近日新同学Luke Hughes的加入，让进入第11个小联盟球季的Wes需再等等 (仍期待Wes有机会在我们家Debut，美梦成真) 以下是ThomasHSNU於 #1FRTmpHm 分享的文章 Timmons, real-life Crash Davis, may finally get Hollywood ending by Joe Lemire SI.com sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/joe_lemire/03/20/wes.timmons/index.html Wes Timmons is a career minor leaguer who is hoping to make the A's roster Wes Timmons是一位生涯都待在小联盟的球员，他希望能加入A's的阵容 Timmons' career resmebles that of the fictional 'Bull Durham' character Timmons的生涯就像由Bull Durham (百万金臂)中杜撰的角色组成 Oakland needs infield help but Timmons hasn't made the 25-man roster just yet 奥克兰需要内野援助，但Timmons未能进入25人名单 PHOENIX -- Wes Timmons thought it was another march to the baseball gallows. 凤凰城 – Wes Timmons认为那是另一次迈向棒球的绞架。 Eight of his A's teammates had already been cut from big-league camp in the previous 24 hours, so when he received a summons to the manager's office, Timmons figured he shared their fate. 他的八名运动家队友已在过去24小时内离开大联盟春训营，所以当他被传唤到总教练的 办公室时，Timmons料想他会有一样的命运 "I just assumed it was that time," he said. “我猜，时候到了”他说。 Timmons is, after all, a 33-year-old infielder -- and elementary-school substitute teacher -- who has played 998 minor league games in his 10-year pro career and hasn't spent a single day in the big leagues. Not as a doubleheader fill-in, not as a September call-up and, until last year, not even as an invitee to a major league club's spring training camp. Timmons是个33岁的内野手，也是一位小学代课老师。他10年的职业生涯里打过998场小 联盟比赛 (译注: 目前来到1011场)，并未有任何一天在大联盟。没有在双重赛补进阵容 过、没有在九月被叫上大联盟过，直到去年，甚至没有大联盟球队要邀请他参加春训。 He entered Bob Melvin's office and took a seat. The manager read Timmons some of his spring statistics -- which, at the time, included a .323 average (10-for-31) with four walks and a .405 on-base percentage, though just one extra-base hit, a double -- and the two discussed how the spring had gone. 他进入Bob Melvin的办公室，坐下。总教练看了Timmons一部分的春训统计数字--包括 打击率.323 (10-for-31)，四个保送及.405上垒率，虽然只有一支长打，那是支二垒安打 --两人讨论着春训内容。 Then Melvin asked a curious question, "How's your Japanese?" 然後Melvin问了一个奇怪的问题，”你的日文如何?” Timmons burst into a smile, as the realization dawned on him that he'd be joining the A's for their season-opening trip to play the Mariners in Japan. "I am more than willing to learn," he replied. Timmons突然露出微笑，如同领悟到一线曙光，他可以跟着A's到日本与水手队进行开幕 战。”我非常想要学 (日文)”他回答着。 Two games shy of 1,000 in the minors, Timmons is on the verge of shedding the label of "real-life Crash Davis," the frequent joke he's heard the last few years, even if the fictional character in the movie Bull Durham at least had a cup of coffee in the big leagues. 距离1000场小联盟出赛只差两场，Timmons即将摆脱"真人版Crash Davis”的标签，最近 几年他常常听到这个笑话，即便在电影Bull Durham里的虚构人物最多只有在大联盟喝了 一杯咖啡 "Minor league baseball has changed a lot since then," he said, "but when you watch the movie, I'm like, 'Well, that kind of fits, I guess.'" “小联盟棒球从那刻起已改变许多”他说“但当你观赏那部电影时，我喜欢’那相 当符合(实际情形)。’” Every profession has its rites of passage, but few entail such celebrated bumps in the road as being a minor league ballplayer, for whom perseverance is defined by a series of incalculably long bus rides through mid-sized minor league cities. 