(續上篇，趁週末趕快翻完 orz...) --- Wrigley field has seen plenty of one-day wonders over the years. Most famously, Cubs centerfielder Karl (Tuffy) Rhodes hit three home runs off Mets starting pitcher Dwight Gooden on Opening Day 1994, only to hit just five more during the rest of his major league career. (Coincidentally, Rhodes ended up in Japan, where he's hit more homers -- 412 -- than any other foreign-born player.) But Fukudome's staying power has nothing to do with the long ball. He will never hit as many home runs as Matsui. He won't steal as many bases as Ichiro. What separates Fukudome is his eye. Wrigley 球場過去幾年出現過太多位曇花一現的球星，其中最有名的就是小熊的中外野手 Karl (Tuffy) Rhodes，他在 1994 年開幕戰從大都會先發投手 Dwight Gooden 手中轟出 三發全壘打，但是自此之後，他的大聯盟生涯卻只有再多添五支而已。(無巧不巧，Rhodes 後來跑到日本打球，他在那裡轟出的全壘打比較多－－共 412 支 －－居外籍球員之冠。) 但是福留的打擊不在於長打，他沒有打出媲美松井那樣多發的全壘打，也不像鈴木一朗那 麼會盜壘。福留的優點，在於他的選球能力。 From the beginning of spring training Cubs pitchers noticed something odd about Fukudome when they threw him batting practice. He took an inordinate amount of pitches. When games began, his approach was not much different. Most major league hitters, if behind in the count, will swing at any pitch they believe is a strike. Fukudome will only swing at a pitch he believes he can hit. The difference is subtle but significant. "I just try to focus on the pitches I can handle," Fukudome says. "If it's an outside strike that I can't reach, I won't swing at it. I'll just say, 'I'm sorry,' and walk away." 從春訓一開始，小熊隊的投手們就注意到福留在打擊練習時有點跟別人不同，他所消耗的 球數異常的多。到了比賽開始，他的選球也沒有改變，大部分的大聯盟打者在球數落後的 情況下，會極力去揮擊任何他們覺得是好球的球路，福留卻是只會揮擊他認為他可以擊出 安打的球，雖然只是這點小小的不同，但卻是關鍵所在。「我只是試著把注意力集中在我 可以揮擊的球路，」福留說：「如果是我揮不到的外角好球，我就不會揮擊，我只會說： 『斯咪馬甚』然後走回休息區。」 Even in Japan, where hitters are well-known for their plate discipline, Fukudome was unusually selective. His on-base percentage over the last three years was .443, .438 and .430, tops in the Central League each season. This spring he tied for the Cactus League lead with 15 walks in 23 games. And this season he has drawn 19 walks in 24 games, seeing 4.5 pitches per plate appearance, second most in the majors. 即使是在球員們普遍選球能力良好的日本，福留的選球能力還是非常出眾，他過去三年的 OBP 分別是.443、.438、.430，每個球季都名列央聯第一，今年春天他追平 Cactus 聯盟 的紀錄，在 23 場比賽選到 15 次保送。而這個球季他已經在 24 場比賽選到 19 次保 送，每次打擊都會消耗 4.5 個球數，聯盟排名第二。 Fukudome's stance looks a lot like Matsui's, his bat pointed straight up to the sky, but his swing is more like Ichiro's. As the pitch approaches, he inches forward in the batter's box, sliding both feet forward and often swinging on the move. When he misses, he can look silly, doing a full pirouette. Some managers might be tempted to tinker with Fukudome's form. But Piniella managed Ichiro in Seattle and knows not to mess. 福留的打擊站姿跟松井秀喜的很像，球棒棒頭會直指天空，但是揮擊姿勢卻跟鈴木一朗的 比較像，當投手投球進來時，他會在打擊區往前移幾吋，雙腳往前滑，然後在移動過程中 揮擊，一旦揮空，全身移轉的福留可能會顯得相當愚蠢。有些教練可能會想要改變福留的 打擊方式，但是Piniella在西雅圖帶過鈴木一朗，他知道最好不要出手干擾。 Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry, who had the same role under Piniella in Seattle, recalls having more concerns about Ichiro in his rookie season than he does about Fukudome. Ichiro, after all, swung at pitches outside the strike zone. Fukudome does not. 小熊的打擊教練 Gerald Perry 在西雅圖時也是跟在 Piniella 手下擔任同樣的職位，他 回想那時對於一朗的菜鳥球季可比對福留還要擔心，畢竟一朗可是連沒有跑進好球帶的球 都會揮擊，福留可不會這麼做。 