Jared Walsh奮鬥之路-從第39輪到大聯盟 (上)

看板Angels作者jjlooney (sober)時間3年前 (2021/05/12 00:23)推噓7(7推 0噓 1→)

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‘I used to be mad about it’ — How the Angels’ Jared Walsh channeled his 39th-round draft selection and became a big-leaguer 原文連結: https://reurl.cc/DvRyRO By Fabian Ardaya May 29, 2019 For much of his cross-country drive from Georgia to Arizona right around New Year’s Day, Jared Walsh tried as hard as he could not to think about baseball. He tried not to think about the reasons he’d slipped in the 2015 draft, or the fact that, just a few weeks earlier, despite the best season of his minor-league career, the Angels had left him off their 40-man roster and thus open to selection by any club in the Rule 5 draft. No one called. 在新年前後，他從喬治亞開往亞利桑那跨州之旅的大部分時間裡，Jared Walsh盡可能不去想關於棒球的事。他試著不去思考為何他在2015年選秀會滑到那麼後面的種種原因，或者事實上，就在幾周之前，儘管他打出小聯盟生涯的最佳球季，天使隊仍然把他放在40 人名單之外，讓他有機會在規則五選秀被任何球隊挑走。沒人選他。 He’d been invited to his first big-league spring training camp anyway, and as he drove hundreds of miles through hills and desert, he didn’t want his thoughts overwhelmed by the possibilities. He definitely didn’t want to think about the challenge of trying to be both a hitter and a pitcher in the major leagues, and what it would mean to be yet another guinea pig for an organization at the forefront of repopularizing two-way players in baseball. 無論如何，總算他被邀請參加個人的首次大聯盟春訓，而他開車駛過數百英里，穿越山丘和沙漠，他卻不想讓自己的思緒被各種可能性給淹沒。他當然不想去想在大聯盟投打二刀流可能會遇到的挑戰，以及被當作另一隻小白老鼠-代表球團作為讓二刀流選手在棒球界重拾人氣的先鋒。 “You have a lot of thoughts,” Walsh told The Athletic. “Probably too many thoughts.” 『你會有一堆想法』，Walsh告訴 The Athletic。『也許太多想法了。』 He quieted his mind by playing as much music as he could, wearing out his playlists of ’70s and ’80s classics and eventually succumbing to belting out pop hits at full volume. He sustained himself primarily on gas station coffee and Red Bull. His mouth watered at the meal awaiting him after his first full day of driving — after all, he hadn’t tasted Whataburger in months. By the time he reached his Dallas-area hotel, he noticed the closest Whataburger was 12 miles away. So, despite a torrential downpour, Walsh kept driving until he got it. 他盡可能播放最多的音樂讓心思安定下來，消磨掉70和80年代老歌歌單，最後屈服於音量全開的流行樂。他主要靠加油站的咖啡和Red Bull來維持清醒。他口水直流的等待在整整一天長途駕駛後的正餐 - 畢竟，他已經好幾個月沒有嘗過 Whataburger的味道了。當他抵達達拉斯附近的旅館之時，他注意到最近的 Whataburger還要開12英里。所以，儘管外面下著滂沱大雨，Walsh就是要開過去直到他吃到為止。 On his second day of driving, he couldn’t block the thoughts out anymore. He had to scratch the itch. So he stopped at the first central Texas gas station he could find. 在他第二天的長途駕駛中，他無法再阻擋任何想法。他要搔搔癢處。因此他停在第一個他能找到的德州的加油站。 “I feel like crap if I take like four days off from swinging or throwing,” Walsh explained. 『如果我四天沒有揮棒或丟球，我就會覺得自己像屎一樣。』Walsh解釋。 He pulled in, parked, and dug into the trunk of his mother’s Jeep Grand Cherokee to find a couple of stray baseballs and his glove. He couldn’t help but notice the stares from a small crowd of truckers in the parking lot, but he didn’t care. Hey, if you see someone stopped at a Love’s gas station in Nowhere, Texas, chucking baseballs at full speed at the bathroom wall, you’d stop and watch, too. 