那些差點成為季後賽英雄的人們（上） - 美國職棒

https://www.mlb.com/news/the-greatest-would-be-postseason-heroes-in-mlb-history

The phrase “history is written by the victors” applies to baseball, too.
Every postseason sees its share of incredible plays and performances, but
only so many of them can fit on highlight packages. Champions ultimately get
those spots.

俗話說「歷史是贏家寫的」，這在棒球中也能套用。每年的季後賽都有許多不可思議的
精湛表現，但精華回顧的空間有限，而最後只有勝利者的表現會被記錄下來。

But as enough years pass by, there’s also time to reflect on the October
legends who didn’t raise the Commissioner’s Trophy. Here is a look back at
some would-be postseason legends that gave everything they could
individually, but saw their teams fall short in the end.

但隨著時間流逝，我們也該花點時間回顧那些沒能高舉獎盃的十月傳奇們的表現。現在
我們就來看看一些個人付出所有、但球隊飲恨而原本可能成為季後賽傳奇的表現。

Zack Greinke, Astros
The moment: 2019 World Series Game 7
For six efficient innings, it looked as though the Astros truly had made the
title-winning trade that many speculated when they acquired Greinke from
Arizona at the Deadline. He was carving up the Nationals, needing just 28
pitches to complete the first three innings and facing the minimum through
four. Greinke’s slow curve was fooling Washington’s hitters, and he was
making play after play on the mound that showed why he was a six-time Gold
Glove Award winner.

乍看之下太空人透過Greinke那超高效率的六局一舉洗刷了他們自交易大限得到Greinke
以來外界對這筆交易的質疑。國民打線對他完全沒轍；他只花了28球投完前三局，而四
局投完他僅面對12名打者。Greinke的超慢曲球將國民隊打者玩弄於股掌之上，而他一再
透過投手丘上的美技來說明他何以為六度金手套獎得主。

"He was incredible. Absolutely incredible," said manager AJ Hinch. "I think
he did everything we could have asked for and more."

「他的表現簡直不可思議」教頭AJ Hinch表示「我想他的表現遠超出我們所能要求的。」

But the Astros failed to take advantage of multiple scoring chances against
Max Scherzer, and everything changed when Anthony Rendon homered with one out
in the seventh to cut Houston’s lead to 2-1. Greinke walked Juan Soto, and
Hinch decided to bring in one of his ace relievers, Will Harris, to snuff out
the rally. But Howie Kendrick greeted Harris with his go-ahead homer off the
foul pole, and the Nationals were on their way.

但太空人隊打線面對Max Scherzer無法好好利用那不只一次的得分機會，而當Anthony
Rendon七上一出局敲出陽春彈將比數追成2-1時，一切都變了。Greinke保送Juan Soto，
而Hinch決定派出王牌後援之一的Will Harris來撲滅攻勢。但Howie Kendrick用一支打
中全壘打標竿的超前全壘打來向Harris問候，而國民隊就此展開攻勢。

Rajai Davis, Indians
The moment: 2016 World Series Game 7
One fanbase was going to walk away from the 2016 World Series with hearts
sunk and a championship drought still intact, and Indians fans knew that
going into Game 7. But man, did it ever seem like momentum was on Cleveland’
s side after Davis -- the Tribe’s speedster who hit all of 12 homers in the
regular season -- took Aroldis Chapman’s 98 mph fastball out to the pavilion
in left to tie it up in the eighth. Progressive Field was shaking. LeBron
James was going nuts. The tide had seemingly turned.

進入第七戰時，印地安人球迷知道其中一支球隊的球迷會在賽後失望透頂地看著冠軍荒
繼續高懸在那。但老天，當季賽只敲出12轟的印地安人快腿Davis在第八局將Chapman的
98 mph速球打上左外野看台並追平比分時，感覺整個氣勢都跑到克里夫蘭。Progressive
Field徹底被撼動、LeBron James發了瘋似地狂歡。命運似乎轉了向。

“It just felt like, this is going to be a fight that I'm going to win,"
Davis said of that at-bat postgame in the somber Indians locker room. He
would have been a hero twice over, having also delivered a two-out RBI single
amid Cleveland’s last gasp in the bottom of the 10th. But only one team
could shed the monkey, and on that night, it was the Cubs.

