[外電] Giolito ready to climb

[vg175 (非典型廢言)]

http://0rz.tw/pSVBT

Pipeline Perspectives: Giolito ready to climb
By Jonathan Mayo

Once upon a time, pitchers would undergo elbow surgery and teams would hold
their breath and hope that once-promising arms would eventually bounce back.

曾經有過一段時間，當投手進開刀房動肘傷手術時母隊只能屏息以
待並祈求這些一度輝煌的手臂最後能反彈。

Today, that sounds like a fable, a tale our elders tell about how rough life
was "back in the day." Now, it seems that the rule is that pitchers not only
come back, but come back quickly. It is a rare exception when a pitcher doesn't
return from Tommy John surgery.

如今這聽起來像虛構的故事。像老人家用＂想當年啊～＂來告訴我
們過去有多艱困；現在，這樣的投手不只能康復而且進度有夠快。
不能從TJ中恢復的投手只是少數例外。

It's with that context that Jim Callis and I tackle this week's Pipeline
Perspectives: Which young Tommy John recipient do we feel most optimistic about
regarding long-term Major League success? While Jim is going with the Orioles'
Dylan Bundy, I'm arguing the case for Lucas Giolito of the Nationals.

這是我跟Jim Callis這週在Pipeline Perspectives爭執的主題：
我們對哪位接受TJ的年輕人能在大聯盟取得長遠成功感到最樂觀？
Jim選了金鶯的Dylan Bundy，我則認為應該是Lucas Giolito才對。

The best high school pitchers in back-to-back Drafts, the two are at different
points in their recoveries. Bundy had his surgery in late June of this year.
Giolito went under the knife in August 2012 and returned to competitive
pitching this summer.

這兩位連續兩年選秀會上最優秀的高中投手處於不同的復健階段，
Bundy今年六月底才動手術，Giolito則是2012年八月就進開刀房，
並於今年夏天回來比賽。

But this isn't really about who is going to be pitching first. And truth be
told, it's probably safe to assume that Jim and I believe both Bundy and
Giolito will go on to have the kinds of careers many envisioned when they came
out of the 2011 and 2012 Drafts, respectively. But while Bundy already made a
beeline up to the big leagues, pitching in two games in September 2012, I
believe Giolito is poised to start his own climb.

但這跟誰會先站上大聯盟並沒有多大關係。說老實話，Jim 跟我都
相信當Bundy及Giolito從2011與2012年選秀會中脫穎而出後，他們
都將擁有某些可預見的未來；這樣假設或許比較安全。當 Bundy已
經一直線衝上大聯盟並於2012年九月登板兩次後，我認為 Giolito
也已準備好開始屬於他自己的旅程。

The big right-hander from Southern California, ranked No. 69 on MLB.com's Top
100 Prospects list, came back and pitched exceptionally well in 11
well-monitored outings spanning 36 2/3 innings, throwing first in the Gulf
Coast League and then in the short-season New York-Penn League. Giolito kept
going in instructional league play and looks ready to take full-season ball by
storm in 2014.

這位南加州出身的高大右投名列官網百大新秀第69名，歸隊後在11
次亮眼出賽共36.2局裡展現強大能力。先於 GCL投出第一球，接著
進入短期聯盟New York-Penn League。 Giolito繼續在指導聯盟登
板，看來也準備好迎接2014年這個完整球季。

"He's doing great in all phases," Nationals farm director Doug Harris said.
"He had a terrific instructional league. The biggest things in instructs were
fundamentals, like holding runners and fielding his position. His changeup grew
significantly. At the start, the separation [between his changeup and fastball]
wasn't where we wanted it to be. By the end, it was 12, 13 miles per hour, and
he was throwing it for strikes."

＂所有階段他都做得很棒，＂國民農場大頭Doug Harris這麼說。
＂他在指導聯盟表現驚人，指導聯盟裡最重要的就是基礎，像看管
跑者跟防守。他的變速球也有顯著進展，剛開始變速球跟速球的差
別不如預期，但到最後已經有12，13英里的速差。而且他能靠這球
種取得好球數。＂

That could be a huge difference-maker. The argument for Bundy might be his
overall pitchability, but if Giolito's offspeed stuff has improved that much in
such a short time, it will really give him a chance to pitch at or near the top
of the Nats' rotation one day, alongside or right behind Stephen Strasburg.

