[翻譯]The Torre Story Should Continue, Win or Lose

The Torre Story Should Continue, Win or Lose



By JOEL SHERMAN

Publiahed : October 8, 2007 / New York Post



Lou Piniella, the man George Steinbrenner wanted last year at this time rather than Joe Torre, just guided his team out of the playoffs, losing three straight games to a Diamondback team that scored fewer runs than it allowed this year.

Piniella blundered in Division Series Game 1 by removing his ace Carlos Zambrano after 85 pitches to save him for a Game 4 that never came, a mistake that if committed by Torre would have led to his firing on the spot by Steinbrenner.

還記得去年此時George Steinbrenner亟欲用來取代Joe Torre的 Lou Piniella嗎？他才剛剛讓自己執教的球隊被直落三掃地出局, 更令人難堪的是, 打敗他們的響尾蛇還是支在今年例行賽總得分少於總失分的球隊。Lou Piniella在季後賽首戰就犯了一個難以被原諒的錯誤, 他在球隊王牌投手用球數僅有85球時就將其換下, 理由則是要保留Carlos Zambrano在最終並未上演的第四戰再度披掛上陣的可能性, 如果換成是Torre在今時今地犯了這樣的錯誤, Steinbrenner將會毫不猶豫地炒了他。



Piniella won 85 regular-season games in the majors' weakest division and zero in the playoffs after the Cubs spent a Steinbrenner-esque $300 million last offseason. So that is 20 years managing, five playoffs and one title for Piniella, who is said this year to have lost large swaths of his clubhouse with his look-at-me tirades and tendency to publicly blame players when things go awry.

在小熊隊於今年開季前狂撒美金三億元補強後, Piniella帶領著小熊隊在全聯盟實力最遜的分區贏得85場比賽的勝利, 進入季後賽後則是一勝難求, 總結Piniella至今二十年的教練生涯, 他共計五度帶領球隊進入季後賽、拿下一次世界大賽冠軍, 回顧本季例行賽, 他那一切以我為尊的態度以及喜歡在公開場合訓誡球員的做法, 更讓他失去了許多球員的支持。



Piniella was who Steinbrenner wanted last year when the Yanks flopped out of the Division Series. Now, in a published report, The Boss is saying that should the Yanks not advance out of the first round again Torre is almost certainly gone. But for whom? Joe Girardi? Don Mattingly?

Piniella正是去年洋基在季後賽第一輪不幸落敗後, Steinbrenner屬意要用來取代Torre的第一順位選擇, 一年後的現在, The Boss也公開表示如果Torre無法帶領球隊闖過季後賽首輪, 他將要求Torre教出兵符, 不過我好奇的是, 究竟誰是合適的接班人？是Joe Girardi嗎？還是 Don Mattingly？



The Yankees won Game 3 last night 8-3 over Cleveland to get back into this series. Perhaps this will give Steinbrenner and all of Torre's detractors some time to table their fury and ask who among the following is most likely to get the Yankees to the playoffs in 2008: a) Torre. b) Girardi. c) Mattingly. If the answer is Torre, why are we even having the discussion?

昨晚的比賽中洋基以8比4擊敗印第安人隊, 保住了季後賽的一線生機, 這或許可以幫Steinbrenner和所有反對Torre續任的人爭取一些時間, 讓他們稍稍冷靜下來、思考究竟誰是最有可能在2008年球季帶領洋基進入季後賽的人 : a) Torre; b) Girardi; c) Mattingly, 如果他們得到的答案也是 a) Torre的話, 我實在看不出有任何討論繼任人選的必要性。



If you think just anyone can get talent to the playoffs, then how do you explain the tank job of Willie Randolph's Mets? Do you like how Ray Handley steered Bill Parcells' championship Giants? Even with a San Diego victory yesterday, are you enjoying the work of Norv Turner's Chargers in the aftermath of Marty Schottenheimer?

如果你還是認為, 對於洋基這麼一支巨星雲集的球隊來說, 換做是誰都能帶領他們打進季後賽的話, 你要怎麼解釋Willie Randolph和他的大都會隊的表現？對於Ray Handley接替Bill Parcells（NFL名教練）執教冠軍球隊紐約巨人的成績, 你感到滿意嗎？儘管聖地牙哥電光隊在昨天的比賽中贏得勝利, 你又怎麼看Norv Turner接替Marty Schottenheimer後的表現？



Nobody wants to hear how fickle October is, least of all Steinbrenner at the prices he is paying. But if it does not have a large crapshoot element then how exactly do you explain this NLCS: Colorado vs. Arizona? And perhaps it's time to understand that the teams Torre managed from 1996-2001 were even more special than we knew, that they possessed an internal brew that defied this parlor game.

