Five questions: Baltimore Orioles
by awm9a March 30, 2010
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/five-questions-baltimore-orioles5/
1. Just how good is the young pitching?
金鳥的年輕手臂有多棒？
Since taking the helm in 2007, Andy McPhail, the Orioles' president of
baseball operations, has lived by the mantra, “Grow the arms, buy the bats.”
Young pitching has become the name of the game in Baltimore and is the key
to the team’s eventual return to contention.
總管Andy McPhail在2007年掌權之後，奉行「養手臂、買棒子」的原則，年輕投手已經
是Baltimore的代表，同時也是讓金鳥重回競爭行列的關鍵。
編按：關鍵是在準備帶領金鶯20連霸的Matt Wieters好嗎？沒有他的優異配球，這些年
輕人是能投出多好的成績啊...
In 2009, six rookie starting pitchers combined for 94 Orioles starts. They
ranged in talent from fringe major leaguer (Jason Berken) to future stud
(Brian Matusz) and they were one of the most exciting things about the
Orioles last year.
在2009年，6個菜鳥投手貢獻了94場的先發，天分從載浮載沈的Jason Berken到明日之星
Brain Matusz都有，這大概是去年金鳥最振奮人心的消息了。
They were also the worst. The Orioles starting pitching finished the season
at the bottom of almost every statistical category. Least innings pitched?
Check. Most home runs allowed? Check. Name a stat and the ‘09 Orioles
starting pitchers were probably at the bottom of the list. A comparison of
the Orioles' rotation to that of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays leaves a lot
of reason for concern, but there is hope. Matusz, Chris Tillman and Brad
Bergesen are the keys to that hope. All made their major league debuts in
2009 and all had moments of success that gave the Orioles a glimpse into what
their future might look like.
但也是最壞的消息，先發投手群在各項統計資料中都幾乎墊底，局數吃最少但被幹了最
多砲，跟同區的北佬、瘦襪、閃光比真是差多了，但現在曙光乍現了，Brain Matusz,
Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen都在2009年在大聯盟登版，同時也都丟了幾場好球，
讓金鳥迷們看見的未來的希望。(20連霸的希望啊!!!)
Matusz received the call to the big leagues on Aug. 4, just 14 months after
being drafted. He struggled a bit, but grew stronger with each start, with
his last of the season being a domination of the New York Yankees in Yankee
Stadium. Although still technically a rookie (and ranked the fifth best
prospect in 2010 by Baseball America), Matusz is arguably the best starter on
the team and shows signs of getting better.
Matusz在去年8月4號升上大聯盟，這僅僅是簽約之後的第14個月而已(08年第一輪第4順位)
雖然起步有點踉蹌，但隨著每次先發實力也越來越堅強，尤其在去年最後一次登版時，在
洋基球場完全壓制了鑽石打線。儘管仍然具備新秀身份(Baseball America將他排在Rookies
NO.5)。Matusz可以說是陣中最好的先發投手了，同時也代表球隊的實力正在提升。
Tillman, who ranked as the 22nd best prospect in baseball in 2009, will be
just 21 on Opening Day 2010 and has already made 12 major league starts. He
dominated Triple-A before making his debut in July and has shown flashes of
brilliance mixed with his frustrating tendency to leave his fastball belt
high and right over the plate. There is the slight possibility that Tillman
will begin 2010 in Triple-A to work on the issues he faced last season, but
he will most certainly be seen at some point this season. Tillman and Matusz
have been given kudos by scouts, national media, baseball writers and the
Orioles brass. If they can live up to potential and expectations they, along
with the stable of pitchers the Orioles are grooming in the minors, will be
what leads the Orioles back to respectability.
Tillman，2009年新秀排名第22的投手，雖然在今天開幕當天才21歲，卻已經在大聯盟有
12場先發經驗了，在屠殺3A一陣子之後，7月時升上大聯盟，雖然展露出他的天分，但卻
老是把快速球投到腰帶右上方的位置被痛擊，所以開季時大概會回到3A去重新調教，但
今年一定有機會會再看到他回大聯盟的。Tillman Matusz早已在球探、媒體、棒球作家
和金鳥球迷當中建立起名聲，但唯有他們將潛力與期待化作實績，再搭配上農場中其他
的年輕手臂，才能帶領金鳥重返榮耀。
2. Will MacPhail actually buy the bats?
MacPhail老大，說好的大棒子呢？
Despite all the good MacPhail has done since joining the Orioles, he has yet
to sign an impact free agent, leading to concerns among some that he is too
conservative to obligate the amount of money it would take to land one. It
bothered some Orioles fans when he failed to sign Mark Teixeira before the
2009 season and Matt Holliday this offseason. The fact in those two instances
is that the Orioles would have had to throw so much money at either of those
players to bring them to Baltimore that it would have, in all likelihood,
been detrimental to the team’s long term health. Even so, the fact remains
that in his two-plus years in Baltimore he has yet to sign a player for
longer than two years.
