave about
his feel for catching," Rotoworld's Christopher Crawford said. Banfield should
go in the top 50.

不論科技、數據如何發展幫助捕手

要成為像Mathis一樣的捕手

需要全心全意投入、熱情、好奇心、並且要能得到隊友、教練跟高層的信賴


18歲的捕手Will Banfield可能會在今年選秀很前面被選中

他是罕見，能自己call game的「高中生」捕手

「他對接捕很有感覺」Christopher Crawford說

Acclaimed game-callers already in the professional machine, according to
Crawford, include Sean Murphy and Jason Goldstein, both in the A's system. Is
it a coincidence that Murphy played under Lovelady at Wright State? Is it a
coincidence that Goldstein played at Illinois under Dickinson and Hartleb? Is
it a coincidence that the A's -- the team best known for being ahead of the
curve, for valuing inefficiencies above all, and for digging where others dare
not -- employ them both? Maybe. Just know it wouldn't be the first time the
A's have been accused of dabbling in alchemy previously reserved for
philistines and heretics.

綠帽的Sean Murphy and Jason Goldstein也是很好的game-caller

Murphy曾經效力於愛小姐旗下

而Goldstein是伊利諾的產物

這是巧合嗎？

還是綠帽又再次走在時代的尖端？

As for the current model, Mathis is nearing the end of his playing days. He'll
spend the year catching Greinke and backing up Alex Avila before entering next
winter as a 35-year-old free-agent. He might play another season, he might
play another five. The answer is as unknowable as game-calling's statistical
impact on pitchers. It all depends on if an executive is convinced Mathis's
effect is both, as real as the invisible wifi signal beaming to their phone or
laptop, and nearly imperceptible on his stats page.

Mathis逐漸接近生涯末期

但他也許能因為game-calling繼續打幾年

When Mathis does stop playing, his name will almost certainly be bandied about
for managerial gigs -- the same way it was for Matheny. For the record, he
has acknowledged his interest in a post-playing career, should he get the
call. It seems likely -- baseball believes in Jeff Mathis, even when no one
else does.

當他退休後

他會成為總仔的可能人選

就跟Matheny一樣


就算其他人不相信他，棒球可能相信Jeff Mathis的價值。


－－－


爆長...

不過感覺對捕手又更了解了呢...


－－－

--
        AJPollock            2018 Arizona Diamondbacks 亞利桑那響尾蛇#20週年慶
 Peralta        Souza        SP1 Greinke  CP Boxberger  RP Delgado   Ｍ Lovull
o
    Marte  ◇  Owings        SP2 Ray      SU Bradley    RP J.Miller  GM Hazen
    Lamb ◇  ◇ Goldschmidt  SP3 Walker   RP Chafin     RP Barrett
           ◇                SP4 Corbin   RP 平野佳寿   Ｃ Herrmann  UT Descal
so
     Mathis/Avila            SP5 Godley   RP Sherfy     SS Ahmed     OF Dyson

