A month ago, I wasn't even paying attention to the National League West east of the Colorado River. Where did the Rockies come from? 問：一個月前我根本還沒注意這隻國聯西區的球隊，他們打哪來的啊？ From virtually nowhere, with one of the great stretch-drive runs in Major League history. Beginning on Sept. 16, when they were in fourth place in both the division and NL Wild Card standings, the Rockies won 13 of their last 14 regular-season games to force a one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres. They won that game, 9-8, by scoring three runs in the bottom of the 13th inning. 答：不打哪來的啦(巴頭)！他們可是創造了大聯盟歷史上優秀的連勝紀錄球隊！從9月16 號還是分區及外卡排名第四開始，他們14場比賽贏了13場，最後和聖地牙哥教士隊加賽廝 殺，結果在13局下半攻下3分，以9:8勝出。 Did that torrid drive take the starch out of them, empty their emotional tank? 問：酷熱會消耗他們的精力，蒸發他們的意志嗎？(註：看不懂的三小問題...) Hardly. The Rockies swept Philadephia in the NL Division Series, and did the same to Arizona in the NL Championship Series. 答：幾乎不會。落磯在NLDS橫掃費城人，然後在NLCS再度橫掃響尾蛇。 Has that ever happened before? 問：這之前發生過嗎？ No. Since the introduction of the best-of-five Division Series following the 1995 season, no team in either league has swept both series to qualify for the World Series. 答：沒有過！從1995年開始分區五戰三勝之後，從來沒有一隻球隊可以在兩個系列都把對 手剃光頭打進世界大賽。 So the Rockies are the first team in Major League history to go 7-0 in the postseason? 問：所以落磯是大聯盟史上第一支季後賽7勝0敗的球隊嗎？ No. In 1976, the Cincinnati Reds swept the then-five-game NLCS from the Phillies and also swept the World Series from the New York Yankees for a 7-0 postseason. But when the World Series begins next week, the Rockies will have the opportunity to become the first team to start 8-0 in the postseason. 答：非也。1976年辛辛那提紅人在NLCS三連勝擊敗費城人，然後四連勝擊敗紐約洋基(註： 當時季後賽只有兩階段)。但是今年的落磯有可能締造季後賽開局8連勝的新紀錄。 If I've got my math right, that's 21 wins in 22 games. Has there ever been such a streak in Major League Baseball? 問：落磯在22場中贏了21場，過去大聯盟有這種連勝紀錄嗎？ Not at this time of the year. The 1935 Cubs won 21 straight and 23 of 24, and the 2002 Oakland A's won 20 straight and also 23 of 24. But sustaining such a streak through the postseason is something else. Closest to the Rockies' accomplishment were the 1960 Yankees, who closed out the regular season with 15 straight wins and 19 of 21 -- but they then dropped Game 1, and eventually the World Series itself, to the Pirates. 答：今年不是第一次。1935年小熊有過21連勝，24場比賽中贏了23場；2002年運動家有過 20連勝，並同樣在24場比賽中贏了23場。不過能夠連勝到季後賽又是另一回事。最接近落 磯今年記錄的是1960年的洋基隊，他們以15連勝結束例行賽，在21場中贏了19場，不過他 們季後賽(註：當時季後賽就是兩聯盟戰績最佳隊伍對決，等同於世界大賽)第一場就凸槌 了，最後輸給了海盜隊。 Is five-time All-Star Todd Helton, the Rockies' only household name, still their top player? 問：五度入圍明星賽的Helton，這個幾乎代表落磯的選手(註：他從1997年開始就待在落 磯了)，還是隊上的牛逼嗎？ Helton contributed mightily to his first postseason team, hitting .320 with 17 homers and 91 RBIs, but the Rockies' big gun is Matt Holliday. Holliday is a prime MVP candidate after leading the league with a .340 average and 136 RBIs, while also hitting 36 homers. 