Garrison Lassiter's Hard Decision By John Delong | Journal Reporter 这篇有点长, 只翻重点 重点: 洋基：有钱真好，父母：用心良苦 (很感人的一篇报导，天下父母心) 1. Garrison Lassiter在上周大联盟的选秀，掉到了第27轮才被洋基选走，让很多人感到 惊讶。去年夏天Lassiter入选到USA Junior National Team阵中，今年春天在West Forsyth中学的表现更让球探留下深刻的印象，因此成为这次签约中顶极的年轻游击新 秀之一。 2. 但落到27轮，一些球评认为他最坏也会在第4或第5轮就被选走。但职业棒球的选秀比 起NFL或NBA则更是复杂，有点像猫抓老鼠的游戏，特别是高中球员时更是如此。球队 必须考量风险，球员会不会放弃念大学的机会，直接和球队签约到小联盟报到，还是 会选择念大学，然後往後三年多都不得参与选秀。 3. Lassiter这个案例便是如此，他周五打完在Myrtle Beach的North-South All-Star Game後，就必须作人生的重要决定，他是该和洋基签下一大笔钱的合约，还是放弃 　 这笔钱到已经和他签下协定的North Carolina大学打球。 4. Lassiter的父亲Cliff提到了这个情况，其他球队看到他们定下让Garrison不念大学 　 的价码都感到很犹豫。但洋基不觉得有什麽问题，但预料其他球队会考虑"签约的难度" ，因此不急着在前面的时候就选Lassiter, 让洋基队还可以先选其他球员。 5. Cliff表示: "我们以一个家庭的立场，提出我们想要的数字。这个价码是在选秀前几 周全家人讨论了许久才决定的...也包括Garrison自己的意见。他研究最近五年入选 U.S Junior Olympic Team的小朋友，他研究的对象必须也入选Aflac All-America球 队，再看看他自己的表现。他找出与他有类似表现的小球员在过去选秀的结果，然後 追溯及研究他们拿到多少签约金，最後决定这样的价码。" (我不得不说这家伙头脑真的很不错) 6. Cliff表示: "所以我们把价码放在那儿，从第二轮很前面的时候就一直有电话打进来 ，然後二、三、四轮，都有球队设法要我们同意压低价码让Garrison在前面几轮就被选 走。但是我们坚持这个价码。然後洋基打来说他们对这价码没问题但要在後面一点才 选他。" Cliff拒绝说出那数字倒底是多少。一般而言，第一轮後面的顺位可以要求 大约1百万的签约金，第二轮则有很高的六位数字(约80-90万)，第三轮则是中间的六 　位数字(50-60万)。 7. Lassiter握有谈判的筹码，因为他已经保证可以进到North Carolina大学(传统棒球强 队，本次NCAA Division I Baseball Championship第二种子球队)，同时在教练Mike Fox的指导下在全美最好的棒球课程之一的学校就读。North Carolian大学的Tar Heels 球队已连续第三次打进College World Series，球赛将在周末登场。 8. Cliff不想降价的原因是: "Fox教练已经告诉我们放弃到Chapel Hill的North Carolina 大学，应该要拿多少钱才合理，因为这是非常难得的机会到这个学校就读，North Carolina的大学棒球训练课程不仅是全美最佳的学校之一，本身也是一所大学名校。以 　 家长的心态我们关心小孩子的教育，我有点希望立下规定小孩至少受两年大学的教育。 而且我有点担心，假如签下了这笔钱的合约後，Garrison是不是成熟到可以独立自处? 他是否成熟到可以处理压力? 输球後，可否忍受挫折? 他能否持续努力去达成想要达成 的成绩? 以家长而言，你必须考虑所有的事。" 9. 但不签约的风险是，有些球员会受伤或在大学里表现不佳，之後就没办法有同样的机会 让球队选中或是拿到签约金。 10. 事情会这样的发展并没有那麽神秘。洋基长久以来就对Garrison报予高度的期待。洋 基三月邀请他去参加四天的春训。Cliff表示: "在整个训练过程中洋基与他沟通的时 间超过其他参与的任何人，他们邀请Garrison参加Tampa四天的训练，以家人而言是很 　 兴奋的事，看着自己的儿子参加这样的活动。他在场上和其他的游击手一起训练，就 和去年的新人，以及3A球队的游击手(A-Gonz?)和Derek Jeter在一起受训。Jeter还 从置物间里走出来自我介绍，和他握手欢迎他，所以这真是令人快乐的时光啊。" (Jeter实在就感心耶...) "就看着他与那些人在一起打球，我会想到之後他就可以 在小联盟球队打球了。" 11. 和洋基队的协商将在Garrison回来後开始，假如他不和洋基签约的话这个月下旬他就 会成为North Carolina大学的新鲜人。Cliff表示: "所以被选上的这些孩子，就必须 面对困难的决定，你能作的就是随你的心意去走，希望会是最好的决定，也希望无论 作什麽样的决定都是最好的，希望可以把握住最好的机会。我们用尽心意让Garrison 知道，不管是选择Carolina大学的机会还是要选择进到职业球队的机会。关键就是能 够快乐、健康及努力，也希望每件事都可以迎刃而解。 Hard Decision Lassiter, former West Forsyth star, weighing offers from the Yankees and Tar Heels By John Delong | Journal Reporter Published: June 11, 2008 When Garrison Lassiter dropped all the way to the 27th round in last weekend's Major League Baseball Draft before being selected by the New York Yankees, many were shocked. Lassiter had emerged as one of the top young shortstop prospects in the draft after playing on the USA Junior National team last summer and impressing scouts throughout this spring at West Forsyth. Twenty-seventh round? Some figured Lassiter to be taken by no later than the fourth or fifth round. But baseball's draft is far more complex than its NFL and NBA counterparts. It's a cat-and-mouse game, especially concerning players drafted straight out of high school. Teams must weigh the risks of drafting a player straight out of high school only to see him enroll in college instead, in what would result in a wasted pick. Players must decide whether they are ready to bypass college, sign immediately and head straight to the minor leagues, or go to college and not be eligible for the draft again for three more years. That's apparently what has happened in this case. So shortly -- after he returns from playing in the North-South All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach on Friday -- Lassiter will have to make the decision of a lifetime. Should he sign a lucrative contract with the Yankees, or turn down the money and play college ball at North Carolina, where he has already signed a letter of intent? Lassiter's father, Cliff, talked about the situation yesterday while Garrison was enjoying a week of beach time, away from the fishbowl that he has been in much of the spring under the watchful eyes of scouts. Other teams balked at the dollar figure that Lassiter established that would prompt him to skip college. The Yankees didn't, but played the hunch that everyone else would