「那感覺就像是，這是一場我即將會贏的仗。」Davis賽後在氣氛低落的印地安人隊休息
室談起那一打數。他也在第十局下時敲出一支垂死掙扎的兩出局帶打點安打而差點兩度
扮演英雄角色。但只有一隊最後能夙願以償，而那晚成功的是小熊隊。

Josh Hamilton, Rangers
The moment: 2011 World Series Game 6
An incredible road of struggle, recovery and redemption had led Hamilton back
to the top of the mountain, first as the American League MVP in 2010 and then
just a pitch away from being a world champion a year later. David Freese’s
game-tying heroics, which had taken the champagne out of the Rangers’
clubhouse in the bottom of the ninth with Texas a strike away from its first
World Series title, were seemingly wiped away when Hamilton crushed a two-run
homer in the top of the 10th.

一連串難以想像的掙扎、復原以及救贖讓Hamilton重返榮耀；先是2010年贏得美聯最有
價值球員，接著隔年差一好球成為世界大賽冠軍。當Hamilton於十局上半敲出兩分炮時
差點就將David Freese於九局下差一好球追平比分並打破遊騎兵隊首冠美夢的英雄事蹟
給抹煞掉。

It was Hamilton’s first homer in a span of 82 at-bats, and it was set to be
the perfect cherry on top of his remarkable career turnaround. Surely the
Cardinals couldn’t come off the ropes again when down to their final strike
... but of course that’s just what they did, when Lance Berkman tied it back
up in the bottom of the 10th with a two-out single. Freese played hero again
the next inning, putting Hamilton’s homer on the backburner.

這是Hamilton相隔82打數後的首轟，而這本該是他傑出生涯轉戾點的畫龍點睛之作。紅
雀隊在僅剩一好球時總不會又起死回生，但當然當Lance Berkman於十局下兩出局時敲
出追平分數的一壘打時，他們又辦到了。下一局Freese再度扮演英雄，使得Hamilton那
發全壘打成了空包彈。

Chase Utley, Phillies
The moment: 2009 World Series
Utley was a terrific postseason performer, finishing his Phillies tenure with
a .902 OPS in October competition. But while Utley helped Philadelphia
capture a long-awaited World Series title in 2008, it’s hard to imagine him
doing much more the following year while trying to help his Phillies go back
to back. Philly’s beloved second baseman tied the great Reggie Jackson with
five home runs against the Yankees in the ‘09 Fall Classic -- including two
apiece in his team's wins in Games 1 and 5 -- but the Phils still fell short
in six contests.

Utley是季後賽中的佼佼者，他效力費城人期間的季後賽OPS高達了.902。但當Utley於
2008年幫助費城人隊拿下睽違已久的世界大賽冠軍後，其實很難想像他隔年如何還能
為謀求二連霸的費城人隊做出更大的貢獻。這位在費城深受喜愛的二壘手在09年世界
大賽對上洋基隊時敲出了追平Reggie Jackson紀錄的五支全壘打，而其中兩支分別貢
獻於費城人隊贏球的第一和第五戰中，但費城人隊鏖戰六場後仍不敵洋基隊。

Endy Chavez, Mets
The moment: 2006 NLCS Game 7
Everything was on the line when Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen dug in
against Mets reliever Oliver Pérez with Game 7 locked in a 1-1 tie in the
sixth inning. Rolen clubbed a long fly ball that looked destined to push the
Cardinals into the lead and send them on to the World Series. And then,
Chavez made a spectacular leap and reached over the wall to bring it back,
making the catch that seemed like it would send the Mets to the Fall Classic.

當紅雀隊三壘手Scott Rolen在雙方1-1僵持不下的六局上上場面對大都會隊後援投手
Oliver Pérez時，戰況可說是如履薄冰。Rolen敲出一發看起來就要一舉將紅雀隊送
到世界大賽的深遠飛球。然後，Chavez驚天一跳並將球接進手套，抓下了那看起來比
較像是要將大都會隊送進世界大賽的接殺出局。

History had flipped in the span of seconds, or so it seemed. Fate had other
plans, helping Yadier Molina hit a homer that, cruelly, went past Chavez’s
reach in the top of the ninth. And then Chavez stood on second base in the
bottom half, representing the tying run, when Carlos Beltrán watched Adam
Wainwright’s curveball tumble in for strike three. The series was over, but
Chavez is still asked about that catch all the time.

歷史往往在短短幾秒之間就風雲變色，或至少看起來像是如此。命運另有安排，幫助
Yadier Molina在九局上半敲出一支很殘酷地飛越Chavez伸手所及的全壘打。然後當
Carlos Beltrán九局下目送Adam Wainwright的曲球進壘而遭三振出局時，Chavez正
代表著追平分站在二壘壘包上。系列戰終究落幕，但Chavez至今仍常被問到那記接殺。

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