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc), 來自: 123.194.159.180
※ 文章網址: https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/MLB/M.1519794554.A.FE8.html
推 maxxxxxx: 原來Mathis姓賴
推 porten812: Mathis大聯盟約，Napoli小聯盟約，高下立判
推 bestteam: Leyritz是要幫Posada清位置才交易走吧
推 carrhung: 翻譯辛苦了，推
推 ocean11: 愛小姐XDDD
推 phoenix286: 很有趣
推 eon4: 印象中陳跟Mathis搭檔時都丟得很好
推 TokyoHard: 數據派會跟你說這個沒價值啊,無法量化
推 r511042: Mike Matheny那段有誤，那段應該是說他新人蹲完第一個半
→ r511042: 局下來他當時的總a問他為什麼對某個打者call某種球，那
→ r511042: 邊是batter不是better
感謝，已修正
推 Asucks: 原來我們都誤會說蝦了
推 ga023630: XDDDDD 這篇很有趣 翻得很有意思 原來說瞎走在時代潮流
推 sam9595: Mathis根本超強 去年蛇蛇季後也他先發呀
推 geneaven: 看起來御幸和澤村這組也能打MLB了
推 catsondbs: 真正的Premium捕手
推 kenkenken31: 推推，捕手真的是特別的位置，守備價值遠大於棒子
推 BreathWay: 無法量化不代表不存在
推 as5656v: 認真推 超精簡
推 LlewynDavis: 我以為他跟詹子賢一樣都靠乾爹總教練的 原來那麼強
推 microSD: 推 很有趣的一篇文章
推 TrueTears: Jeff "Premium Defence" Mathis
推 jackys313: 我想數據派會想盡辦法把這東西量化 而不是斷定它沒價值
推 Brownson: 推好文
推 xyzzz: 之前還笑Mathis是說蝦的乾兒子，然來是我們錯怪說蝦惹:P
推 a382: 好棒的文章
→ sdiaa: 跟MATHIS搭配的陳偉殷 看起來像是賽揚獎投手
推 Brownson: 再推jackys313，數據派是會想辦法解釋這個現象，而不是
→ Brownson: 直接視為拉基
推 RG5678: 優文推
推 sikerkuaitai: 原來我們都錯怪說瞎了
推 yankeesbank: 陳偉殷 跟Mathis是賽揚 跟Realmuto配是全壘打製造機
推 e920528: 好讚的文
推 kenny781558: Mike Scioscia終於被平反了 哈哈
→ kenny781558: Mike Scioscia去年也把Maldonado養成金手套
推 ylrafale: 推個，新觀點(?
推 EEERRIICC: !
推 jardon: 應該是裸照吧XDD
推 cc9i: 推   好特別的觀點       call game 應該怎麼翻中文
→ fountainNess: 不具名大大：「掌控比賽」
推 chris750207: mo二哥在光芒時的比賽就有種不同的氛圍
→ lahugh: 說蝦 對不起
→ Witting: 可以叫靈氣 (誤)
→ ShaShoukun: 視為垃圾的那些基本上都是偽數據頭
推 ohnacl: Maldonado在釀酒人就不錯了
→ ShaShoukun: 真的數據頭會跟你說這種東西不一定不存在但是往往沒辦
→ ShaShoukun: 法蒐集都夠多的樣本來下去做解釋
→ ShaShoukun: 講極端一點，如果這種東西真的沒差，那隨便找一個路人
→ ShaShoukun: 下去call game看看，看投手是會被氣死還是根本沒差
推 leoturkey: 推
推 m0324h1987: 推
→ siliver: 只有一個疑問:那怎麼不是年年蹲好蹲滿??還是有挑人??
推 philxiao: 不要叫他愛小姐 他是愛小姐先生 但愛小姐先生應也愛小姐
推 ChrisDavis: 氣氛大師
→ ShaShoukun: 他其他方面的傷害還是存在啊
→ ShaShoukun: call game不錯讓他可以長期當二號但沒辦法讓他變主戰C
→ Doraemon9487: 這個問題是心理問題非常難量化 一樣檔球爛 遇到好
推 ChrisDavis: 而且前面提到拿胖只有小聯盟約，你也得考慮一下拿胖早
推 ChrisDavis: 就傷到自己不能蹲了，已經不一樣的案例不能拿出來比
推 ChrisDavis: 要讓他當主戰C,你就得忍受你打線只有八或七人
→ ShaShoukun: 這個看摸二哥也就明白了，他有很多優點可以讓你願意擺
推 TBDTBD: 推
→ ShaShoukun: 二號，但是他的棒子就是鳥到你不會抓他當主戰捕手
推 maxspeed150: game-calling這東西一直都很玄 某些投手就是跟某些
→ maxspeed150: 捕手搭得起來 而又跟某些人搭不起
→ maxspeed150: 數據頭其實一直在找方法描述這現象 不然就不會有
→ maxspeed150: Framing這數據的出現了 不過目前看起來還是不夠
推 maxspeed150: Mathis一直都是個很詭異的例子 他沒有球棒 沒有阻殺
→ maxspeed150: 球也接得不太好 但是就是永遠有人願意用他
阻殺進步不少
推 NightSoul: 說蝦慧眼識英雄
→ airplanes: 馬西斯與說蝦多年後終於洗白了 無法量化的能力
推 jackys313: 洗白也不至於 他浪費拿砲的能力還是不爭的事實
推 Blitzkrieg63: 長姿勢了  以後不嗆Mathis了XD
推 tucker: Jim Leyritz不是專職捕手吧，算是打擊給力有位置站的類型
→ tucker: 洋基老闆的理由是球隊找了很多球探偵察敵情結果不照著走，
→ tucker: 翻譯叫「不好好Call game」不大對啊，文章後面有例子講不
→ tucker: 照球隊方針指示但獲得好結果，那些捕手也要叫不好好call
推 tucker: game嗎？應該是說Leyritz的game calling不好才符合文意
