Jared Walsh奮鬥之路-從第39輪到大聯盟 (下)

看板Angels作者jjlooney (sober)時間3年前 (2021/05/16 18:33)推噓9(9推 0噓 1→)

留言10則, 9人參與討論串1/1

The reconstruction of Walsh’s swing began in earnest at the beginning of his second full professional season. Former assistant minor-league hitting coordinator (and current Angels assistant hitting coach) Shawn Wooten began reengineering Walsh’s stance and swing mechanics to help him better bring his power into games. Walsh真正開始重建他的揮擊，是在他的第二個完整職業球季的時候。前天使小聯盟統籌打擊助理教練(*在本篇文章(2019)完成時擔任天使助理打教，現已離隊。) Shawn Wooten 開始改造Walsh的站姿和揮擊的機制，讓他能更有效的把他的力量轉化至實戰中。 Walsh’s stance had evolved since college, when he rested into a squat but kept his upper half upright, with much of his weight on the heels of his feet. He had gone to a more upright and closed-off stance, with his hands still. Walsh的站姿從大學開始就不斷演進，當時他採用蹲姿讓上半身直立，讓重心集中在雙腳腳跟上。他後來也曾使用站得較為挺直，以及封閉式的站姿，雙手保持不動。 Wooten started with Walsh’s lower half, returning him to bending his knees but instead putting most of the weight on the ball of his back foot, allowing him to drive in one motion toward the baseball to generate more force. He encouraged Walsh to drop his toe tap and instead incorporate a leg kick to put his body in motion before the baseball even approached the plate. Walsh’ s home-run total jumped from seven in 2016 to 11 in 2017. Wooten從Walsh的下盤訓練開始，讓他練習反覆彎曲膝蓋，以取代擊球時把重心集中在後腳的習慣，使他能夠做出朝向棒球猛力抽擊的單一動作，產生更多動能。他並鼓勵 Walsh改掉他踮腳尖的動作，並且納入抬腿機制，讓身體在棒球接近本壘板前就開始啟動。 Walsh的全壘打產量從2016年的7隻，提升到2017年的11隻。 “I could tell the difference,” Walsh said. “When the ball came off my bat, it was much more crisp. The flight on the ball was better.” 『我可以感受到差異』，Walsh說。『當球從我的球棒擊出後，感覺更清脆了。球的飛行也變得更好。』 Then, Wooten opened Walsh up in the batter’s box, with his front foot almost pointing toward the pitcher. He put Walsh’s hands in motion, allowing them to controllably rotate and remain fluid before his load. Wooten, former minor-league hitting coordinator (and current major-league hitting coach) Jeremy Reed and Brian Betancourth, then the hitting coach at High-A Inland Empire (now with Triple-A Salt Lake) worked on refining Walsh’s approach, looking to cut down on strikeouts. 接著，Wooten把Walsh在打擊區時的動作改為開放式，讓前腳幾乎指向投手。他把Walsh 的手調整為靈活擺動的，讓雙手在旋轉時較能控制並且在蓄力前保持流暢。 Wooten，前天使小聯盟統籌打擊助理教練(*在本篇文章(2019)完成時擔任天使助理打教，現已離隊。 ) 、Jeremy Reed(現任天使隊打教)、Brian Betancourth，當時是高階A Inland Empire( 現任AAA鹽湖城蜜蜂打教) 一起為了改善Walsh揮擊的軌跡以及機制，目標是降低三振。 But after finishing the 2017 season with Double-A Mobile, Walsh started 2018 back in High-A. 但在2017年結束了AA Mobile BayBears的球季後，Walsh在2018年回到高階A開季。 “It was kind of back and forth,” Walsh said. “Sometimes I’d be like, ‘Aw this is awesome. I’m going to do great.’ Then other times, I’m like, ‘ Wow, I suck.’” 『這有點像是原地踏步』，Walsh說。『有時我會覺得，喔這超棒的。我要開始打出鬼神成績啦。然後有些時候，我覺得，哇，我超爛。』 But the Angels’ front office presented the demotion as a challenge. Walsh had consistently been listed on the Angels’ minor-league performance charts from the time Billy Eppler took over as general manager following the 2015 season. With each step of his progression, each major tweak to his swing, Eppler and the rest of the front office grew more convinced of Walsh’s talent. 