變速球的養成與否有可能造成巨大的差別。 Bundy的利基是他也許
有能力不依靠球威壓制打者，而是用上他所有武器欺騙他們。但如
果 Giolito培養慢速球能力可以在短暫時間裡有如此長進，那他真
的很有機會站上或接近國民輪值頂點，就在 Stephen Strasburg後
面甚或並駕齊驅。

That's because Giolito's other stuff is already other-worldly, and is already
snapping back to pre-injury quality. He'll throw his fastball anywhere from
93-100 mph, adding and subtracting as needed. Giolito is 6-foot-6, so he throws
it from a tremendous angle. He's able to get swings and misses up in the zone,
but he also can bury a fastball down in the zone for strikes, making it unique
beyond just pure velocity.

那是因為 Giolito的其他能力完全不屬於這個次元，而且顯然已經
回到受傷前的狀態。他的速球可於93-100間自由穿梭，隨著情況需
要加減速度，也由於6呎6吋的身高讓出手角度看來如此驚人。他能
在好球帶上方騙到打者揮空，也可以把速球埋進好球帶底部，這也
令他的速球更獨特而不只是徒具速度而已。

Giolito's breaking ball is plus, too. And now that he's on a mound and back to
developing normally, it's getting better and better.

Giolito 的變化球也是超人一等，如今他已經站上投手丘並依正常
方式養成，情況會越來越好。

"The breaking ball is as good as you want to see," Harris said. "I know that's
a bold statement. It's a legitimate swing-and-miss power curve. He's learning
to repeat it and throw it for strikes."

＂變化球就跟你希望的一樣棒。＂
Harris說。
＂我知道這說明聽起來很大膽，那是能引誘揮空的正統強力曲球，
他正在學習能重複投出這樣的球並投進好球帶。＂

Behind rehabilitation coach Mark Grater and pitching coordinator Spin Williams,
the Nationals believe they have as good a rehab program and staff as any team
in baseball. So it didn't surprise them internally that they were able to see
what Giolito was capable of so quickly this summer. Add in a maturity that
belies his 19 years and no one doubts, myself included, that he is ready to
start fulfilling the immense potential that made many think he could have been
the first high school right-hander to ever be drafted No. 1 overall before his
elbow shelved him during his senior year of high school. Giolito ended up going
at No. 16.

有復健教練Mark Grater與投手協調員Spin Williams在，國民相信
自己的確掌握棒球界最好的重健課程及團隊，因此內部對他們看到
Giolito 能這麼快在這個夏天付復出並不感到意外。基於他19歲就
有如此成熟度，包括我在內都沒人懷疑他已經準備好藉由他龐大的
天份成為選秀史上第一個高中右投狀元，就像許多人所想的那樣。
可惜高年級傷到手肘後，最終Giolito落到第16順位。

"He's an extremely mature young man and he's a really hard worker. That
combination allows you to speed up the curve a little bit," Harris said. "He's
going to have an opportunity to compete at the next level next year. Where he
goes, we'll see. We're going to use the same course we've used with other
pitchers. His innings, like with any young pitchers, we will have parameters.
But we expect him to pitch a full season."

＂他還非常年輕並努力學習，這些優點能讓你曲球速度更快些。＂
Harris說。
＂明年他會得到前往下一個階層挑戰的機會。不管他在哪，我們拭
目以待。我們對待他的方式與其他投手沒有區別，他的投球局數跟
別的年輕投手一樣，都會有我們的參數。但我們也期待他能投完整
個球季。＂

Once Giolito gets through that, the gloves should start to come off and the
vision of seeing him carving up National League hitters will come into much
sharper focus.

一旦Giolito通過這些考驗就表示他已經開始向成功的道路邁進，
而等著看他怎麼屠宰國聯打者也勢必將成為焦點。

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