每个职业运动都有它必经的过程，但很少运动需要承担如一位小联盟球员那般出名的颠簸 ，毅力被定义为乘坐一系列的长途巴士，经过数个中型的小联盟城市。 There are the eight-hour bus trips that are actually better than the alternative: when the bus breaks down along a scorched Southern highway, as happened to Timmons years ago. 八个小时的巴士之旅与Timmons多年前经历过的比起来好多了: 当年巴士在烤焦的南方公 路故障。 There are the days the motel's hot water runs dry. There's the hotel in Savannah, Ga., whose air conditioning fails on a 100-degree afternoon.And plenty more. 那些旅馆没热水的日子。乔治亚州Savannah市的饭店在华式100度的下午冷气坏掉。还有 更多更多。 "We could talk for hours," Timmons said, shaking his head at the memories. “我们可以讲上好几个小时。”Timmons说，摇摇头地谈着那些回忆。 None stand out more than the day the outfield wall caught on fire. 某天外野围墙失火一事更是没得比。 Ivy had grown along the wooden fence during the offseason at the home ballpark of the Mexican Pacific League's Mayos de Navojoa, and on the winter league's opening day in late 2010 the greenery went ablaze with red and orange flames. 墨西哥联盟休季期间，常春藤沿着Mayos de Navojo主球场的木制篱笆长着，在2010年冬 季联盟开幕日，绿色植物着火了，带着红色与橙色的火焰。 "For whatever reason the fans thought it'd be cool to set the ivy on fire, " Timmons recalled. Play was stopped for half and hour -- on two separate occasions -- and the fire burned a hole in the fence. "We finished the game with part of the centerfield wall not being there," he said. “不论是何原因，球迷们认为让常春藤起火相当地酷”Timmons回想起。比赛暂停半 个小时--因两个不同的理由--围篱被火烧出一个洞。”我们在中外野外墙不完整的 情况下完成比赛”他说。 Those incendiary delays weren't even the worst part of his stay. In the second week of the season a fastball struck Timmons on the left arm. The club took him to get an x-ray -- at a dentist's office. "So that was fun," he said with a wry smile. 因火延迟比赛还不是他待在那 (小联盟)最糟的一部分。某个球季第二个礼拜，一记速球 打到Timmons的左臂。球团带他去牙医诊所照X光。”那相当有趣”他苦笑地说着。 There, the diagnosis of a fracture was confirmed and Timmons received an oversized cast that ensconced most of his left arm, from his wrist up past his elbow. (Back in the States, he received a more suitably sized cast for his forearm.) 诊断为骨折後，Timmons的左臂上被放了一个尺寸过大的石膏，自他的手腕到手肘。(回到 美国後，他前臂打上尺寸合宜的石膏) He also noted that such minor league travails grow less outlandish in the higher levels of the minor leagues. Besides, other than seven weeks last season, Timmons hadn't been below Triple A since 2006. He has been a man stuck in baseball limbo. 他也提到待的小联盟层级越高，属於小联盟的阵痛期就比较少那些奇怪的事情。除了上个 赛季的七周以外，Timmons自2006年之後就没有低於3A。他已经是个卡在棒球界地狱边缘 的男人。 * * * Just last week Timmons sounded like a man beginning to accept his baseball destiny -- that a major league promotion may never come. 上个礼拜，Timmons听起来像是个开始要接受棒球命运的男人--升到大联盟一事可能不会 来了。 "That's the road God has chosen for me, man," he said then. "That's who I am, just kind of hanging around. If it comes, it comes. If not, you know, I've had a great career up to this point. I don't really have a whole lot of regrets on the field." "上帝已替我选好要走的路”他接着说。”那就是我，只是以某种方式等待着。如果 它到来，就来吧。如果没有，在这个时间点的我已经很开心了。我在球场上并无太多 的遗憾。” Timmons, a utility infielder who has primarily played third base in his career , is coming off his best season, batting .341 with a .420 on-base percentage in 95 games split between Double A and Triple A in 2011. His lack of power -- he's never hit more than eight homers in a season -- is a detriment when compared to the prototypical third baseman, but his versatility in playing every infield position helps. Timmons，一名内野工具人，在他的职业生涯主要防守三垒，2011在2A与3A共95场比赛缴 出生涯最好的成绩，.341打击率.420上垒率。