但天使的制服組把這次降級視為挑戰。 Walsh自從Billy Eppler於2015球季擔任總管後，一直被列在球隊農場表現的報表上。每一步進展、每一次揮擊上的小突破，都讓Eppler 和制服組眾人更加相信Walsh所擁有的天分。 So Eppler was aggressive with the 39th-rounder. After Walsh tore it up in High-A to start 2018, he was moved back to Mobile. He hit just as well there, so Walsh earned his first Triple-A call-up. For the first time in three years, Walsh wasn’t angry about his draft position. He felt confident in his swing. 所以Eppler開始對這位39輪仔變得更積極。在Walsh2018從高階A出發，大殺四方後，他又回到AA Mobile。他在Mobile也打得好，因此Walsh贏得他第一次的AAA之旅。這是三年以來Walsh首次沒有為他的選秀順位感到不滿。他對自己的揮棒充滿自信。 The 2018 season proved to be career-altering. In 549 plate appearances over three levels, Walsh slashed .277/.359/.536 with 29 home runs and 64 extra-base hits. 2018球季後來證明對於Walsh的生涯來說是轉變性的一年。在橫跨3個層級的549打席中， Walsh打出.277/.359/.536附帶29轟和64隻長打。 “It’s very big for them to be able to kind of utilize every tool in his tool belt, to understand the strengths of the player and the things that the player can contribute,” Eppler said, “And then to make those things repeatable and translate into performance.” 『對他們來說這是一件重大成就，能夠讓他解放他技能包裡面的每項專長並且應用，了解球員的強項以及球員可以貢獻的地方。』Eppler說，『並且讓這些事情重複發生，轉化成場上的表現。』 It was enough to warrant a more serious look toward his big-league future. But not serious enough. In December, when the Angels had the opportunity to place Walsh on their 40-man roster, they held off. Walsh remained within the organization as the other 29 teams passed on him. 這足以讓其他人變得更認真審視Walsh的大聯盟之路，但還不夠。十二月的時候，天使隊有機會將Walsh放入他們的40人名單，但他們推遲了。由於其他29隊沒挑走他，他繼續留在天使系統內。 Pitching had become something of a hobby for Walsh. But he missed it. 投球已經變成Walsh的一項興趣。但他仍然懷念它。 As they both traversed the minors, Walsh often phoned David Sosebee, his former college roommate and a Yankees 28th-round reliever currently in Triple-A, just to talk pitching. Each of the past three offseasons, Walsh and Sosebee have worked out just outside of Atlanta with Royals right-hander Brad Keller, another Georgia native. Walsh would half-jokingly join in on Keller and Sosebee’s throwing sessions to see if he still had it, flipping in a curveball or changeup from time to time. They discussed other pitchers, spoke freely on mechanics and each broke down ways to attack hitters. 由於兩人皆經常在小聯盟中奔波，Walsh時常打給David Sosebee，他的大學室友，洋基第 28輪選進的後援投手，目前在AAA打拼，只為了討論投球。過去三年每到休賽季，Walsh 和Sosebee會和皇家隊右投手Brad Keller一起在亞特蘭大郊外練習，他是另一位喬治亞州的州民。 Walsh會半開玩笑地加入Keller和Sosebee的投球練習，看看他是否還有點料，不時丟點曲球或變速球。他們也一起討論其他的投手，對於投球機制和拆解各種攻擊打者的方式暢所欲言。 While Walsh hadn’t pitched regularly in years, he still was curious. His fastball would still touch the low 90s, leading Keller and Sosebee to joke that Walsh should convert to pitching instead of hitting. 即使Walsh近年來沒有規律的以投手身分出賽，他仍對這一切感到好奇。他的球速仍然有 low 90s的水準，讓Keller和Sosebee會開玩笑叫Walsh棄打從投。 “I don’t think I ever really lost the love for pitching,” Walsh said. 