July 1, 2007 Prospectus Q&A Aaron Bates by David Laurila Aaron Bates epitomizes the Red Sox hitting philosophy. Boston’s selection in the third round of the 2006 draft, Bates has Youkilis-like plate discipline and enough power to rank second in the California League in home runs. A 23-year-old first baseman for Boston's High-A affiliate, the Lancaster JetHawks, the 6’4”, 230 lb. North Carolina State product is hitting .317/.449/.590, and has already gone deep 19 times. Bates made California League history on May 19 when he belted four home runs in the same game. Aaron Bates 完全展现出 Red Sox 的打击哲学。身为 Boston 在 2006 年第三轮 选进的新秀，Bates 有着 Youkilis 一般的选球能力以及足以让他在 California League 全垒打排名第二的长打能力。一个 Boston High-A 球队 Lancaster JetHawks 的 23 岁一垒手，这位 193 公分，104 公斤，North Carolina State 出生的球员拥有 .317/.449/.590 的打击成绩，并已经轰出了 19 支全垒打。 Bates 於五月 19 日的比赛中击出了四支全垒打，在 California League 的历史 中写下了纪录。 David talked to Bates about his hitting approach, his opposite field power, and his dreams of World Series glory. David 和 Bates 谈论他的打击策略，他反方向的长打能力，以及他对世界大赛荣 耀的梦想。 David Laurila: You have a reputation as a disciplined hitter and are leading the California league in both walks and OBP. Do you feel you’re similar to Kevin Youkilis as a hitter? 你以选球着称，而且保送和上垒率都在 California League 中领先。你认为自己 和 Kevin Youkilis 是相同类型的打者吗？ Aaron Bates: I haven’t heard anyone compare me to him, but I’d be flattered if they did. I know that he has a tremendous eye and a great approach to hitting. I’ve always drawn a lot of walks, and recognize the value of getting on base. On-base percentage is important to me, because if you can find a way to get on, you’re helping your team. 从来都没有人拿我跟他来比较，但是如果有人真的这麽做，我会觉得很高兴。我 知道他有惊人的选球眼和很棒的打击策略。而我总是能选到很多保送，并且了解 上垒的价值。上垒率对我来说十分重要，因为只要你可以找到上垒的方法，你就 可以对球队有贡献。 DL: You’re second in the league in home runs. Do you consider yourself a power hitter? 你在联盟里全垒打排名第二。你认为自己是个有长打能力的打者吗？ AB: I have some power, but I consider myself a hitter first--I look at myself as a disciplined hitter more than a power hitter. You won’t see me taking wild swings. I feel that I have good bat control and a good idea of what I want to do at the plate. 我有一些长打能力，但我优先把自己视为一个打者－－我觉得比起有长打能力的 打者，自己更接近选球型的打者。你不会看到我猛力的挥击。我认为我可以完美 的控制我的球棒，而且对於在打击时自己想做什麽有着很好的概念。 DL: How much of your disciplined approach is innate, and how much of it is learned? 关於你的选球，有多少是天生的，又有多少是後天学来的？ AB: I feel like over the years my approach has become more refined. Plate discipline is more than simply laying off balls and swinging at strikes, it’ s recognizing which pitches you handle well. A disciplined hitter knows how to stay away from balls he’s likely to roll over or pop up. Even if it means taking a strike and getting behind in the count, you’re better off waiting for a pitch you can do something with. You need to understand when you have to expand your strike zone. So, in that respect, I guess it’s more learned. Hitting is a lot about being patient and controlling your emotions. 我觉得随着时间经过我的选球不断的进步。选球不只是放掉坏球，然後去打好球 ，更重要的是知道你可以打好哪一种球。一个选球型的打者知道如何避免去追打 他很可能打成软弱滚地球或是内野飞球的球路。就算这代表放掉一些好球并且在 球数上处於落後，你等待那些可以下手的球还是比较好的选择。你必须了解什麽 时候要把好球带放大。所以，就这方面来说，我想应该是要後天学来的。打击主 要是关於耐心以及控制情绪。 DL: Is your approach always the same, or does it vary because of the pitcher you’re facing? 你的打击策略一直是一样的，还是会因为投手不同而有所改变？ AB: It definitely changes. What kind of movement a guy has plays a role. You’ re facing right-handers and left-handers, maybe a side-armer once in awhile, and some guys simply approach you differently. My overall plan doesn’t change, but as a hitter you need to conform to who you’re facing. Not all pitchers are the same. 