他缺乏长打力，成了与典型三垒手比较时的 缺点--从未於单一球季击出超过八支全垒打，但他可以守内野全部位置的灵活性则有所助 益 "It's hard to get the guy out," Oakland assistant general manager David Forst said. "He's played himself into the conversation, very much so." “让他离开是很艰难的”奥克兰副总管David Forst说”他的表现让人常常讨论。” The A's were in need of extra infield help after projected starting third baseman Scott Sizemore tore his ACL early in camp. But roster decisions aren't always linear; one injury doesn't necessarily bump everyone up one spot on the depth chart. A's在原本的先发三垒手Scott Sizemore於春训一开始ACL撕裂伤後，须要额外的内野援助 。但是阵容方面的决定并非总是呈现线性；一个伤兵不需要让板凳深度表中的每一个人都 往上提升一个位置。 Though the A's will need to whittle the roster down to 25 players for the rest of the season, they will travel with 30 to Japan and will designate 25 players to dress before the two games with the Mariners. A's将需要把阵容削减到25名选手来进行剩余球季，他们会带30人去日本，并在对水手的 两场比赛前调整到25人 (译注: 此处应指回到美国的那两场，因日本开幕系列战可允许28 人)。 "He's played well enough that he deserves to go," Melvin said. "He should be proud of that." "他表现地相当好，他去 (日本)是理所当然的。”Melvin说 “他应为此 (自己的表 现)感到骄傲。” Timmons' situation is complicated by not being on the 40-man roster, which means that, not only does he need to be good enough to make the club, he needs to sufficiently outplay the competition that the club is willing to remove another player. Making this trip to Japan does not guarantee placement on the 40-man. Timmons因未列在40人名单，情况较为复杂，那意味着他不只要好到足以加入球队，他必 须要表现地比别人好，让球团愿意将其他选手移出名单。日本之行未能保证会在40人名 单内占有一席之地。 If he does eventually make Oakland's 25-man roster, he'd be the oldest position player on the rebuilding club; only pitchers Grant Balfour, Bartolo Colon and Brian Fuentes are older. 若他最终进入奥克兰正式名单，他会是这支重建中的球队里最老的野手 (译注: 执行禁 赛中的Manny更老，但他尚未正式披上运动家球衣)；投手部份只有Grant Balfour, Bartolo Colon与Brian Fuentes比他老。 "He's veteran-minded, but he's still got that youthfulness where you don't really expect that he's been in the game that long," said second baseman Jemile Weeks, the 25-year-old starter who lockers next to Timmons . "He'll give you the impression that everything's fine and dandy. He's not a complaining type. He acts like he's just getting started, and he's happy to be here." “他有老将的头脑，但仍十分青春有劲，你/你料想不到他已经在球场中打这麽久了” 25岁，置物柜在Timmons隔壁的二垒手Jemile Weeks说。”他给人的印象是各方面都 很好、很绅士。他不是那种爱抱怨的类型。他表现地像是他刚起步，他很开心来到这 里 (指春训)” * * * Each of the past few winters Timmons has huddled with his wife, Randi, in their Jacksonville, Fla., home and deliberated whether it would be best for him to retire or to trudge ahead with his major league dream at the expense of time and distance away from his family, which includes two daughters -- Kallyn, who is almost six years old, and Irelyn, who is three. 过去几个冬天，Timmons都跟他老婆Randi挤在他们位於佛罗里达州Jacksonville市的房子 里，仔细考虑着哪个样子对他来说最好，退休或是继续长途跋涉追逐大联盟梦想，後者需 耗费时间并远离他的家人--包括两个女儿，六岁的Kallyn与三岁的Irelyn。 "So we weighed the pros and cons of coming back, and God willing and my wife being so wonderful, I'm playing again," he said. "Would I rather be working 9 to 5 or playing a kid's game? I've gotten to the point in my career where the money has gotten a little bit better, and there are just not a lot of jobs in this world that are better than what I'm doing." “所以我们衡量回到赛场的正反意见，上帝的旨意以及我太太是如此地棒，我再度回 到球场”他说 “我会宁愿朝九晚五工作或者playing a kid's game (不晓得指的是 不是带小朋友打球)吗? 我的职业生涯走到这个阶段，可以赚到多一些些的钱，世上 没有太多工作比我现在正从事的更好。” Modern technology makes the separation from his family almost bearable -- "If it weren't for Skype or FaceTime, I don't know how anybody ever did this," he said -- but he knows he's missing out. 现代科技让他能忍受着与家人的分离--“如果没有Skype或FaceTime，我不晓得人们要如 何克服”他说--但他知道他有所失去。 Also, minor league salaries are a pittance compared with even the major league minimum of $480,000. The salaries for even veteran minor league free agents can be less than $20,000 for a season; only a handful of players make more than $100,000. Most make something in between, including Timmons (the exact terms of his deal were not disclosed). 小联盟薪水跟大联盟底薪48万美元比起来算是很少。资深小联盟自由球员的薪水可能一 个球季不到2万美元，只有少部份球员可以拿超过10万美元。大多数小联盟球员的薪资介 於两者之间，包括Timmons在内 (Timmons合约的实际数字未被揭露)。 Timmons has his degree in physical education -- he began college at Appalachian State and later transferred to Bethune-Cookman -- and spends his winters as a substitute teacher at Chets Creek Elementary School, where his wife and mother teach fulltime. Timmons具备体育学系学位--一开始念 Appalachian State大学，後来转到Bethune- Cookman大学--多个冬天在Chets Creek 小学担任代课老师，他老婆以及母亲是那所学校 的正式教师(译注:Chets Creek Elementary School就在Timmons他们住的Jacksonville市) "Any subject you can think of, kindergarten through fifth grade," he said. "Some of the students follow [my baseball stats], and some of them make fun of me because I don't hit a lot of home runs. I get it from all ends of the spectrum." "从幼稚园到五年级，你/你想的到的任何科目 (都教)”他说”有些学生注意我的棒 球成绩，他们/她们之中有些人取笑我，因为我没有击出很多发全垒打。” Taped above Timmons' locker at Phoenix Municipal Stadium is a baseball card of Chipper Jones. A mischievous teammate placed it there, a regular reminder of Timmons' stunted progress. 贴在Timmons春训主场置物柜上的是Chipper Jones的球员卡。一名恶作剧的队友将它摆在 那，时时提醒着Timmons受阻碍的发展过程。 The Braves drafted Timmons in the 12th round in 2002, and Timmons advanced at a typical pace through the minors, reaching Triple A for the first time three years later, only to be blocked from the major leagues in a way few recent players -- a Yankees shortstop prospect, for instance -- could appreciate. 勇士队在2002年第12轮选了Timmons，依既有的步调在小联盟系统进阶，三年後首次升到 3A，大概只有少数同样被大联盟球员卡在前面的选手才能体会，举例来说，一位洋基队的 游击新秀 (译注: 从1995年开始Chipper Jones是勇士三垒的不二人选，洋基游击则从 1996年开始交由Derek Jeter把关)。 "These guys clown me over here a lot," Timmons said of his A's teammates, "because I happened to play third base over there [with the Braves], and we all know who's their soon-to-be Hall of Fame third baseman." "这些人在这里对我胡闹”Timmons提到他A's的队友们”因为我曾在勇士队系统守过 三垒，我们都知道那边有一位即将进入名人堂的三垒手”。 Timmons said he never had a formal invite to Braves major league camp and only played sparingly in spring games as a backup. He figures he got nine at bats in three years, meaning he often had some time to kill on the dugout bench. Timmons说他从未接过勇士队大联盟春训营的正式邀请，只有在少数几场春训比赛中担任 过替补。