答：Helton在例行賽交出3成2的打擊率、17支全壘打、91分打點，但落磯今年最大的一把 槍卻是Matt Holliday。有資格拿下國聯MVP的好樂迪先生在例行賽有3成40的打擊率、136 分打點(註：MLB官網資料庫是137分)及36支紅不讓。 Anyone else I should know about? 問：我還應該留意哪些選手？ This is a very deep team. Third baseman Garrett Atkins and right fielder Brad Hawpe also drove in 100-plus runs. And Troy Tulowitzki just missed, with 99. 答：這是一支深不可測的球隊。三壘手Atkins和右外野手Hawpe也都有超過100分打點的表 現(Atkins/111、Hawpe/116)，而凸洛威司機也有99分打點。 Tulo-what-itzki? 問：凸洛—哇三小—司機？ You better remember that name. He is the rookie shortstop who just turned 23, a 6-foot-3 guy who fields even better than he hits. Cal Ripken Jr. says he does everything as well as he did and one thing even better -- throw on the run. The Hall of Famer is right; Tulowitzki makes off-balance throws better and stronger than anyone in memory. 答：你最好記住他的名字。他今年23歲，6呎3吋高(約188公分)，是守備比打擊還要好的 菜鳥游擊手。小瑞普肯曾稱讚土洛幾乎和他一樣優秀，接球後移動傳球的功夫甚至更好。 這位名人堂選手的話的確中肯，Tulowitzki在重心偏離的傳球往往傳得更好更殺。 With all that talent, why did it take the Rockies so long to make a move? 問：有這麼多好貨，怎麼落磯到季末才發揮呢？ Through mid-September, the Colorado staff had an ERA of 4.45. Since Sept. 16, that figure is 2.80. It always comes down to pitching, and the Rockies have received huge contributions from a pair of youngsters added late to the mix, 23-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez and 21-year-old Franklin Morales. 答：球季開始到九月中，落磯團隊防禦率是4.45，9月16日開始，這個數字是2.80。這個 數字主要功臣是兩位後來加入的年輕投手：23歲的Jimenez和21歲的Morales。(註： Jimenez在9/16之後的表現：3GS、1W、16.2IP、4.86ERA、Morales在9/16之後的表現： 3GS、2W、17IP、1.59ERA) Does the pitching staff have an ace, the kind of undisputed No. 1 that is needed to set the tone? 問：落磯裡有沒有Ace等級的大物值得留意？ Yes, and he is left-hander Jeff Francis, who tied the club record with his 17 wins, then won the opening games of both the Division Series and the Championship Series. 答：有滴，就是左投Francis。他本季追平了隊史最多勝場紀錄(17勝)，並且在NLDS和NLCS 都拿下了首場勝。 So the Rockies are totally dependent on Francis and the rest of their rotation? 問：看來落磯是靠Francis了...那其他的先發呢？ Not exactly. They have a one-for-all, all-for-one staff. In fact, during their current phenomenal run, 10 different pitchers have contributed wins to that ongoing 21-1 run. 答：這麼說就不盡然啦，落磯是那種看似不可怕，但隨時都有人跳出來的球隊(註：翻得 不好，原文比較傳神)。事實上在他們季末的21勝中是分別由10位投手拿下的勝投。 Have the Rockies appeared in the postseason before? 問：落磯之前曾在季後賽亮相嗎？ Once, in 1995, actually the first year of the Division Series. In only their third season of existence, they qualified as the NL Wild Card team, but lost the Division Series in four games to the eventual World Series champion Atlanta Braves. 答：只有1995年那一次。那是落磯成軍的第三年，是以外卡資格進入季後賽，最後在分區 系列賽輸給了當年世界大賽冠軍勇士隊。 Making the playoffs in only their third season is pretty impressive, but how had the franchise fared since? 問：哇，成軍第三年就打季後賽看來挺厲害，那他們之後的表現呢？ Not too well. This season has been a real breakthrough. In fact, the Rockies had never won more than 83 games until this season, when they tied for the NL high with 90 victories. 