[新聞]The New York Times

[KeithTseng (㊣骨折香蕉㊣)]

-Yankees 8, Red Sox 4
Hard Slog Puts Yankees on Top, Boston and Cleveland on Edge
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: October 2, 2005

BOSTON, Oct. 1 -The old lawn at Fenway Park was covered in shadows at 4:27 p.m.
Saturday, and Yankees Manager Joe Torre could have put away his sunglasses. In
 any other season, he would have.

芬威球場裡的那片老草皮在星期六下午四點二十七分時被陰影覆蓋了，
洋基教頭Joe Torre終於可以把他的太陽眼鏡收起來了。
在他執教的其他球季中，Torreㄧ定已經收好了。

Torre was witnessing the clinching of a division title. For the Yankees, it
happens every year, but this time was different. This time, the Yankees had to
 fight harder than they ever had in a decade under Torre.

Torre目擊了洋基隊奪取美聯東區的過程。
對洋基隊來說，這檔事（指封王）每年都發生，但這次有點不同。
這次，洋基必須比過去Torre執教的十年中更加努力。

Three months ago, they were a .500 team. But when Mariano Rivera tossed Johnny
 Damon's grounder to Tino Martinez for the last out of an 8-4 victory over the
 Boston Red Sox, the Yankees were American League East champions. Torre left
his sunglasses on.

三個月前，洋基還是支五成勝率的球隊。但是當Mariano Rivera把Johnny Damon的投手前
滾地球傳到一壘手Tino Martinez造成最後一個出局者時，洋基以八比四擊敗紅襪，洋基在
美聯東區封王。Torre把太陽眼鏡摘下來了。

"I had to cover up somehow," he said. "This club has made me very emotional
this year."Not all the Yankees knew they could clinch their eighth consecutive
 division title Saturday. They needed to beat the Red Sox, and they also needed
 the Chicago White Sox to beat the Cleveland Indians - which the White Sox did,
 4-3.

『我必須掩蓋（Torre留下男兒淚！）。』他說。『這支球隊今年使得我很容易感動。』
『不是所有洋基球員都知道他們星期六能夠連續八年奪得美聯東區王座，他們必須擊敗紅
襪，另外也需要芝加哥白襪隊擊敗克里夫蘭印地安人隊，而白襪隊真的以四比三擊敗印地
安人隊。』

Beating the Red Sox gave the Yankees (95-66) a one-game lead in the division
with one game to play. If the Red Sox beat the Yankees on Sunday, the Yankees
would still be awarded the division title because they have already won the
season series with Boston. The Yankees and the Red Sox have met 18 times this
season, with the Yankees winning 10.

擊敗紅襪使得洋基(９５勝-６６敗)在只剩一場比賽的強況下，領先對方ㄧ場勝差。
若週日紅襪擊敗洋基，因為洋基已經在球季賽中與紅襪隊的系列賽已經取得勝利，所以洋
基仍然是美聯東區冠軍。洋基與紅襪這個球季共交手１８次，洋基已經贏了１０場球。

For the Red Sox, the puzzle is simple: they will clinch a wild-card berth with
 a victory over the Yankees on Sunday or with a loss by Cleveland. If the
Indians win and the Red Sox lose, those teams play a one-game playoff Monday at
 Fenway Park.

對紅襪隊來說，問題很簡單，只要週日贏洋基或者印地安人隊輸球，他們都將獲得美聯外
卡的席位。萬一印地安人隊贏球而紅襪隊又輸球，兩隊將在芬威球場進行一場加賽。

If the Red Sox win the wild card, they will face the White Sox in the division
 series, and the Yankees will play the Los Angeles Angels. If the Indians win
the wild card, the Yankees will face Cleveland and the Angels will play Chicago
. The division series starts Tuesday.

若紅襪隊贏得外卡，在季後賽第一輪將面對白襪隊，而洋基將跟加州天使隊進行比賽。
萬一印地安人獲得外卡，那麼洋基的對手將是印地安人隊，而天使將和白襪比賽。
第一輪將在星期二展開。

"I was pretty good at math growing up," said the Yankees' Derek Jeter, who
figured out the permutations Friday night. "I don't think too many guys were
aware of it."

『我成長過程中數學一直都不錯。』Derek Jeter在週五晚上就算出來了。
Derek Jeter表示，『我想應該沒有很多人意識到這一點！』

Randy Johnson, who pitched seven and a third innings to beat Boston for the
fifth time this season, did not know the Yankees could clinch until his
teammate Mike Mussina told him in the eighth inning. Catcher John Flaherty did
 not know until his teammates were spraying Champagne in the clubhouse
afterward.