这一定会有所不同的。一个家伙的球路有什麽样的变化占了很重要的原因。你会 遇到右投和左投，或者偶尔会面对一个侧投，而且有些人只不过是用不同的方式 来对付你。我整体的策略是不变的，但是身为一个打者你需要针对投手作一些调 整。不是所有投手都是一样的。 DL: What do you consider the toughest pitch to hit in baseball? 你认为棒球中最难打的球路是什麽？ AB: I think that everyone would have a slightly different answer to that question, but for me it’s a guy who commands a good fastball. That’s what gets pitchers to the big leagues, and it’s why Michael Bowden was so successful here in a good hitter’s park. 我想每个人的答案都会不一样，但对我而言能控制好速球的家伙是最难对付的。 而这也是投手们能进到大联盟的原因，也是 Michael Bowden 能在这打者天堂如 此成功的原因。 DL: As a hitter, how do you approach a pitcher with good fastball command? 身为一个打者，你会用什麽方式去面对能控制好速球的投手？ AB: It goes back to what I was saying about discipline. You have to understand which pitches you can handle, and you have to wait for them. Baseball is a game where if you go one-for-three you’re having a good day, and you have to be able to accept that. If a pitcher throws nine straight quality pitches to you, you have to just tip your cap to him. 这又回到我刚刚谈到的选球了。你必须要了解你可以掌握哪些球路，然後你必须 等待他们。棒球是个你打出三之一的成绩就代表你有一场很好的比赛，而你必须 接受这个事实。如果一个投手对你连续投出九颗有水准的球路，你只能向他致敬 了。 DL: It has been said that Ted Williams could see the stitches on the ball as it was being delivered to the plate. What do you see? 传说 Ted Williams 可以看到投出球上的缝线。你可以看到什麽？ AB: I have pretty good eyesight--it's 20/10--and I start by looking for the release point. What I look for is the rotation, to recognize the pitch, and from there you have to let your natural reactions take over. You have to almost play like you’re a little kid, just enjoying the game and doing what comes naturally when the ball is delivered. 我有很好的眼力－－20/10－－而我先尝试着找出投手的出手点。接着我在判断出 球旋转的方式，以认出球种，然後你就得让自然的反应来接手了。你必须像小孩 打球一样，享受比赛然後在球来的时後做出自然的反应。 DL: You mentioned release points. Some pitcher’s deliveries are harder to pick up than others. 你提到了出手点。有些投手的出手点比起其他投手更难以辨认。 AB: Every pitcher is a little different in how he hides the ball, but I think I pick it up pretty well against most guys. Of course, I’ve never experienced an at-bat through someone else’s eyes, so I don’t really know from that perspective how well I read pitches. But one thing I do find is that balls coming out of the shadows--you know, on a day where the shadow crosses in front of the plate and the mound--don’t affect me as much as a lot of guys. They’ll be behind pitches, while I tend to be out front. I’m not sure if I know why that is. 每个投手隐藏球路的方式都不同，但我觉得面对大部分的投手我都可以辨认出来 。当然，我从来没有从别人的视野中来打过球，所以我不知道就这方面而言我判 别球种的能力到底如何。但是我知道从阴影中投出来的球－－你知道的，有时候 影子会遮到本垒板和投手丘－－对我并不会造成像大部分人那麽大的影响。他们 会被压制住，而我则可以将球击出。我不确定我是否知道为什麽会这样。 DL: What is your approach in batting practice? 你打击练习的方式是怎样？ AB: [In] the first round, I’m mostly just trying to get loose. My effort level is fairly low, and I’m basically looking to hit line drives up the middle. Overall, what you’re doing in BP is getting your hand-eye coordination ready for the game, so I try to be as meticulous as I can with my approach, which is to make solid contact. I stay away from things like trying to see how far I can hit the ball. As we get closer to game time, my effort level increases. 在第一轮的时候，我主要是尝试着放松。我尽量不使力，而我基本在想办法击出 中间方向的平飞球。整体而言，你在打击练习所要做的就是让眼手协调而可以进 行比赛，所以我对我的方式可以说是斤斤计较，而我的打击练习是要击出紮实的 球。我避免去尝试我可以把球打得多远。越接近比赛的时候，我出的力也越多。 DL: Which hitting drills in your pre-game routine are most important to you? 哪一项赛前例行打击练习对你而言是最重要的？ AB: I’m a big tee guy. I have a routine I use every day, getting 20 to 25 swings, and if I get that in I feel I’m ready for the game. Even if it’s a show-and-go day, where we don’t have time for batting practice, I feel ready. It’s a comfort thing for me, really--almost like stretching before you run. 我是个非常仰赖准备的人。我有一套每天例行的准备方式，那就是挥击 20 次， 而如果我可以做这样的准备，我就会觉得我已经准备好要比赛了。就算那是一场 很赶的比赛，而我们没有打击练习的时间，我也觉得没有问题。这对我来说是很 舒适的事，真的－－就像你跑步前的伸展一样。 DL: Many hitters say that hitting is all about the hands and wrists, while others point to their core or to their head. Which do you feel is most important? 许多打者认为打击就是关於手和手腕，其他人觉得是他们的身体或者是他们的头 。你觉得什麽是最重要的呢？ AB: My legs. I’m a bigger guy, height-wise, and it would be a shame if I didn ’t use them to my advantage. In a way, I guess you could say that’s part of my core, because I’m really talking about from my knees to around my belly button. Everyone has a different trigger, and if I use my legs right I can get to balls in different locations pretty well. 我的腿。我是一个大个子，就身高方面来说，而如果我不运用这方面来取得优势 的话那我就太丢脸了。就某个方面，我想你可以说那是我身体的一部分，因为我 所指的部分是从膝盖到腹部下方。每个人都有不同的启动方式，而如果我可以正 确的运用我的脚，那麽我就可以将球顺利的送到不同的地方。 DL: In talking about your power earlier this year, you said, 'It really depends on where they’re pitching me. It depends on where the mistakes are.' As a hitter, how do you define a "mistake," and do you feel that the majority of pitches that a hitter squares up and drives can be categorized as mistake pitches? 在谈到你季初的长打能力时，你说，’这有关於他们面对我时配球的位置。这关 系到失投球出现的地方。’身为一个打者，你如何定义＂失投球＂，而你是否觉 得大部分被打者相中并击出的球都可以被归类为失投球呢？ AB: I think a mistake is different for every hitter--each individual player has different pitches that he can handle or drive well. A pitcher can throw a pitcher’s pitch, and the hitter can hit it out of the ballpark, yet he can hang a slider over the plate and strike a guy out. I think the mistake starts with what pitch is called in relation to the situation and the person up to bat. It’s kind of like a chess match between the hitter and the pitcher. 我认为每个打者认定的失投球都不一样－－每个球员能掌握或击出的球种都不相 同。一个投手可以投出完美的一球，然後被打者把这颗球送出全垒打墙外，但是 他却可以用一颗失投偏高的滑球去三振另一个打者。我想失投球起因於当时的配 球以及打击者之间的关系。这有一点像打者及投手间的棋局一般。 DL: You have excellent power to the opposite field. Where does that come from? 你有着很好的反方向长打能力。这个能力是如何产生的？ AB: I’ve had it since I was younger. I hit the ball well the other way when I was in high school, and it’s a thing where I was taught to have an ability to do that. I went to a school with a good baseball program, and when I was a freshman that’s one of the things that was stressed. They expected everyone to have well-rounded games. Now it comes natural to me. I like to pull the ball too, though. 我在更年轻的时候就有这种能力了。我在高中时就有不错的反方向攻击能力，而 这是我一直被教育着要拥有的能力。我上的学校有很好的棒球训练计画，而当我 还是新鲜人时，反方向的击球能力就是被强调的重点之一。他们希望每个人都可 以有一场完美的比赛。而现在这种能力对我来说已经再自然不过了。不过，我也 满喜欢拉击的。 DL: It has been said that good hitters get jammed. Do you think that’s true? 有人说好的打者也会被逼的无法出棒。你觉得这是真的吗？ AB: Not that you want it to happen, but in a way, I think it is. Mike Wright, who coaches at San Jose State, talks about that. What he means is that you want the ball to travel--you want it to get deep so you’re not too far out in front. If you wait on the ball well you’re not as susceptible to curves and sliders away. That means you might be late on good fastballs inside--you get jammed--but overall you give yourself a better chance on more pitches. 这不是你想要发生的事，但就某种程度而言，我认为这是真的。在 San Jose State 担任教练的 Mike Wright 谈过这个问题。他的意思是你想要把球送出去－ －你想要把球打的深远所以你的击球点不会太前面。如果你耐心够的话，你不会 轻易的被曲球或滑球给骗了。但这代表你在面对内角直球的反应会太慢－－你会 被逼的无法出棒－－不过同时你也让自己有更好的机会面对更多球路。 