MLB／老虎队官网专文介绍倪福德 (2009/02/21 02:07) http://www.nownews.com/2009/02/21/341-2411700.htm 老虎队对倪福德有高度的兴趣，官网专文介绍他到美国之後所面临到的种种挑战。（图／ 本报资料照片） 记者方正东／综合报导 底特律老虎队官网21日专文介绍倪福德，倪福德表示大联盟是世界棒球的最高殿堂，这里 是每一个人、每一个棒球员都想来的地方，他很幸运可以来到这里，他会好好地体会这里 的一切，特别是这里的训练课程；倪福德终於圆梦，但对他而言，未来的挑战不仅仅是球 场上的一切，还有文化隔阂、语言障碍等。 此篇文章的第一段即介绍了倪福德的名字，「福德」二字中文意含土地公的意思，掌管人 世间的财富与工作；但对倪福德而言，虽然只是他第二次到美国，但他必须要尝试着从台 湾直上大联盟，尤其是他与王建民不一样，他是第一位要挑战大联盟的前中华职棒球员。 报导中指出，倪福德与队友之间确实存在着沟通上的障碍，倪福德透过翻译表示让他常讲 英语、了解更多英语之後，他相信情况会好转；而倪福德已经可以讲一些简单的单字，到 餐厅点餐对他而言，似乎不是件困难的事。 在春训中，倪福德感受到台湾与美国大联盟最大的不同是训练的课程，他认为美国的训练 课程比较精细，而他正试着去适应这样的转变。 倪福德在牛棚练投状况不错，但周四他面对大联盟打者的实战投打练习，对他而言是个大 挑战；倪福德不是高压投法、也不是真正的侧投，他对上欧多尼兹（Magglio Ordonez） 等打者时，他试着将路投向外角，且多数球路的尾劲还不错， 倪福德有机会争取在球季开打时即在老虎队的25人名单中，但他面对的是很强劲的竞争者 ，如麦克布莱奇（Macay McBride）、拉帕达（Clay Rapada）、布伦（Kyle Bloom）等人 ，但他也很有可能要在2月底随中华队参加经典大赛，如果他没有继续参加春训，本季就 会从3A球队出发，但不管如何，倪福德仍会持续着追寻上大联盟的梦想。 ------------------------- 以下是专访原文： Ni looking to bridge many gaps - Taiwan native adapting to new culture and competition level http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090220&content_id=3854758&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb "Major League Baseball is the highest level in the world of baseball. It's a place where everyone, every baseball player wants to play." -- Fu-Te Ni LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Fu-Te in Fu-Te Ni comes from the name of a god in the Chinese Taoist culture. Known as the Earth god, Fu-Te was supposed to deal with earthly matters such as wealth and work. The life of Fu-Te Ni the baseball player, by contrast, is a little more mundane. He's trying to make the jump from Taiwan to Major League Baesball. It also happens to be his second visit to the United States. He made it here, but there's still a gap to bridge. While the vast majority of players in camp stay on their own in apartments and rental homes around town or in neighboring towns, Ni is staying in the dormitories at Tigertown, soaking in American culture on a crash course while taking advantage of the facilities. He hasn't yet branched out into Lakeland to find any cuisine that would remind him of home -- Lakeland does have Chinese restaurants -- but he hopes to do that soon. As huge as the cultural jump is, he has to worry about the one in baseball. That's where his focus lies so far, trying to make what seems like a massive jump between Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League and Major League Baseball seem a little smaller. Others from Taiwan have reached the Majors before him, notably the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang. Still, no one has gone directly from the professional leagues in Taiwan to the Majors, so there would be a first if he could somehow stick in Detroit. Ni says he doesn't feel pressure. Still, the fact that his signing came in a televised ceremony back home, complete with a hat and jersey presentation by Tigers Asian scouting coordinator Kevin Hooker, signified just how big this is. "He is a professional baseball player," his interpreter, a young man named Fox, translated when Ni was asked what making the Majors would mean for him. "Major League Baseball is the highest level in the world of baseball. It's a place where everyone, every baseball player wants to play. He is so lucky he can be here. He will do his best to enjoy everything here, especially the training here." That Ni wants to play in the Majors isn't a surprise. The 26-year-old left-hander has been great in his native country, leading his league in strikeouts. The fact that his shot is coming with the Tigers, however, was not expected. Though Detroit was one of Hideo Nomo's brief stops along his illustrious big league career, the Tigers have largely stayed out of the Asian market, especially the professional ranks. Over the last couple years, however, they've quietly built up their scouting power in the region, including scout Alan Lin in Taiwan. They saw an opportunity in Taiwan, first with a young outfielder in a signing last summer, then last month with Ni, who became a free agent without compensation when his former team was disbanded. He chose to sign with an American team rather than accept an assignment in the redistribution draft, and ultimately chose