Randy Johnson投了７又１／３局，本季第五度擊敗紅襪。
直到八局時，隊友Mike Mussina告訴他後，Randy Johnson才知道洋基即將封王。
捕手John Flaherty直到後來隊友在更衣室開香檳時才意識到。

Gary Sheffield, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning and made two
sliding catches in right field, found out from Jeter on Saturday morning but
tried to forget it.

Gary Sheffield第一局就轟出兩分打點全壘打，並且在右外野有兩個美技守備。
他週六早上由Jeter處得知這件事（指洋基即將封王），但他試著將它忘記。

Sheffield said he told Jeter: "I don't want to hear it. Let's go win today, and
 we'll worry about it later on."

Sheffield說到：他跟Jeter說，『我不要聽那個。我們今天要贏球，晚點再來擔心這件事
。』

The Yankees signed Sheffield and traded for Alex Rodriguez before the 2004
season, looking for the added offensive punch that would produce their first
World Series title since 2000. Instead, the Yankees fell to Boston in the A.L.
 Championship Series, losing the last four games after winning the first three.

在２００４年球季開始前，洋基為了能增加打擊火力，以奪取自２０００年後的第一個世
界大賽冠軍，簽下了Sheffield並且交易來了A-Rod。然而，去年洋基隊卻在美聯冠軍賽兵
敗波士頓，先贏紅襪三場，但輸了最後四場球。

Sheffield and Rodriguez disappeared in the losses, combining for just 3 hits in
 34 at-bats. Both have rebounded with standout seasons, culminating on Saturday
, when Sheffield struck the first big blow of the game with his homer off Tim
Wakefield. Rodriguez went 4 for 5 with a homer.

Sheffield跟A-Rod在這幾場敗戰中猶如失蹤ㄧ般，合計３４個打數只出現３支安打。
兩人在這個球季重新振作，表現優異；週六火力大放送，Sheffield對Wakefield轟出這場
比賽第一支全壘打，A-Rod５打數４安打，包含一支全壘打。

"We've been in postseason mode here for about a month, kind of similar to what
 the Red Sox were last year," Rodriguez said. "I think it does help us."

『我們已經採季後賽模式將近一個月，很像去年紅襪隊一樣。』A-Rod說，『我想它真的很
有幫助。』

The Yankees have not lost consecutive games since Sept. 1 and 2, when they were
 three and a half games behind the Red Sox. They fell to four back after Boston
 won at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10.

洋基自從九月一日跟二日後，就不曾再連敗過，當時洋基以３。５場落後給紅襪。
在九月十日主場輸給紅襪後，掉到４場落後。

Johnson beat Wakefield the next day, 1-0, on a homer by the rejuvenated slugger
 Jason Giambi. Starting that day, the Yankees won 16 of 20 to secure the
division title.

隔日Johnson以１比０擊敗Wakefield，那一分是東山再起的強打者Jason Giambi的陽春全
壘打。從那一天開始，洋基２０戰中１６勝，確保了東區冠軍的席位。

"I've been very proud of this club," Torre said. "Once they got to the point of
 knowing the need to win and how necessary it was and the immediacy of it, I've
 never seen a more dedicated, more determined group of guys."

『我以這支球隊為榮！』Torre說，『一旦他們知道了有多需要贏球，我從來沒有看過一支
比他們更專注、更有決心的隊伍。』

It took prodding from Torre to bring out the Yankees' best. On May 6, they were
 11-19, their worst start under Torre, and they trailed Baltimore by nine games
 in the A.L. East. With the team still listing a month later, Torre lashed out
 at his players with an angry, profane speech after an ugly loss in St. Louis.

來自Torre的刺激帶給洋基最好的表現。四月六日，他們的戰績是１１勝１９負，這是自從
Torre執教洋基以來的最差開季成績。當時洋基在美聯東區以９場落後給巴爾的摩金鶯。一
個月後，洋基依然戰績不佳，在難堪的輸給聖路易紅雀後，Torre生氣的斥責他的選手。

On the morning of July 2, the Yankees were 39-39, with three starting pitchers
 on the disabled list. Their sprint to the finish was fueled by Giambi's
rebirth; the steady play of Rodriguez, Sheffield and others; and the surprise
contributions of several starters, notably Aaron Small.

七月二日早上，洋基的戰績是３９勝３９負，當時有三名先發投手都名列傷兵名單中。使
他們衝刺到終點的動力是Giambi的重生、A-Rod跟Sheffield及其他選手的穩定演出還有幾
名先發投手的驚奇貢獻，尤其是Aaron Small。

It was Small who first heard that the White Sox had won Saturday, and he
reported the news to Torre in the dugout in the eighth inning.

