代代流傳的絕學 ─ 蝴蝶球的傳承 - 美國職棒

It's Knucklepalooza as Sox face Jays

http://0rz.tw/xDdMy

DUNEDIN, Fla. — This is not a normal spring training game. The Red Sox are
pitching a knuckleballer, 28-year-old Steven Wright, against Toronto
knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

這可真不是一場普通的春訓比賽─紅襪隊28歲新秀蝴蝶球投手Steven Wright對決藍鳥隊
的賽揚蝴蝶球投手R.A. Dickey。

Tim Wakefield, who won 200 games throwing the knuckleball, is on hand to see
Wright pitch in person. Then Wakefield will report to Red Sox camp tomorrow
to start working with Wright.

靠著蝴蝶球拿下200勝的Tim Wakefield親自和Wright會面，在之後也會留在訓練營和幫忙
Wright進行訓練。

"I'm looking forward to it. Not only to see R.A. pitch, but also this is my
first time seeing Steven pitch. Looking forward to working with him,"
Wakefield said.

Wakefield：「我很期待這次的對決─不只是看到R.A. Dickey投球，這也是我第一次看
Wright投球。我很期待和他一起進行訓練。」

Wakefield has never met Wright personally but the two have spoken on the
phone. When Wright was in the Cleveland organization last season, former Red
Sox coach Rob Leary connected the two.

Wakefield之前並沒有和Wright見過面，只有打過兩次電話。去年Wright還在印弟安人小
聯盟時，紅襪的教練Rob Leary就已經開始為他們牽線。

"It's somebody to talk to who knows about the pitch that he's throwing,"
Wakefield said. "When I was first coming up, I had pitching coaches who told
me, 'I don't know what to tell you.' It's refreshing to be able to contribute
to the legacy of the pitch by helping him out."

Wakefield：「他可以和了解自己球路的人討論。我首度站上大聯盟時，我的投手教練
告訴我『我不知道我能教你甚麼』。藉著幫助Wright來保住這項絕活，真是令人開心。」

There is a fraternity among knuckleballers. Tom Candiotti helped Wakefield
out, as did Phil and Joe Niekro. Now Wakefield wants to do his part. That
Wright is with the Red Sox makes it all the better.

蝴蝶球投手們之間都有著特殊的友情。Tom Candiotti幫助Wakefield，Phil & Joe Niekro
兩兄弟也是。現在Wakefield也想傳承他們精神，為這個神祕的球路盡一份心。更棒的是
，Wright也成為了紅襪的一員。

The knuckleball is in vogue. Dickey won the National League Cy Young Award
last season when he was with the Mets. Dickey and Wakefield also were
featured in the documentary "Knuckleball!"

現在蝴蝶球正夯。去年還在大都會的投手R.A. Dickey拿下國聯賽揚獎─而Dickey跟
Wakefield一樣，都是蝴蝶球投手。

"It's not so much a freak pitch any more," Wakefield said. "In R.A.'s words,
he brought the legitimacy of the pitch back by winning the Cy Young. It made
all of us proud."

「蝴蝶球再也不是一個怪球種了。R.A.藉著贏下賽揚獎來宣告這是個真‧球種。他讓我們
都備感驕傲。」

Wright has yet to pitch in the majors but was 10-6 with a 2.44 ERA in Double
A last season. He struck out 103 in 121.2 innings and allowed only 91 hits.
The Red Sox traded first baseman Lars Anderson to the Indians for Wright last
July.

Wright還沒有嘗過大聯盟的滋味，去年在2A繳出10勝6敗、2.44 ERA的成績。他在121.2局
之中三振了103位打者，只被敲出91支安打。紅襪在去年七月時用一壘手Lars Anderson換
到Wright。

It was a significant trade as far as the Sox were concerned. Their scouts,
particularly pro scouting director Jared Porter, identified Wright as having
potential. Because of the success Wakefield had, the Sox are open to the idea
of having another knuckleballer.

