[新聞] Clemens sweepstakes officially begin - 美國職棒

※ [本文轉錄自 MLB 看板]

作者: leecher (lecherous) 看板: MLB
標題: [新聞] Clemens sweepstakes officially begin
時間: Wed May 2 20:15:01 2007

Clemens sweepstakes officially begin
Rocket's agent says his client will make decision this month
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com

Clemens 爭奪戰正式展開
Rocket 的經紀人表示他的客戶將在這個月作出決定

HOUSTON -- If Roger Clemens decides he does indeed want to pitch in 2007 and
if he had to pick a team today, based on the requirements he has placed on
the interested parties, he'd go to the Red Sox.

休士頓 -- 假如 Roger Clemens 真的想在 2007 年投球，而且今天他就得選擇球隊的話
，根據他對有興趣的隊伍所提出的條件，他會加入紅襪隊。

After all, the Red Sox are in first place in their division, they're third in
the American League in runs scored and their pitching? Second lowest ERA in
the league.

畢竟紅襪隊是分區的冠軍，他們的得分排名在美聯的第三位，至於他們的投手戰力呢？
他們擁有排名全聯盟第二低的自責失分。

The other two suitors, the Yankees and Astros, well, they're not doing so
well. Both are in last place in their respective divisions, with 14 losses
apiece. The Astros have won 10 games, the Yankees nine. The Astros' problem
is offense, the Yankees, pitching.

其他的爭奪者洋基以及太空人，他們並沒有太好的表現。他們兩隊都在分區殿底，並分別
擁有 14 敗。太空人贏了 10 場，而洋基贏了九場。太空人的問題在攻擊，而洋基的問題
在投手。

But according to Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, no team is out of the
running.

但根據 Clemens 的經紀人 Randy Hendricks，沒有任何一支球隊已經被淘汰。

"The three original teams are all being considered seriously," Hendricks said
via e-mail.

＂那三個原先預定的球隊都會被審慎的評估。＂Hendricks 透過電子郵件表示。

The calendar has flipped to May, officially marking the Clemens sweepstakes
open for business. Clemens will decide, according to Hendricks, "sometime
during the month of May, but certainly, not very soon." Of course, he first
has to decide whether he wants to pitch, and while Clemens is playing coy,
few in the industry believe he'll retire.

現在已經是五月了，而 Clemens 爭奪戰正式展開。根據 Hendricks，Clemens 會在＂五
月，不過當然不是馬上＂作出他的決定。毫無疑問的，他要先決定是否還想繼續投球，
雖然 Clemens 從未作出聲明，但許多人都相信他會退休。

Last year, Clemens signed on May 31. It's likely the same ETA can be expected
this year.

去年，Clemens 在五月 31 日簽約。而今年應該也會在相同的時間點。

Astros owner Drayton McLane recently had a brief conversation with Randy and
Alan Hendricks, and while McLane hasn't talked to Clemens in a few weeks,
he's certainly keeping tabs on the Rocket. Clemens spent much of Spring
Training in Kissimmee, Fla., throwing batting practice to and working out
with the Astros' Minor Leaguers. When the regular season began, he made a
handful of trips to Lexington, where his son, Koby, is a third baseman for
the Class A Legends.

太空人老闆 Drayton McLane 最近與 Randy 及 Alan Hendricks 有過簡短的交談，雖然
McLane 已經有數週沒有提及 Clemens，但他一定還打著 Rocket 的主意。Clemens 在佛
羅里達的 Kissimmee 花了不少的時間春訓，與太空人小聯盟的球員作投打練習以及健身
。當季賽開始時，他去了萊星頓市幾趟，他的兒子 Koby 是那裡小聯盟球隊的三壘手。

Clemens hasn't made his desire to pitch in '07 official, but if he does agree
to stave off retirement for a fourth year, his suitors will not have to worry
that he may not be in proper shape. Clemens' workout regimen is as strenuous
as ever, and according to Hendricks, Clemens' nagging aches and pains from
the past -- groin, back, hamstring -- are not an issue.

Clemens 還沒有正式決定他是否要在 '07 繼續投球，不過一旦他要復出，球隊不需擔心
他的狀況。Clemens 的訓練跟以前一樣的繁重，而根據 Hendricks 表示，困擾 Clemens
的痼疾 -- 鼠奚部，背部，腳部肌腱 -- 完全沒有問題。

"He feels very good physically," Hendricks said. "He will be accelerating the
intensity of his workouts soon."

Hendricks 說，＂他覺得身體狀況非常好，他將會很快的加重他的訓練量。＂

But first things first. Clemens has to inform the interested parties that he
will pitch this year.

但回歸到原點。Clemens 必須先告訴有興趣的球隊他今年要投球。

"We had a brief conversation with Randy about Roger," McLane said. "I said,
No. 1, that Roger and Debbie [Clemens' wife] need to make up their minds.
He's 44, he'll be 45 during the season [Aug. 4]. He's still a power pitcher
and he needs to determine physically that he can do it.