Small是第一個聽到白襪週六的消息的人，他在八局時將此事稟報人在休息區的Torre。

"Aaron Small came out and said, 'It's a final, it's a final, the White Sox won!'
 " Torre said. "That's great - he wins 10 games and gives me the score of the
White Sox game. Hell of a year for him."

『Aaron Small過來對我說，這是封王賽！這是封王賽！白襪贏球了！』Torre說。
『太好了，他贏了１０場球又給了我白襪比賽的比分，對他來說今年真棒！』

Johnson also had a satisfying finish to his first season with the Yankees. He
struggled with his release for months, causing his slider to flatten and his
earned run average to fatten. But Johnson, a five-time Cy Young award winner,
went 6-0 with a 1.93 earned run average in his last eight starts.

Johnson在洋基的第一個球季也有個滿意的結尾。他因為放球點的問題而掙扎了幾個月，
這問題使得他滑球失去尾勁、自責分率也上升。但是這位五屆賽揚獎得主在最後八場先發
中仍是取得６勝０敗，自責分率１。９３的佳績。

"I'm happy for Randy, because he's taken a lot of unfair criticism and he's
pitched excellent of late," Rodriguez said. "And that's what we got him for:
to come in here, in a hostile environment, and take a great lineup like the
Red Sox and dominate them. He's the one component we didn't have last year."

『我很替Randy Johnson高興，因為他承受了很多不公平的評論，而且球季末他投的真的很
好。』A-Rod說，『那就是我們需要他的原因，來到這裡（芬威球場），一個充滿敵意的環
境，面對像紅襪這般強勁的對手並且有效封鎖他們的火力。他正是去年我們缺少的那一部
份。』

Johnson allowed a two-run homer to Manny Ramirez in the first Saturday, but the
 Red Sox did not score again until the seventh. By then, the Yankees had seven
 runs; Hideki Matsui and Rodriguez also homered.

Johnson週六在第一局被Manny Ramirez轟出２分打點全壘打，但直至７局紅襪都未再度得
分。到七局時，洋基已經攻下７分，松井秀喜跟A-Rod也都擊出全壘打。

Rivera came in for the last three outs, and when they were secured, Jeter
raised his arms and bounded toward the mound. There were hugs all around and
tears for Torre, who usually saves such emotions for World Series celebrations.

Rivera上場面對最後三個人次，當最後守住勝果時，Jeter高舉手臂，跳上投手丘。洋基隊
員抱成一團，而在為世界冠軍慶祝時總是保留很多情緒的Torre也留下了男兒淚。

The Yankees need 11 more victories to enjoy one of those. But this moment was
 sweet enough for now.

要享受另一次歡樂慶功，洋基還需要１１場的勝利。但就現在來說，這一刻已經夠甜美！

"I played the game, and I know how tough it is to play, especially this time of
 year," Torre said. "And to have these guys be near flawless this time of year
 was incredible. I know one thing: they're going to enjoy the postseason
because of how much they earned what they're getting right now."

『我之前也比賽過，所以我知道這有多艱辛，尤其是今年。』Torre說，『這些球員今年無
懈可擊的表現真是太難以置信了！我知道一件事情，那就是他們已經準備好享受季後賽了
，因為他們已經把該表現的都表現出來了。』

--
※ 編輯: KeithTseng      來自: 59.104.213.107       (10/02 13:31)
推 Baudelaire:Jeter說的那句應該是「我從小就很擅長數學」.. :)
推 macemars:為什麼那麼多球員當天才知道是封王戰啊
※ 編輯: KeithTseng      來自: 59.104.213.107       (10/02 13:36)
推 KeithTseng:謝謝Baudelaire^^
推 rockyao:好久沒聽到加州天使這隊名啦XD
推 Baudelaire: :) Nice Job!
推 KeithTseng:對後.....是洛杉磯天使...不好意思
→ rockyao:其實聽這到這隊名還蠻懷念的啊 不用改啦:)
推 wang3181:原來沒幾個人知道當天要封王喔...Orz!!
推 Hsaie:說不定紅襪休息區的球員也有人同樣感到錯愕....
推 clenny:第三段 應該是Torre把太陽眼鏡留在臉上
推 Mariano:推季後賽模式阿..XD
推 ajarist:推二樓....Orz
推 shichun:他們每天都在"每天都是最後一場必勝場次"的壓力下拼鬥
推 ewing:飯碗保住了
推 kasparov:嗚嗚 洋基!!! 再拿下11場勝利就可以真正全聯盟封王了