[聯晚] 卡拉OK麻吉 齋藤歌神對決潘尼 - 美國職棒

卡拉OK麻吉 齋藤歌神對決潘尼

【聯合晚報╱特約記者吳意政/綜合報導】

一支麥克風，讓一位39歲的內斂日本人，與一位30歲的豪邁鄉村大男孩，成為了一
對讓人無法連想在一塊兒的莫逆之交。

也由於這份難能可貴的情誼，加上可能是上天的安排，促成了兩人在紅襪繼續當隊
友；他們就是齋藤隆與潘尼。

那是2006年的道奇春訓營，當時齋藤才剛到美國，人生地不熟且語言不通，齋藤在
球隊裡非常孤單，直到潘尼主動上前與他聊天。

言語不通 用唱的啦

「那時我是唯一的日本人，根本不知道該做什麼，是個全新的環境。第一個跟我說
話的球員就是潘尼，我們也是從那時開始認識的。」齋藤說。

起初，他們透過一位翻譯聊聊彼此的嗜好與興趣，但想當然爾的，來自不同國度與
背景的兩人實在很難有交集。齋藤是位典型的日本人，心思縝密，話不多；潘尼來
自奧克拉荷馬州，厚實的身材與粗獷外表，散發著濃厚的鄉村氣息。

潘尼談到喜歡打獵，齋藤說他除了棒球幾乎沒什麼娛樂，不過話才說完，齋藤想起
在日本時很喜歡唱卡拉OK，潘尼於是立刻跟齋藤說，那不如一起去找個可以唱歌的
地方吧。

點披頭四「Hey Jude」超high

兩人來到一間餐廳酒吧，恰巧已有不少道奇球員在裡面。齋藤走到餐廳中央拿起麥
克風，像個職業駐唱歌手般地立刻高歌，齋藤點了披頭四的經典名曲「Hey Jude」，
當唱到「na na na」時，全場大合唱high到最高點。

從那一晚起，齋藤與新環境、新隊友再也沒有隔閡，一場有如命中注定般的跨國情
誼就此展開，音符成為他們的共同語言。 「他那時就這麼毫不猶豫地拿起麥克風唱
歌，而且唱得太棒了，」潘尼說。

兩人在道奇共度了三年時光，成為最好的朋友。很巧的，兩人去年均因傷相繼被道
奇放棄，不願再與他們續約。不久，紅襪先簽下潘尼，且由於紅襪知曉他與齋藤的
深厚交情，遂詢問潘尼是否也該把齋藤簽來。

潘尼對好友的能力當然無庸置疑，力薦齋藤，極力促成兩人能繼續當隊友，而這也
應該正是潘尼的心願。紅襪則很貼心地把兩人的置物櫃安排在隔壁。

這些年來，他們去了無數次的卡拉OK，不過他們還沒試過一起打獵。 「希望今年球
季結束後我可以帶他去一趟奧克拉荷馬州，如果他願意的話。我希望可以帶他去體
驗一番，也去看看我生長的地方，」潘尼說。

不過，潘尼可能得先找找老家附近有沒有卡拉OK。

【2009/03/27 聯合晚報】
http://udn.com/NEWS/SPORTS/SPO5/4814022.shtml


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http://www.projo.com/redsox/content/red_sox_karaoke_0325.6ea125cb.html

Unlikely friends, Penny and Saito make beautiful music together

06:02 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

By DAN BARBARISI, Journal Sports Writer


FORT MYERS, Fla. –– It was a nice spring night in 2006 at a bar in Vero
Beach, Fla., the old site of Los Angeles Dodgers spring training, when Takashi
Saito grabbed a microphone and queued up a Beatles song, and Brad Penny laughed
his way into a lasting friendship.

The pair had just met. The Japanese reliever had signed with the Dodgers
straight from Japan that winter. He knew no English, and very little about
America. He felt very alone in the Dodgers clubhouse.

Until Penny came over and talked to him.