答：不算太好，直到今年算是落磯的大躍進。事實上在今年之前該隊在例行賽從沒超過83 勝，但今年卻拿下了90勝，與響尾蛇並列國聯最多勝。 Did they gradually improve to this level? 問：他們是慢慢進步到今年這樣子的嗎？ Not quite. This has been a case of pure sudden impact. Colorado had finished with a losing record in each of the last six seasons. 答：也稱不上。這真的是突如其來的進步。他們過去六個球季連五成勝率都不到。 So all they needed was a manager who could make a difference? This Clint Hurdle guy came in to turn them into winners? 問：幹嘛不一次說完呢...那看來應該就是總教練Clint Hurdle的功勞吧！ Yes, but hardly instantly. Hurdle has managed the Rockies since early in the 2002 season, when he replaced Buddy Bell. But Hurdle began this season a cumulative 84 games under .500 as Rockies manager. 答：對，不過這也不是說變就變的。Hurdle在2002年初取代Bell職掌兵符，而在今年球季 的前86場比賽也只拿下剛好5成的勝率。(註：2007年7月6日時) OK, so the Rockies didn't have much team history. How about individual achievements? 問：好吧，看來落磯的歷史沒什麼可以挖的...那個人表現呢？ Plenty. But all of it on the offensive side, due to, and enhancing, Colorado's reputation as a thin-air hitters' haven. In their 15 seasons, the Rockies have had six batting champs (Andres Galarraga in 1993, Larry Walker in 1998-99 and 2001, Helton in 2000, and Holliday in 2007), three home-run kings (Dante Bichette in 1995, Galarraga in 1996 and Walker in 1997) and seven RBI champs (Bichette in 1995, Galarraga in 1996-97, Helton in 2000, Preston Wilson in 2003, Vinny Castilla in 2004 and Holliday in 2007). 答：這就有一堆可以說的啦！不過幾乎都跟他們的打擊有關。落磯主場向來有打擊者天堂 之稱，在過去的15個球季，落磯有六屆的打擊王(大貓Galarraga/1993；Walker/1998、 1999、2001；Helton/2000；Holliday/2007)、三位選手拿過全壘打王(Bichette/1995； Galarraga/1996；Walker/1997)、七屆的打點王(Bichette/1995；Galarraga/1996、 1997；Helton/2000；Wilson/2003；Castilla/2004；Holliday/2007) What is most refreshing about having a team like the Rockies in the World Series? 問：像落磯這種球隊，到底有什麼新鮮的東西呢？ They continue the Fall Classic's rank as the most democratic, most accessible ultimate event in any sport. Colorado, in fact, is the ninth different NL team in the World Series in 10 years, a stretch during which only the 2004 and '06 St. Louis Cardinals repeated. Including the AL, 15 different teams have appeared in the last 10 World Series. 答：他們在秋季經典的表現是最戲劇性、最有可能締造記錄的。事實上落磯是國聯近10年 來第九支晉級世界大賽的隊伍，這當中唯一的重複是2004年和2006年的紅雀。若把美聯算 在內，過去10年的世界大賽出現了15隻不同的隊伍。 And to make it as a Wild Card, that has to be pretty unusual, no? 問：對一隻外卡球隊來說，這稱的上是傳奇了吧！ On the contrary, the 13 World Series since Commissioner Bud Selig introduced the element in 1995 have included a total of nine Wild Card entries. Each of the last six Classics have included a Wild Card team, sometimes two (2002, Angels vs. Giants). 答：正好相反。從大聯盟有外卡制度以來的13年來，總共有9隻外卡球隊打入WS。過去六 年都有外卡球隊晉級世界大賽，2002年甚至是兩隻外卡球隊對決。(註：2003年的馬林魚、 2004年的紅襪、2005年的太空人、2006年的老虎) 原文網址：http://0rz.tw/5b3ed，作者：Tom Singer --------- 翻得有點趕，錯誤之處請指教～ -- You can check out any time you like But you can never leave --

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