Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Bob Sheppard Is on DL
對我來講，開幕戰最大的新聞是 Bob Sheppard 沒有能夠出席。
從 1951 年開始擔任 Yankee Stadium public address announcer 以來，他今年是第一次在開幕日缺席。對很多球員來說，他們的第一次 Yankee Stadium 出賽經驗裡印象最深刻的部份就是聽到自己的名字從喇叭裡傳出來，Reggie Jackson 甚至曾說那是 voice of God。我也曾聽過包括 Cal Rikpen Jr. 談到他們聽到 Bob Sheppard 把他們的名字念出來時的感覺，有些人是在那一刻才感覺到自己是個大聯盟球員了。
這麼說吧，當你想到這是在 Mickey Mantle 第一次上場打擊時，唸出
"Now batting for the Yankees, the right fielder, Mickey Mantle, number six."
的聲音。光是打出這一段字就讓我的思緒飛到那個遠在我出生之前的年代了。
據說大家不知道他的真實年齡，前面引的那篇 MLB.com 報導說他可能已經九十幾歲了。Sheppard 已經在 Yankee Stadium 有他的 plaque，跟其他背號被退休的 Yankees 球員及來過球場主持彌撒的教宗一樣。YES Network 已經在使用他的錄音，希望他能夠健康的在 2008 年於新球場留下他的聲音。
About the Home Opener
我租的房子的舊電視沒辦法調出雙語來，所以昨天只好聽袁定文講話。他對 Jason Giambi 那隻全壘打太大驚小怪了一點，那個位置的球被 Giambi 拉出場外不是一次兩次了。有很多左打是 low ball hitter，Giambi 是其中之一。我不知道這跟人體構造有沒有關係，人體內部左右是不對稱的。這是我的猜想，沒有什麼理論支持就是了（或者說有理論但是我不知道）。昨天片頭打出了 Yankee Stadium 的歷史，我沒辦法聽清楚 Michael Kay 講什麼，應該是為了新 Yankee Stadium 興建計畫已於上星期通過有關，現在回顧一下這個球場過去經歷過的事情。雖然有很多 Yankees 球迷對於歷史非常堅持，不過對於球場搬家一事聲音特別小。我不知道其他人想法是否跟我相同，我沒有反對意見的一個原因是這根本不是 "The House that Ruth Built"，在 1974-75 重建時這個球場早就跟原來的有很大不同了。反而是新的球場設計將會在外觀上把舊的 Yankee Stadium 找回來，這一點對球迷的吸引力應該很大。
Yankees 上個星期輸球主要是輸在打者身上，不過這一部份應該不用擔心，他們只要不受傷就會有出色的表現的。問題還是在於投手。目前只有 Big Unit 一個人讓人放心，Moose 大概已經確定不會再回到以前的那個 Moose 了，不過應該還可以是個平均值以上的先發投手。
也許 Moose 未必能夠是個稱職的第二號投手，不過起碼可以是個不錯的三、四號。由於在球季中前四號投手理論上出賽數都差不多，所以 Moose 還是個適合留在 rotation 裡面的先發投手。問題在於其他幾個名額。
王建民連續兩場球都投的不好，看起來應該不是手臂的健康問題，所以 mechanics 大概是問題所在。上一場球結束後 Guidry 說他的 arm angle 不對，這一場球目前還沒有看到 Guidry 怎麼說。王建民的三振能力不佳，如果他的控球不能迅速找回來的話，他留在 rotation 裡的原因就只是 Pavano 和 Wright 不能承擔先發的任務而已了。我雖然對於王建民的期望並不是很高，但是他應該可以表現的比現在好。他不是一號或是二號投手，但是仍然可以是個稱職的三、四號投手。在一整個球季中，他應該要能提供 180 - 210 "effective innings"，讓 Yankees 有贏球的機會，他仍然應該可以做到。
接下來要看 Chacon 明天的表現以及稍後看 Wright 先發。Yankees 的先發陣容還是太薄弱了，今年不知道有沒有七月交易的機會。這幾年有希望的球隊太多，導致球季中站在賣方的球隊太少，如果沒辦法靠手上這些人撐下去他們的日子會很難熬。
The Shabby First Week
第一週只有 .333 勝率，贏下來的兩場分別是痛擊 2002 和 2005 的 Cy Young 投手，這實在是很奇怪的結果。我本來以為 Colon 大概是有傷在身，不過目前他和 Angels 球團都不承認這種揣測。如果他真的沒有傷，那大概 Yankees 真的 "own" Bartolo Colon。
Comments:
我感覺是因為昨天的風勢不穩, 造成不利投手控球的情況
不僅王建民控球不理想, 皇家隊的投手也發生同樣的問題, 昨天四壞球造成滿壘的比例比平常比賽高了一些. Mariano rivera 也發生一球沒控好打到打者的情形
有幾球看起來像為了控好球反而把球投的太中間而被打出安打
不僅王建民控球不理想, 皇家隊的投手也發生同樣的問題, 昨天四壞球造成滿壘的比例比平常比賽高了一些. Mariano rivera 也發生一球沒控好打到打者的情形
有幾球看起來像為了控好球反而把球投的太中間而被打出安打
那不是 typo。Mantle debut 的時候是 6 號，緊接在 Ruth (3)、Gehrig (4)、DiMaggio (5) 之後，他在球季中因表現不好被降下小聯盟，隨後八月又叫上來時才換成 7 號，然後一直用到退休。
那一段歷史很容易就被忽略了，在 Mickey Mantle 的生涯中那段時間大概也就只有他表現不好跟老爸訴苦然後被臭罵一頓比較為人所知。
我手上有一件 Mitchell & Ness 的 Cooperstown Collection 的 Mickey Mantle 1951 jersey，號稱是用當年的材質仿製的，摸起來還真的像是羊毛。那件衣服的號碼也是 7 號，不是 6 號，想來 6 號的 Mantle jersey 可能沒有在市場上賣過吧？
那一段歷史很容易就被忽略了，在 Mickey Mantle 的生涯中那段時間大概也就只有他表現不好跟老爸訴苦然後被臭罵一頓比較為人所知。
我手上有一件 Mitchell & Ness 的 Cooperstown Collection 的 Mickey Mantle 1951 jersey，號稱是用當年的材質仿製的，摸起來還真的像是羊毛。那件衣服的號碼也是 7 號，不是 6 號，想來 6 號的 Mantle jersey 可能沒有在市場上賣過吧？
Wang在第2輪的時候感覺有把投球動作放慢以求取調整動作的感覺, 很可惜還是被修理就是了. 至於風的問題嘛, Paul O'Neil倒是有說每年的這個時候外野的風都還挺大的 (在松井跟Damon分別接了一次打到牆的飛球之後說的). 要是風小一點的話, 也許可以多賺到一兩個出局數. 不過雙方都在均等的情況下作戰, 我這種"要是如何... 就..."的想法就還是收在衣櫥裡面好了.
