Re: [新聞] Myers reigns as king of lefty specia …

[leddy (耿秋)]

※ 引述《leddy (耿秋)》之銘言：
: Myers reigns as king of lefty specialists
: Southpaw has most appearances in baseball since '95
: By Ryan Mink / MLB.com
: NEW YORK -- In 1997, as a pitcher for the Mariners, Mike Myers and a Seattle
: television station wanted to see just how many people would recognize Myers
: on the street.

1997年，Mike Myers是水手隊的投手，西雅圖的電視台想要看看有多少觀眾在街上遇到這
名選手時可以認出他來。

: So they came up with idea of sending him to Pike Place Market, a famous fish
: market on Seattle's waterfront, to see if people would buy food from him just
: for the novelty of meeting a Major League Baseball player.
: Myers' item was frozen fish sticks.
: "People just gave me funny looks," said Myers, who is now the Yankees'
: left-handed specialist.

所以他們想出一個點子就是將他放在Pike Place超級市場－一個西雅圖濱水區相當有名的
魚市，看看是否人們跟他買東西時，會驚喜地發現遇到一個大聯盟的選手。Myers賣的東
西是冷凍的魚條。
"人們只是用有趣的眼神看著我，" Myers說，而他現在是洋基隊的一人左投。

: Such is the life of a baseball "LOOGY" -- a nickname coined by former STATS
: Inc. writer John Sickels for a (L)eft-handed, (O)ne-(O)ut (G)u(Y).
: But among specialists, Myers is revered. In an online statistical breakdown
: of the historical use of LOOGYs by The Hardball Times, Myers is referred to
: as "His Majesty, the Big Kahuna, the King of LOOGYs," the "Hardest of
: Hardcore" of them all.

這就是棒球一人左投(LOOGY)的人生(LOOGY即一人左投的縮寫)，但是在一人投手之中，
Myers卻是值得尊敬的。在一份Hardball Times所作的一人左投歷史性資料的分析，Myers
已足以被稱為"陛下，大祭司，一人左投之王", 這些人中"最堅實的硬核"。

: Myers is the all-time record holder for most appearances while facing just
: one batter. He has averaged less than two-thirds of an inning per appearance
: during his 11-year career and has the most appearances of any player since
: 1995.

Myers已是史上面對一人打者投手中最多出場數的保持者。在他11年大聯盟的生涯中平均
每次出場不超過2/3局, 同時也是從1995年開始登場數最多的一人投手。

: "Whether there is something done, good or bad, there's a record for whoever
: does the most or least," Myers said. "So OK -- no big deal."
: That's his attitude about a lot of things. Myers is an every day, blue-collar
: worker. He stands out from his teammates, who have constant media pressure.
: Myers almost treats his profession like a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job.
: Myers has been the commissioner of an "office" fantasy golf league for
: several years on different teams, and now heads up the Yankees' players and
: coaches league. He's an excellent poker player, according to his teammates,
: and reads the newspaper and does the crossword puzzle before games.

"無論作什麼事，是好是壞，或多或少都會變成紀錄," Myers說："所以就是這樣－沒什麼
大不了的。"
那就是他對很多事情的態度，Myers就像個天天上班的藍領階級。他為了那些每天有一定
媒體壓力(版面)的隊員堅持下去，卻把自己的專業看成朝九晚五的工作。
Myers已經有好幾年在不同的球隊擔任"辦公室"高爾夫球夢幻聯盟的委員，現在則帶領洋
基的球員及教練。據他的隊友透露他也是一個撲克牌好手，每天在賽前讀著報紙然後作著
填字遊戲。

: Asked to describe Myers with one sentence, bullpen coach Joe Kerrigan said,
: "He's the kind of guy you'd like to have as your next-door neighbor."
: Myers, an Arlington Heights, Ill., native, was described in a different way
: by his bullpen buddy Ron Villone, with whom Myers warms up every day. It
: wasn't something you often hear said about a player.
: "He's very sneaky," Villone said. "He's kind of that under-the-radar type,
: but at the same time he's a character."

當被問及能否用一句話描述Myers時，牛棚的教練Joe Kerrigan說:"他就像是你想要的一
個隔壁的好鄰居。" (怎麼好像在說7-11)
Myers是個伊利諾州Arlington Heights土生土長的美國人，牛棚的好友Ron Villone
那個每天跟他在牛棚熱身的天天V，則是這樣描述他的
"他的球路很刁鑽，" Villone說："他是那種低於測速槍平均球速的球員，但同時也是這
種型態中的狠角色。"

: There are a few tricky things about Myers. He shares his name with famous
: horror-movie character Michael Myers from Halloween and he enters games to
: the movies' creepy theme music.
: Then there's his delivery, which Myers started using in 1996, his first full
: season in the big leagues. Suggested by then-broadcaster and former Tigers
: great Al Kaline during a plane ride, Myers' delivery comes from far out to
: his left and only about a foot above the ground to give Myers some
: "funkiness," as he says. Myers tossed perfect innings in his next two outings
: after the advice and stuck with it.