感謝建議，改成「game calling不好」
→ ChrisDavis: 而且Napoli的蹲捕能力並不是真的很差
推 gyarados: 原來是氣氛大師
推 aborwang: 推
→ ShaShoukun: 應該說檯面上這些捕手其實都沒差到哪，就算一些人帳面
→ ShaShoukun: 上數據不太好看，那也是跟大聯盟的比，真的爛到很誇張
→ ShaShoukun: 不是在小聯盟被刷掉就是有點棒子轉corner fielder去了
推 tunababy: 補手ERA和OPS跟補的投手也有直接關係...
→ tunababy: 如果你每次都call ACE,你的CERA不會差到哪去....
推 shanaandlai: 換個角度，每次王牌都讓你call也是種肯定？
推 catsondbs: 後面不照球隊指示那個是小聯盟養成方計 會被罵不意外
推 tunababy: 2009其實就有人比較過Napoli和Mathis的差異...
推 pedrovish: 能讓ACE舒服就是個能力了 很多從小到大都是ACE的人個性
→ pedrovish: 很難搞
→ tunababy: 當年的差異,如果扣掉前年表現很好的santana,是主要由
→ tunababy: mathis接補的數據之後,其他投手兩人接補成績基本上是差
→ tunababy: 不多的,當年Santana也不是ACE,換句話講,這數據要能夠證
→ tunababy: 明真的補的比較好,那也是很難說....
忠於作者原意，當然這樣用數據是否合理不無疑問
→ tunababy: 而之後有人還比較過兩人接補和打擊的差異....
→ tunababy: 假設mathis是最好的補手,Napoli是最爛的補手,兩人在
→ tunababy: 附守上的差距,在unregressed number下是80分,而打擊的貢
→ tunababy: 獻是napoli多大概40分的產出..一來一回大概是40分...
→ tunababy: 但如果是regressed number的話,Mathis大概是防守多30
→ tunababy: 加上打擊反而倒輸10分..而以2009年的例子來說,他們兩個
→ tunababy: 並沒有接補差距那麼大的情況下,Mathis打撃太差是根本問
→ tunababy: 題....
推 OfanaticO: 翻譯好文推
推 mightymouse: 這種能力存在但還是有很多很玄的部分，對大部分投捕
→ mightymouse: 搭檔來說我覺得傾向於相性多過於能力
推 xw668: 不過mathis的打擊真的是.......相當「恐怖」
推 h3343134: 好文給推 錯怪說蝦了
推 ChrisDavis: 我是覺得這不算平反反而像是解釋為什麼可以留
推 r511042: 同意CD大，這篇比較像是找一個論點解釋為什麼一個數據基
→ r511042: 本上都沒有優於聯盟太多甚至打擊是重大缺陷的Mathis可以
→ r511042: 在聯盟打滾那麼久
推 kuaiphoto: 好文推！原來我誤會說蝦這麼久
推 andy880036s: 好文推 也推我城Tyler Jay
推 stpmouse: 推個~Mathis從趙大的文章第一次日聽到
推 yann03250325: 超級有趣的
推 MrNeverDie: 推你的「大略」翻譯XD
推 anfernee0520: 長知識，搞定投手就是搞定一切
推 zyx12320: 推推
推 DamonAlbarn: 好文給推
推 rainman1025: 好文推
推 Aaronko: 推
推 kee32: 怎麼不能量化，Dan Haren不是算給大家看了？
※ 編輯: fountainNess (123.194.159.180), 02/28/2018 22:37:36
→ ShaShoukun: 看CERA問題很多，一是投手狀況不一定每場相同，二是一
→ ShaShoukun: 季累積下來的樣本沒有大到可以忽略前者的問題，如果拉
→ ShaShoukun: 到跨季，你又要確定這個投手不會有大幅退化之類的
→ ShaShoukun: 不是不能量化，是很難量化，到現在都還有數據頭在想辦
→ ShaShoukun: 法，用檯面上的一般數據簡易去做問題還是太多
推 maxspeed150: 當投手狀況就是不好 丟不進去的時候 I-Rod或方克偉
→ maxspeed150: 接起來也不會差太多啦 一樣會炸掉
推 xxjasonbox: 推翻譯
推 redsoxnation: 推
推 searoar: push
推 SULAjardin: 說蝦推薦本篇文章
推 jet113102: 當年拿胖還能蹲捕的時候守備是不輸Mathis的
→ jet113102: 更不用說在進攻方面的貢獻，但Mathis比較健康也是事實
推 bert: 推
※ 編輯: fountainNess (122.116.230.44), 03/01/2018 09:53:51
推 shoulinchang: 好文推.有些東西數據無法呈現,只有參與其中才能體會
推 ksaon: 我丟88  XDDD
推 realG: c幨鋐re
→ fountainNess: 那是法文，我之後再改（汗顏
推 MarkAppel: 推 感謝翻譯
推 atozspeed: 這篇不錯！
推 echomica: 當年說蝦用premium冰拿胖這件事 在ptt根本被酸爆了
推 maxspeed150: 不只在PTT 在美國鄉民論壇也是
→ maxspeed150: 天使版有篇當年美國鄉民寫的童話
推 hikaruton: 這篇讚 跟我在球場的經驗不謀而合
推 lingling0000: 推啊啊 好文!!!
推 s6525480: 說蝦拍謝
推 ImpactBlue: 叫可教，非常叫！
推 MLVForgood: 有趣 感謝翻譯
推 StomviTp: 國見比呂有好老婆
推 ccpc: 這有內建キャッチャー◎ 守備信頼感(捕手) ...
推 kusami: 不是無法量化 只是還沒找出量化的Model
推 fifybelle: 推
推 PsMonkey: 當初看 LAA 的拿胖真的很悲催阿 XD
推 chieher: 爆！
推 Taijiquan: 日本棒球漫畫裡的捕手  是不是call game都超強  害人以
→ Taijiquan: 為這是捕手基本技能？