http://0rz.tw/GaKc4 Tampa Bay Rays: Still A Tough Sell 附图1: 2008季後赛前一个月纯品康那球场一景 http://0rz.tw/WHOIJ On Sept. 28, 1959, Henry Aaron saw the future. The Milwaukee Braves, the two-time defending National League pennant winners, played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of a best-of-three playoff series to determine who would meet the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. In Wisconsin, the Braves' story is legendary. The team moved from Boston after the 1952 season and became perhaps the greatest comet in major league history. The franchise was an immediate powerhouse, both financially and in the standings. In 1954, the Braves were in the pennant race until Aaron, then a rookie, broke his ankle in Cincinnati in early September. In 1956, they lost to the Dodgers on the final weekend of the season. They won the World Series in 1957, and took a three games-to-one lead in the '58 Series before losing to the Yankees in seven games. 在1959年9月28号，Hank Aaron看见了未来。前两年都拿到国联冠军的密尔瓦基勇士队(注: 那时是勇士而不是酿酒人)，要在五战三胜的季後赛第一场作东出战道奇队，来决定谁会 和芝加哥白袜在世界大赛碰头。 (注:Henry是Hank的本名) 在Wisconsin，勇士队的故事是个传奇。他们在1952年季後离开了波士顿而来，成为了 或许是在MLB史上最亮眼的慧星。他们不管在财务上或是成绩上都是强队。在1954年，勇 士在Hank Aaron九月伤了脚踝前，一直在角逐分区冠军。1956年，他们在最後一周才输给 道奇队。1957年他们拿到了世界大赛冠军，而在1958年打到了第七战才输给洋基队。 Milwaukee was the first team to break the 2 million mark in attendance and -- competing with megacities New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- led the league in attendance for six consecutive years. The Braves ushered in the modern era of stadium economics: parking, concessions and the attitude that teams play in markets rather than cities. Then, in late September 1959, the Braves of Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn (all future Hall of Famers) were poised to head to the Series for a third straight season. But when Aaron and the others looked around Milwaukee County Stadium that day, they saw more empty seats than die-hard fans. Only 18,297 showed up. Aaron, looking at the paltry attendance for the most important game of the year, has always pointed to that day as the beginning of the end of the Braves in Milwaukee. The rest of the story is also legendary: The Braves led in each of the first two playoff games with the Dodgers, but lost them both. Milwaukee never contended again; by 1966, the team was gone, playing in Atlanta. The Milwaukee Braves are perhaps baseball's most-forgotten great team. 密尔瓦基勇士是第一支进场人数突破两百万的球队，而且还是在和超大城市：纽约、洛杉 矶、芝加哥的竞争下，连续六年在观众人数排行第一。勇士队引进了现代的棒球经济： 包括停车场、贩卖部和将观众锁定在整个市场而非单一城市的态度。 然後，在1959年的9月，在Aaron、Eddie Mathews及Warren Spahn(三位名人堂球员)带领下 的勇士，正准备要连三年进军世界大赛。但在那天，当Aaron及其他人看着球场时，他们 看见的是比死忠球迷还多的空椅子。只有18297人进场。当Aaron回想起在那场整季最重要 的比赛上寥寥无几的观众时，总说那天就是让勇士在密尔瓦基的日子结束的起头。 剩下的故事也成了传奇：勇士队连续两场在比赛中途领先，但最後都输球。密尔瓦基从来 没再进过季後赛。到了1966年，球队走了，落脚在亚特兰大。密尔瓦基勇士队成了史上最 伟大的一只被人忘记的球队。 附图2: Crawford在和教士队牛棚人数一样多的观众面前接到这球 http://0rz.tw/s9fez Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Joe Maddon must be wondering if they are witnessing right now what Aaron and the Braves saw that long-ago day in 1959. The Tampa Bay Rays, the worst team in the history of organized baseball during their first decade (no franchise had ever lost 90 games in each of its first 10 seasons of existence), have never been a financial powerhouse or a fan favorite in a region historically dominated by snowbirds, transplants, spring training, retirees and football, but there are similarities to the scene in Milwaukee 50 or so years back. In recent years, the Rays have done everything right. They've drafted smartly. They've developed through the farm system. They've hired well. They've put marketable players on the field. And barring a seismic collapse this month, they'll make the playoffs again this season and have a chance to go to the World Series for the second time in three years. Crawford，Longoria和Maddon想必在思考，他们是否看到了当时Aaron及勇士队在1959年的 那天所看到的场景。Rays，这支史上在创队头十年里打最烂的一支球队(没有一支球队在 创队头十年里，每年都输超过90场)，在这块被候鸟、transplants(注：我不懂他指什麽) 、大联盟春训、退休老人和美式足球占满的地方上，从来不是一支有钱的队伍，也不是 一支球迷的最爱，但这和50年前的密尔瓦基很像。在最近几年，光芒可是说是走对了每一 步。他们选秀时很聪明，他们农场养出很多人，而且也找来对的人。他们在场上有值得看 的球员。 只要在这个月没有崩溃，他们就能再一次进入季後赛，也是三年内第二次有机会进军到 世界大赛。 And yet Tampa Bay, despite having the second-best record in baseball (a mere game behind the Yankees heading into Thursday's action), is ninth out of 14 American League teams in attendance. When the Rays won the pennant in 2008, Tampa Bay was 12th of 14 in attendance. Teams generally can expect a spike in attendance during the year after an exciting pennant-winning season; but in 2009, the Rays finished 11th. They've never ranked higher than seventh and have never drawn more than 2.5 million fans. 但尽管光芒有全大联盟第二好的成绩(星期四时仅落後洋基一场胜差)，他们的进场人数 不过是美联14队中的第9名。在2008年他们赢得美联冠军时，他们是第12名。通常一支球 队会预期拿到冠军後的隔年会带来进场人数暴增，但在2009他们只是第11名。他们从来 没有比第7名好，也从来没有整年超过250万人进场过。 The notion that fans will come out to support winning baseball is not holding with the Rays. And if the franchise cannot attract a fan base now, with one of the most exciting teams in baseball, it is difficult to envision a promising future for baseball in the region, one in which the Rays can sign and retain top players and so remain competitive. 战绩带来球迷的观念在光芒队身上并不适用。如果他们现在无法建立起死忠球迷的市场和 一支最棒的球队，很难想像他们在这块地上的前景，一个能够签下好钱员而且维持竞争力 的前景。 On Monday, Aug.16, the Rays played the Rangers at home, and the matchup featured David Price against Cliff Lee, both of whom are among the top pitchers in the game. It was a possible first-round playoff preview. The Rays were chasing the Yankees and fighting off the Red Sox in the AL East race, and had their ace on the mound. The announced attendance for Tampa Bay's 6-4 win was 18,319. 在8月16日，光芒在主场出战游骑兵，而先发对战的组合是Cliff Lee对决David Price， 两名本季最强的投手们。这场比赛可说是季後赛第一轮的前哨战。光芒队正追赶着洋基， 也努力的把红袜甩在後头。 光芒赢球之後宣布的进场人数为：18319 ....(待续) --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 203.67.207.28