『我真的不認為我失去了對投球的熱愛』，Walsh說。 Circumstances would give him the chance to do both. By the time he reached Triple-A last season, Walsh became a regular volunteer to pitch once games got out of reach. 偶一為之的機會讓他有辦法嘗試投打兩端。在他上季加入AAA的時候，Walsh自願在當比分差距拉開到一定程度後上場投球。 His fastball still sat in the low 90s. His curveball had great shape and drop. His changeup was effective enough to stay off hitters’ barrels. In eight pitching appearances at Salt Lake, he struck out more than a batter per inning and allowed just two runs (one earned). The Angels took notice, inviting Walsh and teammate Bo Way to the fall instructional league — to work as pitchers. 他的速球仍有low 90s的水準。他的曲球有很棒的軌跡和下墜幅度。他的變速球足夠有效避免打者擊中甜蜜點。在鹽湖城八次以投手身分出賽的機會中，他平均每局K掉一位打者以上，只掉了兩分(一分責失)。天使隊有注意到他的表現，邀請Walsh和隊友Bo Way一起去打秋季指導聯盟 - 並以投手接受訓練。 In December, when the Angels informed Walsh that he was attending his first big-league camp, they told him he’d be doing so as a two-way player. Walsh quickly alerted a stunned Sosebee and Keller, hoping they’d help him figure out how to prepare. 十二月的時候，當天使球團通知Walsh參加他的第一個大聯盟春訓，他們也告訴他要做好二刀流選手的準備。 Walsh隨即向目瞪口呆的Sosebee和Keller發出投球警報，希望他們可以給他一些準備上的建議。 “Every offseason, he’s played catch to be a first baseman,” Keller said. “ So, he asked me, how do I get my arm ready (days in advance)?” 『每年休賽季，他在傳接球練習的時候都是練一壘手的內容』，Keller說。『所以他問我，我要怎樣讓自己的手臂(在投球前幾天就)準備好?』。 In reality, Walsh was fortunate to be with the right organization, and at the right time. The success of Shohei Ohtani as a rookie two-way player provided the Angels with the framework to attempt the endeavor with other prospects. Last June, they selected William English as both a hitter and right-handed pitcher in the fifth round. Then, Eppler had Walsh and Way give it a go in instructs. Kaleb Cowart, a former first-round pick who has struggled as a hitter at the major-league level, began throwing bullpens at the end of last season. Currently, the Angels have five two-way players in their organization, far and away at the forefront of repopularizing the two-way player’s role. 實際上，Walsh很幸運在一個恰當的時機，待在一個正確的球團裡。歐塔尼桑作為二刀流新人選手的成功，提供了天使隊這樣的架構，願意讓其他新秀努力嘗試看看二刀流。去年六月，他們在第五輪以打者和右投手身分選走William English。接著，Eppler給了 Walsh和Way綠燈，讓他們接受適當的指導。 Kaleb Cowart，前第一輪選秀，作為打者在 MLB層級有點掙扎，在上個賽季尾聲也開始到牛棚做投球的訓練。目前，天使球團共擁有五位二刀流球員，在讓二刀流球員重拾人氣的行動中領先並扮演要角。 While Eppler has stated that Walsh’s status as a former 39th-round selection had little to do with the club’s willingness to allow him to try both hitting and pitching, it’s hard to deny that experimenting is easier when less is invested in a player. For example, Hunter Greene and Brendan McKay, two of the top four picks in the 2017 draft, were each seen as potential two-way talents. The Reds had Greene exclusively pitch after selecting him second overall, and the Rays recently had McKay drop hitting from his development curriculum in an effort to accelerate his pitching progression. Walsh, a reliever unlike starting pitchers Greene and McKay, felt his limited pitching workload might play more of a factor in the Angels’ willingness to let him try. 