他算了算，三年共9个打数 (春训)，这也意味着他不时有些时间需要在休息区 的板凳上打发。 Outgoing and gregarious, Timmons figured he might as well pass the time in conversation and ultimately learned a lot from Jones' predecessor at the position, Terry Pendleton, who for most of the past decade served as Atlanta's hitting coach. 外向且善於社交的个性使然，Timmons指出他在谈话中度过那些 (春训的)日子，从 Jones上一位的三垒手Terry Pendleton那学到很多，Pendleton在2001~2010年主要担任 勇士队打击教练一职。 "A lot of that time I would hang out on the bench and talk to players and coaches," Timmons said, "number one, to pass the time because you've got to figure out how to spend three and a half hours and, number two, if I might be able to bring something with me." "很多时候我在板凳上打发时间，和选手们以及教练们聊天"Timmons说”第一，杀时 间，因为你需要想出如何渡过3小时半。第二，或许如果我可以替自己带来些什麽” Timmons credits those conversations with Pendleton as an important lesson in honing his disciplined approach at the plate, even with two strikes. He's never been a power hitter, but in only one minor league season did he have an on-base percentage below .375. For his career he has walked 468 times and struck out only 287. Timmons赞扬那些与Pendleton的交谈，对於琢磨他的本垒板纪律是一堂重要的课，即便 在两好球以後。他从来就不是一位具长打力的打者，但他只有一个小联盟球季上垒率 低於.375 (译注: 2012年之前，只有2007年效力勇士3A的上垒率.333低於.375)。职业 生涯至今被保送468次，只有287次三振。 After making consecutive Triple A All-Star teams in 2009 and 2010 but finding his path still blocked in Atlanta, Timmons signed as a free-agent after the 2010 season with Oakland. There he not only had the best season of his career -- with personal bests for batting average, home runs, RBIs -- but made his mark in other ways, too. 2009与2010年连续两年成为3A明星队成员，但他发现在亚特兰大的路仍受到阻挡， Timmons在2010球季结束後成为自由球员，与奥克兰签约。他在那缴出生涯最棒的一季 --打击率、全垒打和打点都是个人新高--但他也在其他方面引人瞩目。 "He ran the best kangaroo court I have ever seen," said A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who was making a scheduled rehab start in Sacramento when he witnessed Timmons presiding over a riotous clubhouse scene. "He was really good and really funny. Usually they all collapse in the middle and the rules are weird, but he was on top of everything." "他在kangaroo court (一种由选手们自行展开的虚拟法庭，用球赛期间的失误及 疏忽来评估某一名选手有罪、进而罚钱。详情请见洋基板yyhong68的文章)中表现的 最好”A's投手Brandon McCarthy说，当时McCarthy正在沙加缅度进行复健赛，他目 睹Timmons在一个暴动的局面中主持会议。”他真的非常棒、非常好笑。通常人们进 行到一半就倒了，规则也很奇怪，但他在每个项目都居於领先”。 * * * Part of Timmons' deal with his wife was always this: When the door to the big leagues closed, he'd walk away. Timmons与他太太协议的一部份总是如此: 当大联盟的门关上，他就走。 Last July Timmons thought his dream was over. The A's, facing what they called a "numbers issue" on the Triple A roster, demoted Timmons to Double A, a move that made him six years older than all but one of his position-player teammates. 上个七月，Timmons认为他的梦结束了。A's在面对他们所谓3A阵容上的"人数问题”，将 Timmons降到2A，这个异动让他比全队野手都大上六岁，除了一位野手之外。 (译注: 去年他32岁，野手方面紧接在後的是29岁的Adam Heether，接下来就是几位26岁的球员)。 Timmons called his wife and said, "I'll come home." Timmons打给他老婆，说”我要回家了。” After some discussion, however, they decided that he should honor his one-year contract, and so Timmons packed for Midland, Texas, barely a fifth the size of Sacramento, and joined the Double A Rockhounds, an experience he initially described as "very humbling." 