另外關於Myers還有一些有趣的鮮事。他和著名的電影"月光光心慌慌"的變態殺人魔
Michael Myers同名，因此在他進場時球場總會撥放電影中陰森的主題音樂。
然後就是他的投球方式是從1996年開始改變的，那年也是他大聯盟第一個完整球季。是由
偉大的前老虎隊的教練後來變成廣播員的Al Kaline,在一次坐飛機的路程中向他建議的。
Myers的投球方式是在投手丘上，大張他的左手以離地一尺左右的方式將球投出，讓Myers
的投球像他說的看來有點"詭異"。在他建議後的兩次上場Myers也完美地完成局數，因此
投球方式便固定下來。

: Villone also said Myers is very smart. Myers may have the physical appearance
: of your average 6-foot-3, 37-year-old father, but can dominate hitters by
: outwitting them, Villone said.
: Myers, who became a specialist in 1995, uses a low-70 mph slider and a
: high-70 mph fastball. He mixes pitches so well that he's a nightmare for
: left-handed batters. Lefties are hitting just .241 off Myers this season and
: .209 off him in Myers' career.

Villone也說Myers相當老練，他身長6呎3吋，37歲的年紀，但卻可以用智取的方式壓制打
擊者。
Myers從1995年變成一人投手，運用的卻是70哩出頭的滑球及75以上不超過80哩的速球。
他完美地混合兩種球路使得左打者遇到他便宛如一場夢魘。他本季遇上左打的被打擊率
為0.241，生涯左打的被打擊率則低到0.209。

: Although teams sometimes counter Myers' entrance by pinch-hitting a
: right-handed hitter, it's Myers' success even against righties which has made
: him so successful. Right-handed hitters are hitting .219 off him this season.
: He is 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA overall this year.
: "He's very important for us," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "That's why you
: sort of ignore him a lot, because there's that one situation where his name
: comes to mind."

雖然有時球隊也一反常態地讓他遇上右手的代打者，Myers在遇上右打者卻也相當成功。
本季右打者的被打擊率也只有0.219，目前他全年的紀錄1勝0敗，2.66的自責分率。

: Myers doesn't get the acclaim despite his years of success. But that's fine
: by him. Unlike some of his teammates who are recognized in bookstores or
: restaurants, Myers keeps a low profile. He resides in Highlands Ranch, Colo.,
: with his wife Robyn, sons Christian and Daryl and a daughter named Laryssa.
: "My pocket book isn't as big," Myers said. "I don't get as many endorsement
: deals. But I'm able to take my family out."

雖然Myers歷年來的成功沒有得到應得的喝采，但對他自己而言仍覺得不錯。不像他有些隊
友在書局或餐廳裡變得那麼有名，他一直過得相當低調的居家生活。他與他的太太Robyn
住在科羅拉多州的Highlands Ranch, 育有兩個兒子Christian及Daryl，與一個女兒
Laryssa。
"我口袋裡能用的東西不多，"Myers說: "沒辦法賺到一張大合約，但已夠讓我一家子過
得很好了。"

: The tough thing is that the Yankees are Myers' eighth Major League team.
: Reliable bullpen help is always in demand, but can also become expendable at
: season's end. Myers seems to stay two years wherever he goes and has a
: two-year contract with the Yankees.
: There are also other negatives to the job. Not only has Myers been asked to
: retire some of the most feared left-handed hitters -- such as David Ortiz,
: Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. -- but he's asked to do it in some of the
: most stressful situations.

最頑強的事就是這是他大聯盟生涯所待的第八支球隊。能夠好好地打到球季結束，可靠的
牛棚戰力一直是有必要的。只要他的身體可以的話他還能再打兩年，而他與洋基也有兩年
的合約。
但這樣的工作也有它負面的部份。不只是Myers一直被要求去解決最恐怖的左打者－諸如
David Ortiz, Barry Bonds及Ken Griffey Jr.，而且也常常在最危急的時候派他出場。

: "He's a special kind of performer," Kerrigan said. "He can come in and
: instantly get an out. He knows it's crucial; that it's this one at-bat, this
: left-hander, and it has to happen now. It takes a special talent to do that,
: not only pitching skills, but mental skills."
: The job can be mentally taxing because it can be difficult for specialists to
: get constant work. Some teams don't have any feared lefties in their lineup,
: or many lefties at all, meaning a specialist such as Myers could go more than
: a week without an appearance. Myers has pitched just 23 2/3 innings in 47
: games this season.

"這是一種特殊型態的投手，" Kerrigan說: "他一直能穩定的出賽拿到一個出局數。他知
道這是很關鍵的; 就是這個打席，這個左打者，現在必需解決他。這需要特殊的天份才能
夠完成，不只是投球的技巧，也包括了心理素質。"
這種工作心理負擔是相當的大，因為一人投手很難穩定地出場投球。有些球隊的打線中並
沒有恐怖左打者或沒有很多的左打，這意味者像Myers這樣的一人左投可能一週不見得能出
場一次。本季到目前為止Myers出場47次共投了23又2/3局。

: But on Aug. 21, with the Yankees on the verge of their five-game sweep of the
: Red Sox, Myers' expertise was called on. This was the moment he had been
: signed for.
: The Yankees were ahead by one run with one out in the seventh inning and the
: master of late-inning heroics, David Ortiz, stepped to the plate.
: "I know the one guy that I'm going to be facing in this lineup," Myers said
: after the game. "It's not a whole lot of fun to think about, but it's fun
: when you succeed."