他停好車，然後從他媽媽的Jeep Grand Cherokee後車箱挖出幾顆零星的棒球和手套。他無法不注意到停車場裡，一小群卡車駕駛正凝視著他，但他不在乎。嘿，如果你在德州某個鳥不生蛋的地方的Love’s加油站，看到有人在對著洗手間外牆全力催下去丟球，你也會停下來看的啦。 The next day, he did it again. 隔天，他又做了一次一樣的事。 Walsh was convinced that the spring of 2014 would change his life forever. Walsh確信2014年的春天永遠的改變了他的一生。 He entered his junior year at Georgia fully believing that, with a great season, he’d hear his name called in the draft. He had reasons for optimism — he put together a solid sophomore campaign as a hitter, but he’d really separated himself as a left-handed relief option for the Bulldogs in a competitive SEC. In his quest to accelerate his rise, he pushed himself during early spring practices, upping his workouts and throwing progression to be in midseason form from the get-go. Such efforts proved detrimental. 進入在Georgia大學的第三年，他滿懷希望相信這個超棒的球季會讓他在選秀會上聽到自己的名字被選走。他是有理由樂觀的 - 他在大二年有很堅實的打擊數據，但他也真的區分開來，將自己視為鬥牛犬隊在充滿競爭的東南組的一個左投後援人選。在他尋求加速提升自己的過程中，他驅策自己在春天提早訓練，加重重訓菜單還有丟球的訓練，好讓自己在球季一開始就可以有季中的好狀態。但這些努力事後證明是有害的。 A back injury from the previous fall lingered, the pain worsening to the point where it became nearly unplayable shortly before the beginning of the season. The result was a stress fracture in his lower back, all but crippling his junior season before it even began. 從去年秋天開始的背傷揮之不去，疼痛甚至加劇讓開季後Walsh有短暫一段時間幾乎無法出賽。結果是他的下背部出現疲勞性骨折，讓他的大三球季在開始前就幾乎報廢。 “It was just kind of the perfect storm,” Walsh said. “I really wanted to do extra because I wanted to play pro baseball really bad. But I was just not really managing my body the way that I should have been.” 『這簡直就是場完美風暴，爛事接連發生』，Walsh說。『我真的很想多做一點，因為我超想打職棒。但我也真的沒有好好的管理我的身體。』 Limited to 69 at-bats as a junior, Walsh hit just .188 with a .562 OPS. On the mound, he was limited to nine ineffective innings. His ability to generate force as a hitter and a pitcher was zapped. So too, were his odds of being drafted. 受限於大三的69打數，Walsh只打出.188打率和.562的OPS。在投手丘上，他只繳出九局不太有壓制力的局數。他作為打者和投手，影響比賽的能力可以說完全破滅。所以咧，也就影響到他在選秀會上被選的機會。 But despite all appearances, that season was not an abject failure. Sitting in the stands at Foley Field was Todd Hogan, an area scout for the Angels. When Walsh did play, Hogan saw tools he felt could be molded. As a hitter, Walsh hit monstrous home runs to right and center field in batting practice, although he’d hit just seven during his college career. At first base, he showed nimble feet and an ability to pick a ball cleanly. As a pitcher, he showed a firm fastball that touched 92 mph with a potential plus curve and a changeup. 但儘管這一切看起來很糟，本季倒也不是徹底失敗。坐在Foley Field觀眾席上的Todd Hogan，是天使隊在此的區域球探。在Walsh上場的時候，Hogan看見了感覺可以被形塑打磨的一些技能。作為打者，Walsh在打練的時候能敲出中右外野嚇人的全壘打，雖然他整個大學生涯只打了七支啦。在一壘防守端，他展現靈巧的腳步和把球接得乾淨的才能。作為投手，他則有堅實的速球可達92麥，以及有潛力成為plus球種的曲球、以及一顆變速球。 Several of the scouts tracking Walsh focused in on the latter, seeing a pitching prospect who someday could become a left-handed bullpen weapon, even with a Tommy John surgery in high school hinting at a future injury risk. Hogan saw more in Walsh as a hitter, with pitching as a fallback plan. His submitted draft comp was to Mitch Moreland, who like Walsh was a first baseman and hitter at Mississippi State and has since produced an All-Star caliber career as a slugging first baseman. 