沒有一個球團老闆、尤其是砸下大錢的Steinbrenner想要聽到 "勝敗乃兵家常事" 這句話, 不過經營職業運動本來就是一個具有高風險的投資, 如果不是如此的話, 你要怎麼解釋我們即將在國聯冠軍戰中看到的對戰組合 : 落磯 vs 響尾蛇 ？現在或許是個好機會, 讓我們重新去想想洋基在Torre執教下、於1996到2001年間四奪世界大賽冠軍的表現有多麼難能可貴, 他們可說是重新定義了棒球這項運動。



Did the Yanks, leaders in major league runs, stop hitting in the first two playoff games this year? You bet. So did the swept Phillies, who were second in the majors in runs. And they were playing in Philadelphia and Colorado, two of the majors' best hitting parks. In short series all year peculiar things happen and are obscured by the long year, so why would people think odd things will not occur under the greatest duress in October?

沒錯, 在本季例行賽總得分傲視全聯盟的洋基隊在季後賽前兩場可說是全面熄火, 但是總得分排名第二的費城人隊不也如此, 甚至還已經被落磯隊直落三淘汰出局, 別忘了, 費城人和落磯隊的主場可說是聯盟中兩個最著名的打者天堂。我們要知道, 當我們把長達數月的例行賽切割成一個個短期系列戰來看時, 會發現在短短幾天的比賽中出現特殊記錄的情形實在是不勝枚舉, 從這樣的觀點看來, 季後賽其實也不過是一個僅佔例行賽長度六分之一的短期系列戰, 不是嗎？



The best teams, though, prevail through 162 games, and Torre is 12-for-12 in getting his teams through 162 games into the playoffs. My gut says he is the best man to make it 13-for-13 next year.

這樣說起來, 證明自己是支好球隊的最佳評量標準應該是要在經歷162場比賽的考驗後, 能夠脫穎而出進入季後賽, Torre在執教的12年中全都達成了上述目標, 而我也認為他是洋基想在明年球季繼續打進季後賽的最佳總教練人選。



Again, making the playoffs is no easy trick. The White Sox's Ozzie Guillen won the World Series in 2005, has not made the postseason since and has mostly embarrassed his organization with his outrageous blather. He was extended to 2012. Detroit's Jim Leyland won the AL title last year, failed to make the playoffs this year and was rewarded with an extension through 2009. Randolph followed the NL's best record last year by losing control of his clubhouse this season and the Mets decided to bring him back.

我再次強調, 帶領球隊進入季後賽可不是件輕鬆事, Ozzie Guillen在2005年球季帶領白襪隊奪得世界大賽桂冠, 不過接下來的兩年, 他們卻連季後賽資格都無法取得, 而Guillen的火爆個性和口不擇言更多次讓白襪球團蒙羞, 儘管如此, 他還是和白襪簽下了有效期限到2012年的合約。Jim Leyland帶領老虎隊贏得上季美聯冠軍, 就算老虎隊在今年球季連季後賽都打不進去, 老虎球團還是和Leyland簽下了直到2009年的延長合約。Willie Randolph在去年帶領大都會打出國聯例行賽最佳戰績, 但在今年球季後段卻只能眼睜睜地看著球隊戰績一落千丈而無能為力, 儘管如此, 大都會球團還是決定讓他續任總教練一職。



How are we talking about Joe Torre? Even at 21-29, his clubhouse support never wavered this year. In 12 years on the job, he has never outraged like Guillen or landed a DUI like Tony La Russa. In 2005 and 2007 when his club stared at the regular-season abyss, Torre's teams did not plummet like Randolph's Mets, rather they surged into the playoffs.

我們真的有需要去討論Torre的去留問題嗎？即便在球季初期、球隊戰績是讓人難堪的21勝29敗時, 他仍然得到陣中球員的全力支持, 在長達12年的執教生涯中, 他從未像Guillen一樣情緒失控、也不像Tony La Russa有酒後駕車記錄, 在2005年和2007年球季中, 當洋基的狀況看似無可救藥時, 他們也從未像Randolph的大都會隊一樣一蹶不振, 相反地, 他們重新站了起來, 為自己贏得晉級季後賽的門票。



So he has the full support of his players, he has done nothing but bring a positive image to Steinbrenner's product and his players have always played hard for him.

Torre不僅有著洋基全體球員的全力支持, 他的存在, 只會讓人們對Steinbrenner一手打造的邪惡帝國有更正面的印象, 更別提他的球員都可以為了他赴湯蹈火、在所不辭。



Will we be able to say that about the Joe Girardi Yankees or the Don Mattingly Yankees? Maybe. But why find out before you must?

我們會在Joe Girardi或是Don Mattingly執教的洋基隊身上看到相同的向心力嗎？答案或許是肯定的。



但我們真有非讓Joe Torre走不可的理由嗎？