“I was the only Japanese down there. In that time, I didn’t know what to do.
It was a new environment. The first big-leaguer who talked to me was Penny. That
’s how we got to know each other,” Saito said.

They started chatting about hobbies and interests, through a translator. It
certainly didn’t look like there would be any common ground. Penny is the
archetype of the big Oklahoma boy, 6’4” and 260 pounds of bearded bulk, and
at the time, 27 years old. Saito was 36 then, refined, genial and thoughtful,
and seemingly very quiet.

Penny liked to hunt. Saito said he didn’t do much but baseball. Wait, he said,
he did sing a lot of karaoke, when he was back in Japan. Penny immediately told
Saito they were going out to find a microphone and do some singing.

They went to a restaurant/bar with some of the other players. There was the
microphone set up in the middle of the room. Saito didn’t need much prompting.
He sauntered up to the mic, asked for ‘Hey Jude,’ and started to belt it out
–– ‘na na na’s’ and everything –– to the delight of his new teammates.

“He went on and got up there, and he was awesome,” Penny said.

After they had all laughed about it, Penny realized that there might be more to
this quiet new guy than met the eye. It was the beginning of a friendship that
has now spanned two cities and countless karaoke joints.

“He’s hilarious, he’s a funny guy, he’s a great friend, and I’m glad I’ve
gotten to play with him. It’s a joy,” Penny said.


Ultimate-Fighting obsessed Oklahoman and the thin, elegant Japanese, joking
together at their lockers.

Appearances, of course, are just that. As Penny learned that Saito was more
gregarious than he initially seemed, Saito quickly figured out that Penny was a
softer individual that he first realized –– when not firing away with his
compound hunting bow, of course.

“He looks really tough, but he has sensitive elements to his character,”
Saito said.

After three years together in Los Angeles, Penny and Saito came to Boston
together this winter. The Red Sox have assigned the two pitchers lockers next
to each other, and they can often be seen chuckling about the usual clubhouse
antics going on around them.

The Red Sox knew about their friendship, and when they were about to sign
Penny, they asked him about whether they should also grab Saito. Penny told
them how amazed he had been at Saito’s intelligence, his pride, and his will
to win.

“When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best I’ve seen,” Penny said. “I love
to hand the ball over to him.”

He told the team about how they first met, and the commitment Saito displayed
to learn English. Saito’s English is now strong enough that he can talk easily
with his teammates without a translator, but uses one for his formal
interviews.

“He’s been great from the get-go. Wanted to learn English, really put forth
the effort,” Penny said. “He really took it seriously. You’d see him
studying in his locker.”

Their two backgrounds also meant they learned two different styles of baseball,
and two methods of preparation. The Japanese throw and run much more than their
American counterparts, who try to conserve energy and minimize wear and tear on
the arm.

Saito initially had a tough time making that switch.

“I remember talking to him, he was having trouble adjusting to how we do
things. They throw so much more over there, and the workouts are so different,”
Penny said.

But Saito resolved to do things the American way, and changed his routine
dramatically, with periodic advice from Penny.


advice.

“Sometimes he asks me what to do about specific situations,” Saito said.

Now that they’re on their new club together, Penny has made sure the other Red
Sox have hung out with Saito and gotten to know him.

There has, of course, been some karaoke involved.

“Oh, yeah, oh yeah, it’s incredible. He did it the other night for me and
Beckett,” Penny said.

While the two have clearly Saito’s passion for karaoke, they haven’t yet
teamed up for Penny’s hobby, hunting.

Penny has tried to get Saito to come hunting with him, but thus far Saito hasn’
t gotten past holding the bow. Penny is about to press the issue, however, and
invite Saito on a trip to his hometown of Broken Arrow, Okla., where hunting
will presumably be a prerequisite.

“I think I’m going to bring him to Oklahoma next offseason, if he’s willing
to come. I’d like to take him out there, just show him where I’m from,”
Penny said.

And, presumably, to check out the best karaoke joints in Broken Arrow.




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