In an April 16 game against the Cincinnati Reds, Fukudome showed major league pitchers just how serious he is about working counts. He came to the plate in the sixth inning, with the Cubs ahead 10-1, a situation in which hitters generally swing freely. Reds reliever David Weathers threw Fukudome four pitches -- two just off the outside corner, two just below the knees. Fukudome took all four, another walk. Afterward Weathers sat at his locker, shaking his head. "That fish ain't bitin'," he said. 在 4 月 16 號對上紅人的比賽，福留讓大聯盟的投手見識到他對於選球這回事可是非常 認真的，他在第六局上來打擊時，小熊已經取得 10 比 1 的領先，這種情況下打者通常 都會自由揮擊，但是紅人救援投手 David Weathers 投給福留四球，有兩球太過外角， 兩球在膝蓋高度以下，福留都沒揮擊，選到了個保送。Weathers事後坐在他的置物櫃前， 搖搖頭說：「小魚就是不上鉤。」 Fukudome does not drive only pitchers crazy. Gary Hughes has spent 42 years scouting ballplayers, and none tested his patience as much as Fukudome. When Hughes went to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens to scout for the Cubs, he had never heard of Fukudome. But as he watched the Japanese team, he found himself drawn to their gap-toothed rightfielder. Hughes checked off all the tools that Fukudome possessed -- run, field, hit and hit for power. The only skill that remained a mystery was his arm. 因為福留而抓狂的不僅是投手而已：Gary Hughes 有 42 年的球探經歷，但卻沒有人像 福留一樣如此考驗他的耐心。當 Hughes 在 2004 年前往雅典夏季奧運替小熊尋找球員 時，他從未聽過福留這個人，但是當他觀看日本隊比賽時，他發現他被日本隊這名門牙 開開的右外野手吸引住了。Hughes發現福留是個全方位的球員，能跑能守能打而且也可 以敲出長打，唯一不確定的是不知道他的手臂傳球力量怎樣。 It wasn't until the seventh game Hughes watched Fukudome play in the Olympics that he finally got to see him throw. Fukudome had to track down a base hit into the rightfield corner. He gloved the ball, came up firing and in one furious motion threw out the runner trying to sneak into second base. "Holy smokes, he can do it all!" Hughes exclaimed. "At that point I fell in love." 直到福留在奧運中的第七場出賽，Hughes才見識到福留的傳球臂力。當時福留在追趕一支 落到右外野的一壘安打，他接到球後，馬上將球快速回傳，刺殺了想要偷上二壘的跑者。 Hughes大叫：「我的媽壓，他什麼都會耶！」「在那時候我就愛上這名球員了」。 As Hughes walked the streets of Athens, he noticed a display of baseball cards in a hotel lobby featuring many of the Olympians. Hughes grabbed a Fukudome card and brought it back to the United States, where it has sat in his desk ever since. As a special assistant to Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, Hughes immediately recommended that Hendry sign Fukudome. But Fukudome was not a free agent, and the Dragons did not want to post him, which would have allowed major league teams to bid for the right to negotiate with him. In 2005 Hughes flew to Japan to watch Fukudome. The following year he did the same. After the '07 season Fukudome finally became a free agent, and he signed with the Cubs in December for four years and $48 million. "I've never waited so long to get a player I wanted," Hughes says. "I kept that baseball card in my desk for three years. Now, I'm trying to get him to autograph it." 當 Hughes 走在雅典的街道，他發現有間旅館大廳正在展示棒球卡，卡片上有許多球員 是奧運選手，Hughes抓了一張福留的棒球卡，然後帶回美國，從此一直放在他的桌上。 身為小熊隊總經理 Jim Hendry 的特助，他立刻向 Hendry 推薦簽下福留，但是福留還 不是自由球員的身分，中日龍也還不想要把他賣掉，讓大聯盟的球隊競標跟他的談判權。 Hughes在 2005 年飛到日本看福留打球，隔年也是如此。在 07 年球季結束後，福留終 於成為自由球員，與小熊隊在 12 月簽下四年 48 M 的合約。「我從來沒有等這麼久才 簽下我要的球員，」Hughes說：「我的桌上擺著那張棒球卡已經三年了，現在，我正試 著要拿去給他簽名呢。」 