a Minor League offer from the Tigers over a few other teams. He's a left-hander who had the fortune of signing with a club in need of left-handed relief, so coaches have taken a good look. But it doesn't ease the transition of a young man who knows very little English. "There are so many Spanish-speaking coaches on most teams," team vice president Al Avila said last month after the signing. "Most clubs have programs, English-speaking classes, cultural classes. In today's game, they have it now where the transition is a little bit easier. For the Asian player, those kinds of programs are not all in place yet. In our case, this will be our second player [from Taiwan]." So far, it has been an interesting journey to observe. Fox, the interpreter, follows Ni from field to field throughout the Tigers' workout sessions, watching with coaches from behind the plate or in foul territory. When a coach wants to make a point, they do it through Fox, who then relays the message in Mandarin Chinese. It's much the same scenario in the clubhouse, where Ni has been stationed in one corner of lockers along other non-roster relievers. To his left is Scott Williamson, the former Major League standout with the blazing fastball who's trying to make a comeback after taking much of last year off. To Ni's right is Ryan Perry, Detroit's first-round Draft pick from last year who has a chance to make the jump to the Majors this spring. "I can't even imagine how tough it would be," said left-hander Jonathan Kibler, whose locker sits across from Ni and who has talked a little with him. "It would be very difficult." They're making the effort to try to connect, as are other Tigers. Minor League catcher Max St. Pierre has already picked up a few basic phrases in Mandarin Chinese from talking with him. Nate Robertson said he hopes to to do the same. "Favoritism is not the right word," manager Jim Leyland said last week, "but I'm going to go out of my way to make sure that I get a rapport with him, because during my career, the shoe's been on the other foot for me." When pitching coach Rick Knapp put pitchers through knee-to-knee drills, where pitchers try to hit the mitt as the catcher placed it on either knee to simulate the lower corners of the strike zone, Ni got the joke, that it was named after him. "There is still a language barrier between he and his teammates," Ni's interpreter translated, "but he thinks he will get better after he can talk more and understand more English." He's starting to pick up a few words already. And as he rattled them off, it wasn't difficult to surmise that he had been studying the menu at the Tigertown cafeteria. "Beef, pork, chicken," Ni rattled off, "fish, juice, egg, Coke, Fanta, ice." Said Kibler: "He's getting better." The biggest difference from Taiwan to here, Ni said, was the training program. The lifting and conditioning work is much more detailed in America, a transition he's trying to make. When asked through his interpreter how he has felt about his pitching, Ni had picked up another English term. "So-so," he said. He has looked good in bullpen sessions, but Thursday was a bigger test for him, his first meeting with live hitters in batting-practice sessions. He had faced hitters outside Taiwan as part of the Olympic team last summer, but this was his first brush with the Majors. He held his own. Magglio Ordonez and others offered occasional swings against him, trying to instead track the late movement on his pitches as he tried to hit the outside corner. He is neither a high-powered arm nor an extreme sidearmer, but the majority of his pitches Thursday seemed to move. Where Ni moves when the season open remains to be seen. Though he's a bullpen candidate, he's also expected to leave camp by the end of the month to join Chinese Taipei in preparation for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Tigers also have several lefties in camp, including the more experienced Macay McBride and Clay Rapada, along with Rule 5 Draft pick Kyle Bloom. If Ni doesn't make the team, he's expected to join the roster at Triple-A Toledo, and his quest to try to reach the big leagues would continue. --

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