[新聞] 老虎隊和大聯盟官網專文介紹
MLB／老虎隊官網專文介紹倪福德 (2009/02/21 02:07)
http://www.nownews.com/2009/02/21/341-2411700.htm
老虎隊對倪福德有高度的興趣，官網專文介紹他到美國之後所面臨到的種種挑戰。（圖／
本報資料照片）
記者方正東／綜合報導
底特律老虎隊官網21日專文介紹倪福德，倪福德表示大聯盟是世界棒球的最高殿堂，這裡
是每一個人、每一個棒球員都想來的地方，他很幸運可以來到這裡，他會好好地體會這裡
的一切，特別是這裡的訓練課程；倪福德終於圓夢，但對他而言，未來的挑戰不僅僅是球
場上的一切，還有文化隔閡、語言障礙等。
此篇文章的第一段即介紹了倪福德的名字，「福德」二字中文意含土地公的意思，掌管人
世間的財富與工作；但對倪福德而言，雖然只是他第二次到美國，但他必須要嘗試著從台
灣直上大聯盟，尤其是他與王建民不一樣，他是第一位要挑戰大聯盟的前中華職棒球員。
報導中指出，倪福德與隊友之間確實存在著溝通上的障礙，倪福德透過翻譯表示讓他常講
英語、了解更多英語之後，他相信情況會好轉；而倪福德已經可以講一些簡單的單字，到
餐廳點餐對他而言，似乎不是件困難的事。
在春訓中，倪福德感受到台灣與美國大聯盟最大的不同是訓練的課程，他認為美國的訓練
課程比較精細，而他正試著去適應這樣的轉變。
倪福德在牛棚練投狀況不錯，但周四他面對大聯盟打者的實戰投打練習，對他而言是個大
挑戰；倪福德不是高壓投法、也不是真正的側投，他對上歐多尼茲（Magglio Ordonez）
等打者時，他試著將路投向外角，且多數球路的尾勁還不錯，
倪福德有機會爭取在球季開打時即在老虎隊的25人名單中，但他面對的是很強勁的競爭者
，如麥克布萊奇（Macay McBride）、拉帕達（Clay Rapada）、布倫（Kyle Bloom）等人
，但他也很有可能要在2月底隨中華隊參加經典大賽，如果他沒有繼續參加春訓，本季就
會從3A球隊出發，但不管如何，倪福德仍會持續著追尋上大聯盟的夢想。
-------------------------
以下是專訪原文：
Ni looking to bridge many gaps - Taiwan native adapting to new
culture and competition level
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090220&content_id=3854758&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
"Major League Baseball is the highest level in the world of baseball. It's a
place where everyone, every baseball player wants to play."
-- Fu-Te Ni
LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Fu-Te in Fu-Te Ni comes from the name of a god in the
Chinese Taoist culture. Known as the Earth god, Fu-Te was supposed to deal
with earthly matters such as wealth and work.
The life of Fu-Te Ni the baseball player, by contrast, is a little more
mundane. He's trying to make the jump from Taiwan to Major League Baesball.
It also happens to be his second visit to the United States.
He made it here, but there's still a gap to bridge.
While the vast majority of players in camp stay on their own in apartments
and rental homes around town or in neighboring towns, Ni is staying in the
dormitories at Tigertown, soaking in American culture on a crash course while
taking advantage of the facilities. He hasn't yet branched out into Lakeland
to find any cuisine that would remind him of home -- Lakeland does have
Chinese restaurants -- but he hopes to do that soon.
As huge as the cultural jump is, he has to worry about the one in baseball.
That's where his focus lies so far, trying to make what seems like a massive
jump between Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League and Major League
Baseball seem a little smaller.
Others from Taiwan have reached the Majors before him, notably the Yankees'
Chien-Ming Wang. Still, no one has gone directly from the professional
leagues in Taiwan to the Majors, so there would be a first if he could
somehow stick in Detroit.
Ni says he doesn't feel pressure. Still, the fact that his signing came in a
televised ceremony back home, complete with a hat and jersey presentation by
Tigers Asian scouting coordinator Kevin Hooker, signified just how big this
is.
"He is a professional baseball player," his interpreter, a young man named
Fox, translated when Ni was asked what making the Majors would mean for him.
"Major League Baseball is the highest level in the world of baseball. It's a
place where everyone, every baseball player wants to play. He is so lucky he
can be here. He will do his best to enjoy everything here, especially the
training here."