在幾個球探的追蹤報告裡，把Walsh視為後者，預見一個投手新秀，某天也許可以成為左投的牛棚利器，即便他在高中動過Tommy John暗示著未來可能有傷病風險。 Hogan則把 Walsh視為打者更多一些，而將投球作為備案。他繳出的選秀模板球員是Mitch Moreland ，和Walsh一樣是一壘手和打者，在Mississippi State打球，從此之後作為強打一壘手並打出了全明星級的生涯表現。 So Walsh returned for his senior season in 2015, a last chance at continuing his career. That year, Hogan saw Walsh’s approach — he posted an .827 OPS in 173 at-bats — and felt his untapped power could elevate him as a future big-leaguer. 所以Walsh在2015回去打他的大四球季，他延續運動生涯的最後一次機會。在那年， Hogan看見了Walsh面對這一切的方法 - 他在173打數中打出.827OPS – 讓他感覺到他未開發的力量可以改進並在未來成為大聯盟球員。 “He was never a power guy in college,” Hogan said. “But you could see that he had the frame and (imagine what he would do) once he gets his man strength. ” 『他在大學從來不是力量型球員』，Hogan說。『但你看得出來他有那樣的體型以及(可以想像他能做得到) 只要他練出成熟男人應有的力量。』 In the lead-up to the draft Walsh heard from more than 20 clubs, each promising him that he would be under consideration, primarily as a pitcher, between the seventh and 12th rounds — a spot typically slotted for “senior signs,” or seniors that clubs could still dream on. Hogan asked Walsh if he’ d prefer to hit or pitch. Walsh said hit, and Hogan agreed, leaving both sides encouraged. 就在選秀前Walsh聽到至少超過20支球隊，每支都向他保證會將他納入考量，主要作為投手。大約落在7-12輪 –一個通常『大四老人』會出現的位置，或者球隊們還對大四生懷抱希望的落點。 Hogan問了Walsh傾向打擊還是投球。 Walsh說打擊，Hogan也同意了，讓雙方都覺得受到鼓舞。 But the first day of the 2015 draft came and went. So, too, did the second day, which spanned through the 10th round. Anticipating some of the nerves of the draft process, Walsh’s mother, Lisa, asked her son which of the major-league parks he’d like to visit for the first time. So on the third day of the draft, Walsh sat in the stands at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, watching the Orioles take on the Red Sox while tracking the draft on his phone. 但2015選秀會首日很快就登場以及結束。所以咧，第二天也就這樣結束了，此時已經過了第十輪。預期到選秀過程帶來的壓力和緊張，Walsh的母親，Lisa，問她兒子是否有想要去哪個沒有造訪過的MLB球場走走。因此在選秀會第三天，Walsh跑到巴爾的摩，坐在金鶯主場Camden Yards的觀眾席上欣賞金鶯戰紅襪，順便用手機看選秀。 During the 35th round, Walsh got a phone call from Hogan. He asked to confirm that Walsh would be willing to take $3,000 as a signing bonus (seniors, because of a lack of leverage, often have little wiggle room for negotiation). Then Hogan stressed that he was pushing for Walsh to get picked. 在第35輪的時候，Walsh接到了Hogan的電話。他打來確認Walsh會願意接受3000鎂的簽約金 (大四老人，因為影響力小，通常談判空間也小)。然後Hogan強調他正在努力讓Walsh 獲選。 Four rounds later, with the final pick of the 39th round — the 1,185th overall selection — the Angels chose Walsh. Fighting through tears, Walsh spoke with Hogan. His confidence was undeterred. 四輪後，在39輪的最後一個順位–總共是第1185順位 – 天使隊選走Walsh。強忍著淚水，Walsh和Hogan講電話。但他的信心並沒有受到打擊。 “How quick can you get me signed and have me getting out to an affiliate?” Walsh asked Hogan. “Because that’s one hour quicker for me getting to the big leagues.” 『你可以多快把我簽下來然後分發到小聯盟任何一個層級?』 Walsh問Hogan。『因為那可以讓我快一個小時上到大聯盟。』 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc), 來自: 150.117.141.123 (臺灣) ※ 文章網址: https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/Angels/M.1620750237.A.AD4.html ※ 編輯: jjlooney (150.117.141.123 臺灣), 05/12/2021 01:59:06

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