這對紅襪來說是個很重大的交易。紅襪的球探─尤其是職業球探總監Jared Porter指出
Wright擁有潛力。因為有了Wakefield這個成功的例子，紅襪有了找尋另一位蝴蝶球投手
的想法。

Assistant general manager Mike Hazen, who is at the game to see Wright pitch,
said a good knuckleballer can eat up innings, pitch in different roles and
give the opposition a different look. Patience is required but a good pitcher
is worth waiting for.

助理GM Mike Hazen也在現場看Wright投球，他表示好的蝴蝶球投手可以吃局數、可以承
擔各種角色並且給對手完全不一樣的滋味。大家都要耐心等候─因為好的投手值得等待。

Unlike former teammates Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek, who are special
assistants to GM Ben Cherington, Wakefield has no official capacity with the
Red Sox. He will do some work for NESN again this season and assist in
charitable endeavors. He still lives in Massachusetts during the summer and
is open to the idea of a formal relationship with the Sox.

跟Wakefield的前隊友Pedro Martinez和Jason Varitek不同的是，Wakefield並沒有擔任
Ben Cherington的特助─Wakefield並沒有正式的職位。他在這一季會再度成為NESN的一
員，並致力於慈善事業。他在夏天時還是住在Massachusetts，而他也對於正式成為紅襪
成員的點子保持開放態度。

"My main goal is to help Steven and be a mentor to him," Wakefield said.

「我的首要工作就是幫助Steven並成為他的導師。」Wakefield這麼說。

Wakefield said every knuckleballer is different. They throw the ball with
different grips and at different speeds. The idea, he said, is to make the
pitch your own. Wakefield can offer some mechanical advice about how to take
the spin off the pitch. There are checkpoints, he said, that can be helpful.

Wakefield表示每個蝴蝶球投手都很不一樣。大家的握法、球速都不同。重點是你要找到
屬於自己的球路。Wakefield可以對Wright提出一些投球姿勢以及如何旋轉球的建議。
Wakefield表示有幾個要點很有幫助。

Wakefield could remember only one time in his career when he faced a fellow
knuckleballer. It was as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 1992.

在Wakefield的印象中，生涯中只有一次面對蝴蝶球投手─在1992年的菜鳥球季(海盜)。

Wakefield beat Candiotti of the Dodgers on Aug. 26 that season. Pitching for
Jim Leyland, Wakefield threw a six-hitter in a 2-0 victory. Candiotti went
six innings and allowed two runs.

那季的8月26日，Wakefield擊敗道奇隊的Candiotti。Wakefield被打六支安打，以2-0擊敗
道奇─Candiotti六局失兩分吞敗。(Wakefield當時的總教練是Jim Leyland。)

"I had to hit against [Candiotti]. That wasn't fun," Wakefield said.

Wakefield表示：「我得上場打擊，面對Candiotti的蝴蝶球。這一點也不好玩。」

Wakefield hopes to see a time when a knuckleball pitcher comes out of the
high school or college ranks and climbs to the majors. Most knuckleballers
started out as conventional pitchers who turned to the pitch when their
careers began to fade.

Wakefield希望未來能看到能在高中或大學的排行榜中看到蝴蝶球投手的身影，並且順利
升上大聯盟。大多蝴蝶球投手都是傳統投手的生涯有危機時才轉成蝴蝶球投手的。

"I think it's great. I think it's going to be a popular pitch among young
kids out there," Wakefield said. "I think it brings hope to a younger
generation of baseball players that may not have the velocity to compete at a
higher level. If they can learn this pitch it gives them hope that they could
one day wear a big league uniform."

Wakefield：「我覺得那很不錯，我覺得蝴蝶球未來會成為年輕人之間的熱門球種。這也
給年輕投手們一線希望，有些人沒辦法拿出足以制霸高階聯盟的球速。如果他們能練好這
個球路的話，說不定有機會打進大聯盟。」

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"HARD WORK BEATS TALENT
WHEN TALENT FAILS TO WORK HARD."

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