然而在一阵讨论过後，他们决定他必须履行完他的一年合约，所以Timmons打包前往位於 德州，只有沙加缅度的5分之ㄧ大的Midland市，加入2A Rockhounds，他最初描述那个是 个相当挫折的经验。 But a funny thing happened on his demotion to obscurity: He crushed the ball. Timmons hit .365 and at one point had a 15-game hitting streak. He made new friends and the front office received glowing reports. 但是有件好笑的事在他被降级时发生: 他打的相当不错。Timmons连15场击出安打後，打 击率提升到.365。他交了新朋友，管理阶层接到了发光发热的报告 "We had to send him to Double A, which we didn't want to do, but he took it great," Forst said. "He's a professional. I heard constantly from the Double A manager -- 'Hey, this guy's a veteran and he's great in the clubhouse. He's great with the younger kids.' We made sure to get him back to Triple A as soon as possible." "我们不想那样做的情形下，必须将他送到2A，但他表现地很好”Forst说”他是名 职业选手。我经常从2A总教练那听闻他的消息--这个家伙是个老将，他在球队里表 现的很好。在年轻人的环境中表现的很好’我们务必要尽快让他回到3A”。 After 39 games Timmons returned to Sacramento, but that's as far as he got in 2011. Timmons回到沙加缅度打了39场球後，获得与2011年差不多的结果。 Lacking space on the 40-man roster, the A's were unable to promote him for a September call-up to the big leagues. 40人名单没位置，A’s无法在九月将他升上大联盟。 "I had no expectations," Timmons said. "I've never been in the big leagues . A lot of guys have been there and when they don't get called up in September, it's a real disappointing time. It makes the Triple A clubhouse kind of tough." "不期不待” Timmons说”我从未登上大联盟。很多人去过，所以当他们没有在九月 被升上去，是相当令人失望的时刻。那让3A队上陷入某种程度的艰难”。 After the Triple A playoffs ended, Timmons began his long cross-country drive. He had reached West Texas when his phone rang. Forst prioritized Timmons as his first call of the offseason and extended the invitation for a return. 3A季後赛结束後，Timmons展开横越全国的长途驾驶之旅。电话响起时他已经到达德州 西部。Forst在休兵期间第一通电话就是打给Timmons，邀请他回到球团。 "I've never had anyone call and just say they appreciated what I've done in a season," Timmons said. "That phone call by itself pretty much got me hook, line and sinker back to the A's." "我从未 (在过去所待的球队)接到过任何人的电话，他们只是对於我在球季当中所 做的表达感激” Timmons说”那通电话让我再度与A's产生关联”。 * * * Another phone call on Monday morning was even better. Upon leaving Melvin's office, Timmons called his wife, who was at the zoo with their daughters, and told her to start packing for Japan. 另一通在星期一早晨的电话是更为美好的。Timmons在离开Melvin办公室後，打给他老婆 ，她当时跟他们的女儿们在动物园里，他要打包前往日本了! "I'm not sure she believed me," Timmons said. "But she was super excited." “我不确定她信不信” Timmons说”但是她非常兴奋。" At the end of the call Randi asked, "What am I supposed to do?" 在电话结束前Randi问”我能做些什麽?” Timmons responded, "I have no idea. I'll have to call you later. What do we do?" Timmons回答”我不知道。我晚点会打给你。我们在干麻?” It's a whole new world for the minor league journeyman. Eight months ago Timmons called his wife and offered to fly east and home, his baseball dreams over; this time he called to offer her a flight west, his baseball dreams having taken a step closer to coming true. 对於小联盟浪人来说那是个全新的世界。八个月前Timmons打给太太时，往东飞返家的话 ，他的棒球梦就中止了；这次他打给她说要搭上往西的航班，他的棒球梦距离梦想成真 更近了。 让 我 们 一 起 替 Wes Timmons 加油 ! -- A's大象的森林绿 http://umin27.pixnet.net/blog/ ※ 编辑: umin 来自: 118.160.253.47 (04/24 00:46)