It's two hours before game time, and Fukudome is weighing his bats in the Cubs' clubhouse. Fukudome is not as fanatical about his pregame routine as Ichiro is, but he is meticulous about his bats. He keeps a portable scale in his locker to make sure all of the bats weigh precisely 920 grams. Some of them, he fears, got a little light in spring training because of the dry Arizona air. These will not be used during games. 在比賽開始的兩個小時前，福留會先在小熊休息室裡替他的球棒秤重，他不像一朗那樣 熱衷於賽前的例行練習，但是他對於球棒卻很要求，他在置物櫃擺放一個可攜式磅秤， 確保所有的球棒重量是不多不少的 920 克。他擔心有些球棒會因為春訓在亞利桑納乾燥 的空氣中而變比較輕，像這樣的球棒他就不會帶上場。 Japanese players are often viewed as curiosities by their American teammates. But the Cubs have embraced Fukudome as thoroughly as their fans have. Theriot carries a Japanese-English dictionary. Ace starter Carlos Zambrano wrote his own name in Japanese characters on the back of his cleats. Shortstop Ronny Cedeno choreographed a handshake with Fukudome that includes a bow at the end. Though the Cubs have never had a Japanese player before, several are well acquainted with Japanese baseball. Outfielder Alfonso Soriano began his professional career in Japan. Lee's father, Leon, played 10 years in Japan before becoming the first black manager there. 美國隊友常常會覺得日本球員舉止稀奇古怪，但是小熊球員們卻跟球迷一樣歡迎福留的到 來，Theriot 隨身攜帶日英辭典，王牌投手冉柏牛把他的名字用日文寫在他的鞋底後面， 游擊手 Ronny Cedeno 跟福留編了一套以鞠躬作結的握手動作。雖然小熊隊中從未有過日 本球員，但是許多隊員卻對日職非常熟悉，外野手Alfonso Soriano 是在日本展開他的職 業生涯，Lee 的爸爸 Leon 在日本打了十年球，之後成為那裡第一位黑人教練。 The Cubs also appreciate that Fukudome makes an effort. During a bus ride from Phoenix to Tucson in spring training, Theriot sat in the back row of the bus with Mark DeRosa and Daryle Ward, having a private conversation. Fukudome sat one row in front of them. After about 45 minutes Theriot noticed Fukudome typing feverishly into a small keyboard. "I looked closer, and I saw that it was his little electronic translator," Theriot says. "He was keeping track of every word we were saying." 小熊隊也很感謝福留努力要融入隊中所做的努力。在春訓從Phoenix到Tucson的車程中， Theriot跟Mark DeRosa還有Daryle Ward一同坐在公車後排進行私人的交談，福留坐在 他們的前一排。大概經過45分鐘後，Theriot注意到福留一直忙著在小小的鍵盤上打字。 「我靠近一看，發現那是他的小型電子翻譯機，」Theriot 說：「他在忙著跟上我們所 說的每個字。」 Fukudome has a blue notebook in which he jots all of his observations, usually about opposing pitchers and teams. But with the Cubs there is so much to learn. On April 16 Cincinnati's Adam Dunn hit a home run onto Waveland Avenue, and 15 balls came flying out of the bleachers and back onto the field, one of which nearly hit Fukudome in the head. Fukudome was aware of the Wrigley tradition that home runs hit by opposing players are to be thrown back. He was not aware, however, that many fans carry their own baseballs, so if they catch a home run from an opposing player, they can throw a different one back onto the field. Afterward Fukudome sounded confused. "I didn't know we gave up that many home runs tonight," he cracked. 福留有本藍色記事本，用來記下他所觀察到的一切，通常都是對方的投手跟隊伍，但是 對於自己的球隊，也有好多東西還要學習。 4 月 16 日紅人的 Adam Dunn 把一支全壘 打打到 Waveland Avenue，結果卻有 15 顆球從看台飛回來，其中一顆差點砸到福留的 頭，福留知道Wrigley 球場的傳統就是要把敵對球員所打的全壘打丟回場中，然而他卻 不曉得很多球迷都會隨身攜帶幾顆球，如果他們接到敵對球員打過來的全壘打，就可以 丟自己的球回場中。福留在賽後似乎有點困惑，「我不知道我們今晚被打了那麼多發的 全壘打。」他開玩笑的表示。 A sense of humor is crucial when playing for the Cubs. There will be more misunderstandings and mispronunciations as the year unfolds. But so far, it tastes good. 替小熊隊打球，擁有幽默感是很重要的。隨著球季的進行，將會出現更多誤解以及語言 不通的情況出現。但是到現在為止，一切感覺都還不錯。 --Fin-- --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 61.230.86.91 感謝 (雖說還是覺得這樣的舉動怪怪的 XD) ※ 編輯: niceta 來自: 61.230.86.91 (05/17 20:37)