That Ni wants to play in the Majors isn't a surprise. The 26-year-old
left-hander has been great in his native country, leading his league in
strikeouts. The fact that his shot is coming with the Tigers, however, was
not expected. Though Detroit was one of Hideo Nomo's brief stops along his
illustrious big league career, the Tigers have largely stayed out of the
Asian market, especially the professional ranks. Over the last couple years,
however, they've quietly built up their scouting power in the region,
including scout Alan Lin in Taiwan.
They saw an opportunity in Taiwan, first with a young outfielder in a signing
last summer, then last month with Ni, who became a free agent without
compensation when his former team was disbanded. He chose to sign with an
American team rather than accept an assignment in the redistribution draft,
and ultimately chose a Minor League offer from the Tigers over a few other
teams.
He's a left-hander who had the fortune of signing with a club in need of
left-handed relief, so coaches have taken a good look. But it doesn't ease
the transition of a young man who knows very little English.
"There are so many Spanish-speaking coaches on most teams," team vice
president Al Avila said last month after the signing. "Most clubs have
programs, English-speaking classes, cultural classes. In today's game, they
have it now where the transition is a little bit easier. For the Asian
player, those kinds of programs are not all in place yet. In our case, this
will be our second player [from Taiwan]."
So far, it has been an interesting journey to observe. Fox, the interpreter,
follows Ni from field to field throughout the Tigers' workout sessions,
watching with coaches from behind the plate or in foul territory. When a
coach wants to make a point, they do it through Fox, who then relays the
message in Mandarin Chinese.
It's much the same scenario in the clubhouse, where Ni has been stationed in
one corner of lockers along other non-roster relievers. To his left is Scott
Williamson, the former Major League standout with the blazing fastball who's
trying to make a comeback after taking much of last year off. To Ni's right
is Ryan Perry, Detroit's first-round Draft pick from last year who has a
chance to make the jump to the Majors this spring.
"I can't even imagine how tough it would be," said left-hander Jonathan
Kibler, whose locker sits across from Ni and who has talked a little with
him. "It would be very difficult."
They're making the effort to try to connect, as are other Tigers. Minor
League catcher Max St. Pierre has already picked up a few basic phrases in
Mandarin Chinese from talking with him. Nate Robertson said he hopes to to do
the same.
"Favoritism is not the right word," manager Jim Leyland said last week, "but
I'm going to go out of my way to make sure that I get a rapport with him,
because during my career, the shoe's been on the other foot for me."
When pitching coach Rick Knapp put pitchers through knee-to-knee drills,
where pitchers try to hit the mitt as the catcher placed it on either knee to
simulate the lower corners of the strike zone, Ni got the joke, that it was
named after him.
"There is still a language barrier between he and his teammates," Ni's
interpreter translated, "but he thinks he will get better after he can talk
more and understand more English."
He's starting to pick up a few words already. And as he rattled them off, it
wasn't difficult to surmise that he had been studying the menu at the
Tigertown cafeteria.
"Beef, pork, chicken," Ni rattled off, "fish, juice, egg, Coke, Fanta, ice."
Said Kibler: "He's getting better."
The biggest difference from Taiwan to here, Ni said, was the training
program. The lifting and conditioning work is much more detailed in America,
a transition he's trying to make.
When asked through his interpreter how he has felt about his pitching, Ni had
picked up another English term.
"So-so," he said.
He has looked good in bullpen sessions, but Thursday was a bigger test for
him, his first meeting with live hitters in batting-practice sessions. He had
faced hitters outside Taiwan as part of the Olympic team last summer, but
this was his first brush with the Majors.
He held his own. Magglio Ordonez and others offered occasional swings against
him, trying to instead track the late movement on his pitches as he tried to
hit the outside corner. He is neither a high-powered arm nor an extreme
sidearmer, but the majority of his pitches Thursday seemed to move.
Where Ni moves when the season open remains to be seen. Though he's a bullpen
candidate, he's also expected to leave camp by the end of the month to join
Chinese Taipei in preparation for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The
Tigers also have several lefties in camp, including the more experienced
Macay McBride and Clay Rapada, along with Rule 5 Draft pick Kyle Bloom.
If Ni doesn't make the team, he's expected to join the roster at Triple-A
Toledo, and his quest to try to reach the big leagues would continue.
--
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