儘管MacPhail上任後做了不少好事，但到目前為止還沒有簽下任何一位重量級的FA
(編按：開拓日本市場不算嗎？)，讓人質疑是否對於預算控制太保守了點(共體時艱乃
世界潮流)，這兩年接連無法簽下Mark Teixeira與Matt Holliday觸怒了許多金鳥球迷
，但實際上砸太多錢在1-2個明星球員上對於球隊的體質是有長期不良的影響，但上任
兩年多來，MacPhail的確沒有給予超過2年的合約。
MacPhail supporters point out that even with an impact player like Holliday,
the Orioles in their current state would still be non-contenders and that the
money is best saved for a time when one or two free agents will put the
Orioles over the top.
MacPhail的支持者則指出即是簽下了如Holliday這般的A咖，現階段的金鳥仍然是來陪榜
的，倒不如把錢省下來，將來球隊實力增強後再砸錢買下1-2個FA幫助金鳥登上美東冠軍。
Time will tell if MacPhail will go after the big free agents, but Orioles
fans know that owner Peter Angelos, even with all his faults, has never
hesitated to spend money on the team. It’s usually been on very ill-advised
contracts, (three years to Jamie Walker? Honestly?) but he does spend. Fans
hope the Orioles will be able to pull the trigger after identifying a premier
free agent who can catapult them to the next level.
時間會證明MacPhail是否會真的簽下大棒子，但球迷都知道老闆Peter Angelos雖然犯了
一些錯，但說到砸錢可是毫不手軟，但...大部分都是爛約(拿3年合約給Jamie Walker?
不如給Okajima比較實際)，但至少他不小氣啊!球迷都希望球隊能找到一個大咖FA帶領金
鳥提升到下一個等級。
註：Jamie Walker 35歲到Orioles的中繼投手 24millions for 3 yrs
07-09年成績: 4W5L7SV IP.111.2 WHIP 1.406 ERA+ 98
3. Who will hit cleanup?
誰能在第4棒扛霸子？
It’s not so much who will hit in the No. 4 spot in the lineup as it is a
question of where the Orioles will find their power. In 2009 the Orioles hit
160 home runs, more than only the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland
Athletics. Their team leader was Luke Scott, who hit a respectable 25, but no
other Oriole hit 20.
目前仍無法明瞭誰將是不動的4番，畢竟金鳥一直缺乏強而有力的大砲。在2009年金鳥們
幹了160發，僅僅高於皇家和綠帽。球隊最有力的是Luke Scott，貢獻25發，但其他球員
沒有一個打超過20發...
One thing for certain: The Orioles will not find their slugging at the
traditional power positions of first and third base. Former power-hitting
shortstop Miguel Tejada is slated to play third base for the Orioles; his
long-ball hitting has dropped the past few years. The power numbers of
Orioles first baseman Garrett Atkins have fallen every year since 2006; he
hit only nine home runs in 2009.
有一件事是確定的：在傳統上貢獻火力的一三壘，金鳥能得到的援助少之又少，前。
游擊大砲八毛在重回老東家後將鎮守三壘，但最近幾年火力正在逐步衰退，一壘手是
轉換跑道的Garrett Atkins，自06年開始火力逐漸衰退的他，整個2009年只幹了9發。
Garrett Atkins 2009 stats:226/308/342 80H 9HR 48RBI OPS:0.650 OPS+:66
The power certainly won’t come from the middle of the infield, so that
leaves the young outfielders and catcher Matt Wieters as possible sources to
supplement the 20-plus homers Scott will most likely hit.
火力供輸也不會來自於中間防線，必須倚賴年輕的外野與Matt Wieters(終於提到了= =)
，一起陪著Scott哥哥尻個20幾發吧。
Wieters is projected to be a power hitter, but this Opening Day will be just
his 97th major league game and he’s still maturing. As he plays his first
full big league season and grows into his role as a major leaguer, Wieters
will surely hit for more power than in 2009, but it might be premature to
pencil him in for more than 20 home runs on the year.
救世主Wieters是備受期待的強打，但開幕日當天也僅僅是他的第97場大聯盟賽事，還不
是完全體。在打完第一個大聯盟球季後，Wieters一定會比2009年展現出更多火力，但現
在就期待他能貢獻20發以上的全壘大是有點早了。
The Orioles outfield is full of talent, but to this point it isn’t talent
that has proven any prolific home run power. The most established of the
outfielders, Nick Markakis, has proven a well-rounded hitter who can be
counted on for about 20 home runs per year, maybe more on a sporadic basis.
Center fielder Adam Jones has shown the potential to hit home runs (he hit 19
in 2009) and is probably a good bet to top the 20 mark in 2010. He’s just 24
years old though, so even if he does develop into a power hitter it may take
him a few more years. Last year's rookie Nolan Reimold, who hit 15 home runs
in just 104 games last year, may be the best bet for power, but he’s
struggled with health issues that could force him to lose time this season.