by the way, Paul O'Neil居然也守過左外野耶.....
by the way, Paul O'Neil居然也守過左外野耶.....
王建民 三振變多 看來應該是多一些球種了
看新聞是 滑球 和 變速球
我覺得還是多觀察幾場 就知道 王建民是否進步了
之前我還蠻擔心他的伸卡球握法 因為他的握法會讓手指磨破皮 教練有教他新的握法 可是 他投得不是很習慣說 所以 他還是用舊的握法 萬一在比賽中磨破皮 或多或少會影響到他投伸卡球的球威吧...
看新聞是 滑球 和 變速球
我覺得還是多觀察幾場 就知道 王建民是否進步了
之前我還蠻擔心他的伸卡球握法 因為他的握法會讓手指磨破皮 教練有教他新的握法 可是 他投得不是很習慣說 所以 他還是用舊的握法 萬一在比賽中磨破皮 或多或少會影響到他投伸卡球的球威吧...
# posted by 
: 4/17/2006 5:11 AM
: 4/17/2006 5:11 AM
I didn't really know that there are more left-handed low ball hitters. But if it is the case, that might have something to do with the fact that when pitchers face hitters with different handedness, they often throw breaking balls down and in.
BTW, whether Jeter is better defensively or not is still in question. As for me, I'm more on no than yes. He's still below average and even among the worst.
BTW, whether Jeter is better defensively or not is still in question. As for me, I'm more on no than yes. He's still below average and even among the worst.
To Andre,
1. This low ball hitter thing has been discussed by some announcers. I agree it could just be a baseball version unban legend since I didn't see a thorough research on that. When I first heard it, however, I paid a little attention and I can't say that's a false statement. Surely there're exceptions, but for each Tino Martinez (who has a level swing) you can find a Paul O'Neill and a Jason Giambi (both with uppercut swings and are considered as low ball hitters).
2. Jeter's defense did improve in the past two seasons, no matter you look at it from stats or with your bare eyes.
I found it easier to compare a player to his old self than to the other players. In Jeter's case, you know where his weaknesses are and you only have to focus on those. However, the same approach cannot be used when evaluating different players.
This year, his defense fell back to his pre-gold glove level. You see him giving up balls hit to the middle again. The most famous weakness Jeter has is he does poor job going to the glove side. That facet of his game improved in the last two seasons, but not this one.
I have no clue what is happening, neither did I know what happened in the past two years.
1. This low ball hitter thing has been discussed by some announcers. I agree it could just be a baseball version unban legend since I didn't see a thorough research on that. When I first heard it, however, I paid a little attention and I can't say that's a false statement. Surely there're exceptions, but for each Tino Martinez (who has a level swing) you can find a Paul O'Neill and a Jason Giambi (both with uppercut swings and are considered as low ball hitters).
2. Jeter's defense did improve in the past two seasons, no matter you look at it from stats or with your bare eyes.
I found it easier to compare a player to his old self than to the other players. In Jeter's case, you know where his weaknesses are and you only have to focus on those. However, the same approach cannot be used when evaluating different players.
This year, his defense fell back to his pre-gold glove level. You see him giving up balls hit to the middle again. The most famous weakness Jeter has is he does poor job going to the glove side. That facet of his game improved in the last two seasons, but not this one.
I have no clue what is happening, neither did I know what happened in the past two years.
I'll try to pay some attention to that low ball hitter thing. And as I noted in previous comment, that might come from that LHB face more RHP and therefore more breaking ball down and in since their childhood to pro ball, and they learn how to handle balls in that location.
Well, I didn't watch Jeter play a lot, so I can't say anything from that aspect. But there's one way to consider him making no significant progress in defense. In the play-by-play based fieding matrix, he is still among the worst. Of course the accuracy of different kind of fielding evaluating matrix is unknown, though I think it's reasonable to suspect that he's just having a lucky year defensively instead of playing much better defense.
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Well, I didn't watch Jeter play a lot, so I can't say anything from that aspect. But there's one way to consider him making no significant progress in defense. In the play-by-play based fieding matrix, he is still among the worst. Of course the accuracy of different kind of fielding evaluating matrix is unknown, though I think it's reasonable to suspect that he's just having a lucky year defensively instead of playing much better defense.