但是8月21日當洋基在5場橫掃紅襪的五場系列賽中, Myers的專業能力就被用上了，而他
也是簽來應付這種關鍵時刻。
洋基在第七局1出局領先一分的情況，輪到紅襪擅打後面局數的英雄David Ortiz上到打擊
區。
"我知道他就是整個打線我即將遇上的那個傢伙，"Myers在賽後說: "當然想起來不是整件
事都會相當有趣，但是一當你成功時就覺得很爽！"

: Myers succeeded, striking out Ortiz swinging with just three pitches. That
: was the end of his day -- three pitches, one huge out. It was precisely what
: he's done throughout his entire career.
: "I do my thing and move onto the next day," Myers said. "I'll look at my
: baseball card when I retire, see how I did."
: He can get one of those cards fairly easily. A Myers rookie card sells for 25
: cents online.

Myers成功了，用三個球讓Ortiz揮棒落空拿到三振。他的一天就這樣結束－三球，一個巨
大的出局數。這真確地刻畫出他大聯盟完整的生涯。
"我會作好自己的工作然後等待第二天, "Myers說: "我希望我退休時能夠看著我自己的球
員卡，看看我完成的紀錄。"
他當然能夠很容易地拿到他自己的球員卡，Myers新人年的球員卡現在線上拍賣只要美金
25分。

: But now that he's an all-time record holder, you better act fast; those
: things are selling like frozen fish sticks.

但是現在他已是史上紀錄的保持者，你最好動作要快，雖然他的球員卡好像在賣冷凍的魚
條那麼便宜也賣得一樣快。

: Ryan Mink is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to
: the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 220.132.198.21
※ 編輯: leddy           來自: 220.132.198.21       (08/29 18:00)
推 Moxon:我在MVP裡超愛用他...姿勢很殺....
推 dalireal:推推推 小兵立大功
推 charlie01:推 每個領域裡都有不引人注目的英雄
推 RTY1026:Myers的投球姿勢真的是一絕!
推 jqh:對隔壁五連戰Myers還三振老爹!(沒記錯吧)
→ jqh:內文有寫..推太快了
推 magickevin:Myers投球姿勢真的是....屌= =
推 catcake:感謝翻譯
推 tokugawa:推接線生的故事
推 coolhunt:推 一人投手其實有時壓力反而大
推 coch2:也被老爹敲過HR
推 gerkk: 這樣到底是好賺還是不好賺 . 一兩天上一次,一次一人
推 belister:好酷的文章 loogy的必要性從這篇文章中透露出來 ^^
推 upscom:不好賺 SP燒牛棚時 他也得上來被炸.......
推 Sunofgod:重要性可見一般  被派上來解決重要的人
推 DTZ:他的薪水多少阿？
推 aniwufa:你將會是一人左中的霸主!
→ DTZ:喔  自己查到了  兩年2.4M
推 szuyuancheng:ESPN寫1,150,000
→ szuyuancheng:http://0rz.net/e21Mc
推 keepbusy:推 翻得很好
推 gerkk:還是一人左 !
推 tritonchang:和幫史瑞克的男聲優同名。他也演過很多好笑電影
推 francviking:看到他說自己賺不多 我為什麼會有心酸的感覺 /.\
推 tritonchang:Austin Powers
推 wwwee:兩年2.4M...大概是陳金鋒薪水的4倍多 難怪他說生活不錯!!
推 sft005:他兩年拿2.4M 再看看痛先生 好感慨
推 AdamHuangNew:Kerrigan......令我想到....
推 OLDdaughter:翻的好阿
推 KyleTso:starcraft ?
推 tlw0709:真是太奇妙了...
推 leddy:翻這種外電，總覺得人家寫的東西很有內容，且前後呼應
推 darksaber:這種個人的側寫看起來真的很有意思
推 pezzier:上禮拜一場球， Myers出來投個IBB就下場，連他自己都在笑
推 gdgy:左手不只是輔助 還能當飯吃呢 原來Myers這麼有趣
推 tsorng:推好文章,好翻譯,好球員...他的新人年球卡只要25分...囧
推 harryrain:這篇文章會讓Myers變有名一點吧 XD
推 cd928:好棒的翻譯
推 ampgood:推MYERS  XD
推 airplanes:Push"the King of LOOGYs"
推 mocblp:不推對不起自己  板主大可以考慮m這篇喔~
→ mocblp:國外的記者可以寫出這種好文 台灣記者呢?
推 HunterKiller:我真的很喜歡他的投球姿勢耶^//////^
推 KusoPvt:推好文!好翻譯!
推 yadayada:推!!
推 cuteship:好聞
推 lazybonesla:推!!
推 LinaInverse:真感動的文
推 alen3321:^_^
※ 編輯: leddy           來自: 220.132.198.21       (08/30 17:23)