當Eppler聲明Walsh作為第39輪仔，和球團願意讓他嘗試二刀流沒有什麼關係的時候，你卻很難否認，這樣的試驗比較容易發生在球團沒有花大錢投資的球員上。舉例來說， Hunter Greene和Brandon McKay，兩人都在2017前四順位被挑走，之前都被視為投打兩端具有高度天分的球員。紅人在第二順位選走Greene後，只讓他專心投球，而光芒也讓 McKay放棄打擊的發展課程，以致力加快投球進步的幅度。 Walsh，作為一個後援投手，不像Greene或McKay是先發投手，認為他有限的投球局數也許是天使球團願意讓他試試看的原因。 “Not everybody’s going to be Ohtani, frontline starter,” Walsh said. “But it’s like if somebody can go out there and get out and take a load off the bullpen, why not give it a try?” 『不是每個人都會成為歐塔尼桑，一線的先發投手』，Walsh說。『但這像是如果某個球員可以登板然後減輕牛棚的負擔，那為什麼不試試看呢?』 By the end of March, he showed himself more a prospect than a two-way sideshow. Each day in the corner of the Angels’ spring training clubhouse in Tempe, he fielded questions from a horde of Japanese media, each asking about Walsh’s venture into being a two-way player in a post-Ohtani baseball world ( “He’s the trendsetter,” Walsh would repeat). His at-bats flashed his newfound power. His pitching appearances provided intrigue. But he wasn’t a big-leaguer yet. 到三月底，他展現自己作為潛力新秀的成分比二刀流選手還多一些。每天在天使位於 Tempe的春訓基地中的一角，他還要處理日本媒體的一狗票提問採訪，像是Walsh作為一個投打雙棲球員，他的二刀流之旅在後歐塔尼桑時代的棒球世界裡會有什麼改變(他是個引領新潮流的人，Walsh會這樣重複敘述大谷。) Walsh新獲得的長打能力在他上場的打數間閃動。他登板投球時則讓人充滿了興趣。但他還不是一位大聯盟球員。 So Walsh got back in the car. His mother’s 2015 Grand Cherokee was again filled to the brim with “half of my entire life” as he maneuvered his way through the mountains in the middle of the night en route to Salt Lake City. This time, he thought of what he’d told Hogan, the scout who’d vouched for him to then-Angels scouting director Ric Wilson and former general manager Jerry Dipoto, after the Angels selected him: 所以Walsh回到他的車子裡。他老木的2015年份Grand Cherokee再次承載了幾乎『我的半個人生』每當他駕馭這台車在午夜時分穿越山丘，往返鹽湖城的路途上。這次，他想到他曾經和Hogan說過，那位曾為了他向天使球探長Ric Wilson以及天使前GM Jerry Dipoto 拍胸脯保證，就在天使隊選擇Walsh之後: He was going to be a big-leaguer. 他一定會成為大聯盟球員。 And then, through his first 166 plate appearances at Salt Lake, he’d already slugged 10 home runs. He’d already pitched five innings, allowing a pair of runs while striking our four. Even after starting with slim odds, he’d put himself on the Angels’ radar. 接著，經過了他在鹽湖城最初的166打席，他敲出10轟。他投了5局，被得2分，送出4次三振。即使一開始只有渺茫的機會，他讓自己出現在天使球團的雷達上。 Two months later, Walsh left his mom’s Grand Cherokee in the Salt Lake City airport, where it’s racking up parking fees. Those, Walsh will worry about later. After all, he’d be starting at first base in a major-league game that night. He’d accomplished his dream. 兩個月後，Walsh把他老木的Grand Cherokee停在鹽湖城機場，讓愛車在那裏累積停車費。這些瑣事，Walsh將會留到稍後再來擔心。畢竟，他今晚要在MLB比賽中先發擔任一壘手。他就要達成他的夢想了。 “I guess I’ll eventually have to pay for it,” he said with a smile. 『我猜我最後還是得付那筆錢吧』，他邊說邊微笑。 