DL: You hit four home runs in a game earlier this season. How meaningful is that to you, and will it impact you in any way going forward? 在球季初你曾经在一场比赛里打出四支全垒打。这对你来说有多大的意义，而这 对你的未来有任何影响吗？ AB: It was definitely special for me. Hitting one home run in a game is a wonderful feeling, but I never imagined I would hit four. After the game I had to take a second in the dugout to soak it all in. I felt our team played with a lot of emotion that day after we had lost by 30 the night before. [Editor’s note: Lancaster lost to Lake Elsinore 30-0 on May 18, the worst defeat in franchise history.] I was just happy we were able to come back and win the game. The magnitude of the night didn’t set in until I got into the locker room and people started calling for interviews. As for the future, I don’t think it will affect me one way or another. I approach every game the same way, and I just try and play as hard as I can every day. 这对我来说当然是十分特别的。打出一支全垒打的感觉很棒，但我从来没有想过 我可以在一场比赛中就打了四支。赛後我还得在休息区里花上一点时间才能完全 接受这个事实。我觉得那天我们球队打得十分激动，因为昨天我们才以 30 分的 差距落败。［编者注：Lancaster 在五月 18 日以 30 - 0 输给 Lake Elsinore ，是球队历史上最大的败仗。］我当时只觉得我们能拿回这场比赛真的是太棒了 。而直到我进到更衣室然後一大群人要访问我时，我才了解这个晚上的重要性。 至於对於未来，我想这不会对我有任何影响。我以相同的方式面对每一场比赛， 并且我每一天都尽全力去比赛。 DL: If you found a magic lamp, and a baseball genie gave you three wishes, what would they be? 如果你找到神灯，然後一个棒球精灵给了你三个愿望，你会许什麽愿望？ AB: For one, I’d love to run like Ichiro, because my batting average would go way up. With a weapon like his speed, your margin for error when you hit the ball is a lot different. Great hitters like Albert Pujols don’t beat out many infield hits, but Ichiro does. Second, I’d like to have the discipline of Barry Bonds. His ability to identify balls, and lay off pitches, is unparalleled. That’s a part of my game that is pretty solid, but he’s in another world. My third wish would be to have a long career with the Red Sox. I’d like to play for them for 15 or 16 years and win a couple of championships. 其中一个愿望是，我想要跟 Ichiro 跑得一样快，因为这样我的打击率会直线上 升。有像他一样的速度，对手产生失误的机会将会大不相同。像 Albert Pujols 这样伟大的打者是没有很多内野安打的，但是 Ichiro 有。再来，我想要拥有 Barry Bonds 的选球能力。他辨识球种以及放掉不好打的球路的能力是没有人可 以比拟的。而这也是我在比赛中做的很确实的部分，不过他却又是在另一个世界 的人。我的第三个愿望是可以在 Red Sox 有一个很长的职业生涯。我想为他们打 15 或 16 年的球并且赢下几个世界冠军。 DL: Let's say that someday you’ll deliver a game-winning hit to win a World Series for the Red Sox. Against which team will it come? 如果有一天你为 Red Sox 在世界大赛打出了致胜的安打。你想在面对哪一队时打 出这支安打？ AB: You know what? I’ve actually thought about that a lot. It’s something you daydream about when you play this game, and I believe in visualization--I believe that you can make things happen by imagining them. I’d love for it to be against the San Francisco Giants. That’s who I grew up with, and I’d love to be part of a Red Sox team that played them in the World Series. 你知道吗？事实上关於这个情境我已经想过很多次了。这是你在做白日梦时常常 想到的，而且我相信梦想－－我相信你可以藉由梦想一些事情来实现他们。我想 面对的对手是 San Francisco Giants。那是伴我一起成长的球队，而我想作为 Red Sox 的一员在世界大赛中面对他们。 DL: I understand that your dad snuck you into Little League before you were old enough. What are your thoughts on cheating in baseball? 我知道你父亲在你年龄未满的情况下把你偷渡进 Little League。你对在棒球运 动中作弊的行为有什麽看法？ AB: My thoughts are that anything illegal, or anything that’s against the rules, is wrong. For one thing, the better you can evaluate players as a fan--and I’m a fan--the better you can appreciate the game. If you cheat, it ’s dishonest to yourself, your teammates, and the fans. And the fans are important, because they’re the ones who come to see you play and ultimately pay your salary. The last thing you want is for a kid to love you, and then come to find out that you’re not what he thought you were. 