McLane 說，＂我們與 Randy 稍微談過 Roger，我說，首先 Roger 和 Debbie [Clemens
的閃光] 要做出決定。他已經 44 歲了，而季中就要成為 45 歲 [八月 4 日]。他仍然
是位強力投手，而他必須判斷他的體力可以負荷。＂

"[Hendricks] said that they are having conversations and hopefully, sometime
by mid-May, Roger will give word. We're not negotiating and to my knowledge,
no other teams are negotiating. [His agents] said there's no point until we
know what Roger wants."

＂[Hendricks] 說他們正在討論，希望在五月中 Roger 就會有所定論。我們還沒有協商
，而且就我所知，沒有任何一隊有所接洽。[他的經紀人] 說在知道 Roger 想要什麼之
前，一切免談。＂

McLane is confident about the Astros' chances to sign Rocket, despite the
club's slow start. The Red Sox and Yankees haven't said whether they would
afford Clemens the perks he has with the Astros, namely, skipping road trips
when he's not pitching.

就算太空人開季戰績不佳，McLane 仍對簽下 Rocket 非常有信心。紅襪及洋基還沒有對
Clemens 提出像太空人一樣的條件，太空人可以讓 Clemens 在不用出賽時不需跟球隊一
起到客場。

But if Clemens signs with New York or Boston, it's likely he wouldn't be able
to spend time during the season in Lexington with Koby, which has been a huge
selling point for the Rocket since Koby was drafted in 2005.

但若是 Clemens 與紐約或者波士頓簽約的話，他可能無法與在萊星頓市的 Koby 在季中
相聚，這也是 Koby 在 2005 年被選中後 Rocket 最關心的一點。

The other issue, of course, is money. Last year, Clemens signed for
$22,000,002 and was paid a little over $12 million for a shortened season
that began on June 22. Assuming Clemens begins this season around the same
time, and assuming he's not going to accept a pay cut, McLane will have to
exceed the $100 million mark in payroll for the second year in a row. The
Astros' Opening Day payroll was just under $88 million.

而另一個話題，當然，是錢。去年，Clemens 簽下了 $22,000,002 的合約，而由於六月
22 日才開始的縮短球季，他實際獲得約一千兩百萬美金。假如 Clemens 在差不多的時
間點開始這個球季，並且他不接受減薪，McLane 將要連續兩年付出超過一億美金的薪水
。太空人開季的薪資總額是八千八百萬。

McLane is confident that the Astros will be competitive with their bid for
Rocket's services. He also doesn't seem to be worried that the Yankees and
Red Sox would knock the Astros out of competition with a bidding war only
those two teams can afford.

McLane 對太空人開給 Rocket 的條件很有信心。他似乎對洋基及紅襪可能的漫天喊價
而把太空人擠出競爭行列的可能性完全不在意。

"I certainly hope not," McLane said. "I don't think so. I think [Clemens'
agents] know reasonably where we are."

McLane 說，＂我當然不希望，我也不認為會如此。我想 [Clemens 的經紀人] 了解我們
合理的底限。＂

What is reasonable?

怎樣是合理的？

"I don't know," McLane said. "You saw what it was last year and this is a
year farther down the road. Whether that will be less, the same or more, we
haven't gotten that far."

McLane 說，＂我不知道，你也看到去年發生什麼事了，而今年只是更進一步罷了。無論
這件事會怎麼發展，我們現在還沒進行到那種程度。＂

McLane, who will likely be the sole negotiator on the Astros' behalf when the
bidding begins, likes his club's chances to land the Rocket for a fourth year.

McLane 可能是太空人在競爭開始後唯一的協商者，對自己球隊第四年簽下 Rocket 抱持
著正面的態度。

"Randy has assured us that we are in the mix," he said. "The big decision is
the one that Roger and Debbie need to make. He needs to let Randy and Alan
know and then we'll sit down and talk. I think Roger feels there's something
that hasn't been accomplished here that needs to be.

他說，＂Randy 保證我們在競爭行列之中，而最大的決定要由 Roger 及 Debbie 選擇。
他要讓 Randy 和 Alan 知道，然後我們再坐下來詳談。我想 Roger 覺得這裡有需要完成
的事還沒有完成。＂

"I think he really feels a part of the Houston Astros. I said to him all
along, he helped us get to the World Series and now we need to get back to
the World Series and win it. I think he really, really wants to be a part of
that."

＂我想他認為自己是休士頓太空人的一份子。我曾單獨跟他談到，他幫助我們進入世界大
賽，而我們需要再返回世界大賽並且獲得勝利。我想他真的真的想要參與其中。

Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Alyson Footer 是 MLB.com 的記者。這篇報導的版權並不受限於大聯盟及其球隊。

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