Walsh found out the news from Salt Lake manager Lou Marson on that Monday, May 13, fresh off a two-hit day in which he’d slugged a seventh-inning home run. Walsh was given strict orders to keep the news quiet — after all, the club’s decision to option Justin Bour didn’t become official until the following evening — so he limited who he told. Walsh called his mother, who booked a flight to Minneapolis to meet her son before Jared could even get a ticket. Walsh周一從鹽湖城蜜蜂的總a ，Lou Marson那邊得知這件事，5月13日，就在他單場雙安，包含一隻在七局時擊出的全壘打之後。 Walsh被要求守口如瓶 – 畢竟，球團決定下放 Justin Bour的事情還沒公布，直到隔天傍晚 – 因此他能分享好消息的對象有限。 Walsh也打給他媽媽，媽媽並且訂了一張飛到Minneapolis的機票去見他兒子，甚至在 Walsh能夠弄到一張球票之前。 “She was asleep,” Walsh said. “She has to wake up pretty early for work. I think she was fine with me waking her up that night, though. She had no problem getting that call.” 『她當時睡著了』Walsh說。『她每天都要早起工作。我認為她對於我那天晚上打電話沒什麼問題，儘管把她吵醒了。她對接到那通電話完全沒問題。』 Then he called Hogan. Instead of offering an “I told you so,” he simply broke down and thanked him for giving him the opportunity. “No,” Hogan said, “it was all you.” 接著他打給Hogan。但他並沒有講幹話像是『早就和你說過了吧』，而是簡單的和他說謝謝，給了他機會去證明自己。『不』，Hogan說，『這一切全部源自於你的努力』。 “When you get a kid like that, who just says from day one, ‘Hey, I’m making it to the big leagues,’ that’s just the heart and the drive of a winner,” Hogan said. “His back’s against the wall, the 39th round. He gets out there and he proves all the all the skeptics wrong.” 『當你得到那樣的年輕球員，從第一天就說著，'嘿，我一定會打到大聯盟去的'，那代表著贏家的心態和動力』，Hogan說。『他破釜沉舟，從第39輪一路打上來。他從那麼後面的順位出身然後證明所有質疑他的人都錯了。』 The next day, Keller was sitting in the video room at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, preparing for that weekend’s start against the Angels in Anaheim. He got a text from Walsh. 接著隔天，Keller坐在堪薩斯市Kauffman Stadium的影片室內，準備著周末即將對上在安納罕的天使隊的比賽。他收到一封來自Walsh的簡訊。 “When are you guys getting to LA?” Walsh asked. Keller said Thursday night. 『你們什麼時候要來LA?』Walsh問。 Keller說週四晚上。 “I’ll see you there,” Walsh responded. 『到時候見啦』，Walsh說。 “I was super excited for him,” Keller said. “I know how hard he’s worked, especially after this offseason when they told him he was going to be a two-way guy.” 『我真的為他感到超興奮的』，Keller說。『我了解他是多麼努力，尤其是今年休賽季時當他們和他說要為二刀流做準備。』 So Walsh spent that Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis, one of a handful of people with knowledge of the life-altering news. He wandered the city with his mother, dining near the team’s hotel. Just as he’d done the entire drive from Georgia to Arizona, and the subsequent drive from Arizona to Salt Lake, he thought about his journey and the odds against him to make it. 所以Walsh花了整個周二下午的時間待在Minneapolis，而知道這件改變他一生的消息的人數不到一隻手就數得出來。他和媽媽一起漫步在這座城市，在球隊下榻的旅館附近吃晚餐。就像他曾經完成的長途駕駛旅程，從喬治亞到亞利桑那，接著是從亞利桑那到鹽湖城，他思索著這趟旅程以及他走到這一步的機率到底是多少。 The next day, in his big-league debut at Target Field, Walsh went 3-for-5 with a pair of sharply hit singles. Walsh’s first hit made it safely to the visitor’s dugout, but when Walsh looked for the baseball in his locker after the game, he couldn’t find the actual ball. Instead, there was a scuffed-up ball that read, “First career hit, way to go!” 隔天，在大聯盟的初登場在Target Field展開，Walsh打出5之3，有兩隻強勁的一壘安打。 