金鳥擁有才華洋溢的年輕外野群，但這些天分並不包含高全壘打量產出。最穩的外野手
Nick Markakis已經證明是個全方位打者，一年能貢獻約20發或是更多。中外野手Adam
Jones已經展現幹砲的潛力(09年19HR)，可以期待在2010年有快30發的表現。今年才24
歲的他可能還需要幾年才能長成期待中的外野自走砲。去年新秀Nolan Reimold在104場
比賽中就打了15發，大概是外野陣容中棒子最大的，但健康因素可能讓他在球季中損失
一些上場時間。
Obviously the Orioles don’t have to hit a ton of home runs to be successful,
but they do probably need to hit more than they did in 2009. To succeed in
the AL East a team needs to score a lot of runs, and the Orioles have not
been able to do that.
當然金鳥並不需要打一卡車全壘打來贏得比賽，但好歹也要打的比09年多吧，在死亡
美東有一席之地必須要能打下一大堆分數，但目前的金鳥並無法做到。
4. Will Brian Roberts be able to keep up with this team?
帥哥Brian Roberts能繼續留在birdland嗎？
Brian Roberts has been a Baltimore Oriole for a long time—so long, in fact,
that he is the only current Oriole to have played a game with Cal Ripken. He
also has the dubious distinction of having never played on a winning team in
his professional career. During this long, dark decade of Orioles baseball,
Roberts has been one of the few bright spots, and as such was rewarded with a
four-year extension that begins this season and will take him through his
35th birthday.
帥哥Brian Roberts已經留在金鶯很久了，實際上他是僅存一位跟Cal Ripken並肩作戰
過的球員，生涯當中從來沒有在有競爭力的球隊打過球。在過去的黑暗十年，Roberts
是金鳥中少數獲得關注的明星，但這番貢獻也讓球隊與他簽下4年延長合約，從今年到
他35歲的生日
Was the contract ill-advised? Perhaps. Under their current plan the Orioles
hope to progress in 2010 and contend in 2011 and beyond. The Orioles are a
young team that is being built for the long term, but by the time they get
there Roberts might be more of a detriment than a contributor.
這又是一個爛約了嗎？在球隊計畫中，希望能在2010年有所進步，2011年之後就要向
分區龍頭叩關，金鳥是隻經過長期計畫打造的年輕球隊，但到時候Roberts對於球隊
的傷害可能超過貢獻。
Concerns for Roberts’ future have surfaced this spring training: He reported
to camp with a herniated disk and has only just now begun playing in games.
Roberts is a cornerstone of the lineup and the assumption is that he’ll be
available to lead off effectively for the next several years. If Roberts
loses his speed or begins losing time to injury, the team could be in big
trouble.
對於Roberts未來的疑慮在春訓時似乎出現了，在報到時帶著椎間盤突出的傷勢來到球
場，而且直到最近才開始下場比賽。Roberts是打線的穩定力量並被期待能繼續在開路
先鋒上有效率地再貢獻幾年，但如果Roberts失去速度或因為傷痛減少出賽，那歹誌就
大條了。
5. Will this year's team be able to avoid its annual late-season swoon?
今年金鳥們能夠避免慣例的季末手軟嗎？
With the team a perennial loser playing in baseball’s toughest division,
August and September are the worst months to be an Orioles player or fan.
When your team is facing another lost season, morale and motivation levels
are low. The ineffective starting rotation has led to a worn-out bullpen, and
you’re playing three of the best teams in baseball down the stretch (three
teams fighting for two playoff spots). In 2009, the swoon featured a 13-game
losing streak that put the team in jeopardy of losing 100 games for just the
third time in franchise history. In 2008, the Orioles finished 5-20 in
September and in those 25 games scored only 84 runs. A different depressing
stat can be culled from each losing season, but the result is always the
same: a team and fan base that cannot wait for the season to end.
對於一個在最堅強的分區長期墊底的球隊來說，8-9月對金鳥的球員或球迷而言都是最
煎熬的，當球隊又如往年一樣進入失敗球季尾聲時，士氣和打球動機早已蕩然無存，沒
效率的先發群讓牛棚長期的疲累不堪，同時又得跟最強的3隻球隊(彼此競爭2個10月門票)
硬碰硬，實在是傷心又傷神啊！在2009年，季末的13連敗讓球隊陷入了百年來第3次破百
敗的泥沼當中，08年也沒好到哪裡去，9月只打出了5-20，而且在25場比賽中只拿下了84
分而已。每個失敗球季都有改善一些缺點，但結果卻總是相同：球隊和球迷都只想把時間
快轉到球季末。
The odds of a swoon decrease as the talent level on the team increases, but
given the Orioles' recent history it has become something that everyone who
follows the team has come to expect. When the Orioles start playing inspired
baseball in the final third of the season, it will be a sign that they’ve
finally turned the corner.
這種情況會隨著年輕天分的累積而有所改善，每個加入金鳥大家庭的人都希望能擺脫近
幾年悽慘的戰績，但唯有球隊在後三分之一球季能打出一些好球賽，才代表著金鳥正轉
向光明的一面。