consider Lassiter a "signability issue," and waited until the late rounds to take him so that they could draft others. "We put a number out there that we stuck by as a family," Cliff Lassiter said. "It was something we debated back and forth for a couple of weeks before the draft, and we decided as a family -- and Garrison decided for himself as well. He did some research with the children who had made the U.S. Junior Olympic team over the last five years, and he did research based on the kids who had made Aflac All-America as well, and how he performed. And he compared that to the other kids who had been drafted in the past with similar credentials. Then he went back and researched the signing bonuses they received, and that's how he came up with his conclusion. "So we put a dollar figure out there. And we had phone calls early second round -- second, third, fourth -- trying to get our family to agree to a lower figure to allow him to get drafted in the earlier rounds. But we stuck by that number. And then the Yankees came back and said that they felt comfortable with that number and they were going to draft him in the later rounds." Cliff Lassiter declined to specify the number. Generally, late first-round picks can command signing bonuses around $1 million, second-round picks in high six figures, and third-round picks in mid-six figures. Lassiter holds bargaining chips because he has a college education guaranteed at North Carolina and the promise to develop his game in one of the nation's top programs under Coach Mike Fox. The Tar Heels will be making their third straight trip to the College World Series later this week. Cliff Lassiter doesn't downplay that. "Coach Fox has talked to us about that, what type of money you should take to pass up an opportunity at Chapel Hill, because that is a super opportunity to go be with one of top programs in the country and an excellent school as well. As a parent who cares about children's education, I kind of wish there was a rule that required kids two years of education in college. And I wonder, if he signs for the kind of money that's being thrown around, is he mature enough to live on his own? Is he mature enough to handle the pressure? Can he handle the adversity of failing, because baseball's a failing game? Will he keep working hard and achieve the numbers you need to advance? As a parent, you've got to look at all of that." The risk is that some players get injured or don't succeed in college, and don't get the same opportunity to get drafted or get signing bonuses later. There is no mystery about one thing. The Yankees have been high on Garrison for a long time. They were so high on him that they invited him to spring training for four days in March, albeit at the Garrisons' expense. "The Yankees communicated with us more than anyone else throughout the whole process," Cliff Lassiter said. "They invited him down to work out for four days in Tampa, and that was a really exciting time as a family to be watching your son. He was out there working out with the shortstops, right there with the rookie from last year and the Triple-A shortstop and Derek Jeter. Jeter walked up to him in the locker room and introduced himself and shook his hand and welcomed him, so it was a fun time. "Just watching him out there working with those guys, I thought then that he had the ability to play with a minor-league team right now." The negotiations will start in earnest after Garrison returns from the beach. Freshman orientation at North Carolina is later this month if he doesn't sign with the Yankees. "All these kids, they have tough decisions to make," Cliff Lassiter said. "All you can do is just go with your heart, wish for the best, and hopefully no matter which decision you make it's a good opportunity. Just go hope for the best. We're tickled to death for Garrison, for the Carolina opportunity and this professional opportunity. But the key is being happy, healthy and working hard, and hopefully everything works out. ■ John Delong can be reached at [email protected]. --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 220.132.198.21 ※ 编辑: leddy 来自: 220.132.198.21 (06/12 08:24)