Walsh的首安球安全的回到客隊休息室中，但當他在賽後尋找自己置物櫃中的首安紀念球時，他卻找不到實際的那顆球。倒是有顆磨損的棒球上面寫著『生涯首安，再接再厲!』。 “It looks like a toddler wrote it,” Walsh said of the handwriting, which he suspected was Wooten’s. 『那看起來像是小嬰兒寫的字』，Walsh描述上面的字跡，他懷疑是Wooten的字。 “I don’t know what they did with it. I don’t even care. This is actually a better piece of history for me than the real ball. Somebody’s dog was chewing on this ball.” 『我不曉得他們幹嘛這樣。我完全不在乎。其實這甚至比實際那顆安打球對我來說還更有歷史意義。可能誰家狗狗咬過那顆球吧』。 Walsh eventually got his hands on the baseball. A week after his debut, it had company after he made his major-league pitching debut at Angel Stadium, pitching the ninth inning and allowing a run against the Twins. On Sunday, a third trophy ball entered the mix — his first career walk-off, a blooper that fell in between the Rangers’ Elvis Andrus and Hunter Pence to cement a 3-2 Angels victory. Walsh也終於有機會把實戰的紀念球弄到手。在他的大聯盟首次亮相後一周，伴隨著他在天使球場的MLB初次登板投球，在九局對上雙城隊，失掉一分。接著在週日，第三顆戰利品加入這組蒐藏 – 他的生涯首支再見安打，是一隻落在遊騎兵隊Elvis Andrus和 Hunter Pence之間的德州安打，鞏固了那場3-2的球賽勝利，天使隊贏球。 Since Major League Baseball’s amateur draft scaled back from 50 to 40 rounds prior to 2012, only two players selected within the draft’s final two rounds in their final draft year have reached the major leagues. 自從2012年開始MLB將業餘選秀輪數從50減到40輪後，只有兩位球員是在倒數兩輪獲選還能上到大聯盟的。 Both were selected in the 2015 draft. Daniel Zamora, a lefty reliever, debuted for the Mets last August after being selected in the 40th round by the Pirates. Then there’s Walsh, who re-crafted his swing to the point where it is almost unrecognizable and bent baseball’s traditions to debut as a two-way player. Even now, weeks into his big-league career, Walsh can’t believe he’s here. 這兩位都是2015年獲選的球員。 Daniel Zamora，後援左投，在2018年八月代表梅子隊登板，他當年被海盜於第40輪選走。再來就是Walsh，那個從頭改造他的揮棒以致幾乎認不出來，並且改變了棒球的傳統以二刀流初登場的球員。即便是現在，距離他開始大聯盟生涯已經過了幾周，Walsh仍然不敢相信他就在這裡。 “But when we can get out there and go find a Jared Walsh, and then you have that type of story and he makes the big leagues and, golly, he does that, man that’s storybook,” Hogan said. 『但我們球探可以出門進到球場，發現Jared Walsh這樣的球員，然後你有這種類型的故事而且他上到大聯盟，就像是，天啊，他真的做到了，老哥那可以寫成一本故事書了』。 Hogan說。 Walsh no longer thinks of himself as a former 39th-rounder. He no longer thinks of himself as an experiment or a project, someone who had to make drastic changes and blur the lines between positions in order to get noticed. Now, he’s just a big-leaguer. Walsh再也不認為自己是個39輪仔。他再也不認為自己是個實驗品或是計畫，某個需要大幅修改自己技術或動作還是在不同守位間切換定位以吸引注意的角色。現在，他就只是個大聯盟球員。 “I used to be mad about it,” Walsh said. “Now, it’s like I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I think I got luckier than anybody in the draft. I ended up where I wanted to be.” 『我曾經對這件事情很火』，Walsh說。『但現在這就像是，我沒辦法要求任何更好的結果了。我覺得我比選秀會上的任何人都還要幸運。最終我來到那個我曾經想要到達的所在。』 -- ※ 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.1621161225.A.0CB.html

推

ZaneTrout

05/16 19:23, 3年前 , 1^F

05/16 19:23, 1^F

推

chinekigai1

05/17 01:20, 3年前 , 2^F

05/17 01:20, 2^F

推

KKwilliam

05/17 08:04, 3年前 , 3^F

05/17 08:04, 3^F