我的看法是任何违法的事，或者任何违反规定的事，都是错的。就其中一个方面 来说，一个球迷越能正确的评价一个球员－－而我是一个球迷－－他就越能享受 比赛。如果你作弊，那就是对你自己，对你的队友，对你的球迷不诚实。而球迷 十分重要，因为他们是来看你比赛的人也是最终给你薪水的人。你最不想要发生 的事是，一个崇拜你的小孩，发现你并不是他想像中的那一个人。 DL: What about your dad sneaking you into Little League? 那你对你父亲偷偷把你送进 Little League 的事情又有什麽看法？ AB: To be honest, I don’t think he looked at it as cheating. The age limit was seven, he signed me up when I was five, and I turned six on opening day. I was big enough, but it wasn’t like I was too old--I was too young. To use an analogy, when Kirk Gibson had the big home run against Oakland in the World Series, the A’s had no problem with him doing it on one leg. I was starting off at a disadvantage, not an advantage. 老实说，我不认为他觉得那是作弊。那里年龄的限制是七岁，他在我五岁的时候 让我加入，而我在开幕时就已经六岁了。我已经够大了，但当时的情形并不是我 年纪太大超过限制－－我年纪太小了。这个情形就像是，当 Kirk Gibson 在世界 大赛中面对 Oakland 敲出关键的全垒打时，A's 不会去质疑他为何在只有一只健 康的脚的情况下击出全垒打。当时的我只占有劣势，而并不是优势。 DL: You lost your dad a few years ago. What did he mean to your development as a baseball player, and to your love of the game? 几年前你失去了你的父亲。他对你成长成一位棒球选手，以及你对比赛的热爱有 者什麽样的意义？ AB: My dad and I were extremely close. He drove me to countless practices and was always there watching me play. When I was 13, I played in two baseball leagues. One of the leagues was an hour away, so he would drive me to the first game, watch the game, then drive me to the next game right after. I also lived an hour and twenty minutes from my high school, so he would usually drive me to school in the morning and pick me up at night. We would use that time each day to talk about life and baseball. It was throughout those years that I truly started to understand by watching him what the word dedication meant. He would work at night so he would be free during the day to watch me compete. As for my love for the game, it has been just as strong since the day he snuck me into Little League when I was five. I am very grateful my parents always supported my dreams and aspirations. Although, I was only 20 years old when he passed away, I am very lucky to have had a role model like him growing up. 我父亲和我非常亲近。他载我去过无数次的练习而且就在那儿看着我打球。当我 13 岁的时候，我在两个联盟里打球。其中一个联盟要一个小时的路程，所以他要 先载我到第一场比赛，看完比赛，然後再立刻载我去下一场比赛。同时我住的地 方离高中要一个小时又二十分钟的路程，所以他通常要在早上载我上学，而在晚 上接我回家。我们会利用那些时间聊聊生活以及棒球。而那些年以来，藉由看着 他让我知道奉献的真正意义。他愿意在晚上工作，以换取白天的空闲时间来看我 打球。至於我对比赛的热爱，在我五岁时他将我偷渡到 Little League 时就一直 如此的强烈。我非常感激我父母对我的梦想及抱负永远的支持。虽然，在他过世 时我只有 20 岁，我觉得有他当我成长的榜样真是幸运。 DL: If you were to meet someone who had never heard of Aaron Bates, nor had they heard of the game of baseball, how would you explain each one to them? 假如你遇到一个从来没有听过 Aaron Bates 的人，而他也从来没有听过什麽是棒 球，你会怎样跟他介绍呢？ AB: I’d describe myself as a laid-back back guy who’s also a baseball player. As for the game itself, I’d tell them that it’s a form of entertainment for fans. It’s a game. But it’s also a great game that’s exciting to watch. I wouldn’t recommend it as something they’d rather see on TV, though--I’d tell them to come out to the park to watch it. That way they’d get to see just how great the atmosphere can be. 我会说我是一个很好相处的人，同时也是一个棒球选手。至於关於棒球比赛，我 会说那是娱乐球迷的一种方式。那是一种竞赛。但是那也是一种令观众感到刺激 的竞赛。不过我不会说那是一种你宁愿在电视上看的节目－－我会要他们亲自来 球场见识一番。如此他们才可以感受到这里的气氛有多麽的棒。 David Laurila is an author of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact David by clicking here or click here to see David's other articles. --

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