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Of all the fond memories Miguel Montero can recall from his time with the
Diamondbacks, one stands out above all.
所有Montero可以想起的關於響尾蛇的記憶，其中一個特別珍貴
It wasn't being named to his first All-Star Game last season. It wasn't
helping the Diamondbacks win the National League West. And it wasn't his
breakout year at the plate, where he led all National League catchers in
doubles (36), RBIs (86) runs scored (65) and on-base percentage (.351) and
finished second with 18 home runs and a .282 batting average.
這個記憶不是去年的第一度入選明星賽。不是幫助蛇隊打入季後賽。也不是打擊開竅,
打出在2B, RBI, RS, OBP等數據領先所有國聯捕手的爆發年。
"I've had a lot of joyous times playing the game, but the most I ever had was
when I signed my first professional contract," Montero said. "I tried out for
so many teams and nobody wanted to give me a chance."
"我有很多打球的美好記憶，但最美好的是當我簽下第一份職業合約時的那一刻" Montero
說"我到好多支球隊測試過，但沒有一隊肯給我一個機會"
Asked how many teams passed on him, Montero said: "Pretty much all of them.
In the end, the Diamondbacks were the only ones willing to give me a shot."
當問到有幾支球隊不要他時，Montero表示: "幾乎所有的球隊。最後，響尾蛇是唯一一支
肯給我機會的球隊"
Montero, now 28, went to every audition he could find in his native
Venezuela. All the scouts pretty much told him the same thing.
Montero，現年28歲，那時到了所有他能在家鄉委內瑞拉找到的測試會。所有的球探都告訴
他同一件事情
"The told me I was too short," he said. "They told me they didn't see any
potential in me. I wasn't fast and they didn't like that, either. But hey,
I'm a catcher, and I'm still not fast."
"他們說我太矮" 他說 "他們看不到我有什麼潛力。我跑不快而他們不喜歡這樣。但，我
可是捕手，但我還是'不快'"
Montero was close to giving up his dream of playing professional baseball. He
considered going to college and studying to become an engineer. "I like math,
I like mechanics and I like numbers," he said.
Montero原本快放棄打職棒的夢想。他考慮進大學然後當個工程師。"我喜歡數學，喜歡機械
還有數字" 他說
"In the end, I wanted to be a baseball player still. I was frustrated. No one
wanted to give me a chance to play and my dad was the one who really had my
back, saying, 'Don't give up. Keep looking for your dreams. There's going to
be one team out there that's going to give you a chance.' "
"最後，我還是想當一位棒球員。我很沮喪。沒有人要給我打球的機會。我老爸是唯一
支持我的人。他說'不要放棄。繼續追求你的夢想。最後總有支球隊會給你一個機會'"
It was the Diamondbacks. Their top Latin American scout, Junior Noboa,
arranged a tryout. Montero, 17 at the time, thought it might be the last one
he'd ever get. When it was over, Noboa asked Montero and his father to
accompany him to dinner.
那支球隊是響尾蛇。蛇隊的拉美球探長Junior Noboa舉辦了一場測試會。Montero，那時
17歲，覺得這大概是他最後一個打球的機會了。當測試會結束後，Noboa邀請Montero和他
老爸共進晚餐。
"None of the scouts had ever said that to me before," Montero said. "They
would just say things like, 'OK, well, thanks a lot,' and then leave. But
Junior took us out to dinner and later he said he wanted to sign me (to a)
professional (contract).
"之前沒一個球探這樣對我說過" 他說 "他們總說一些, 像是'好，謝謝'然後就走了。但
Junior帶我們去吃晚餐，稍後表示他想簽下我"
Noboa offered $10,000 for Montero's autograph. The elder Montero helped talk
up the offer to $13,000. The son signed it.
Noboa提出一萬元的合約，老爸把價碼喊到一萬三，然後兒子簽字。
Two months later, the check arrived in the mail. Montero cashed it, kept $200
in cash, and gave the rest to his father.
兩個月後，支票寄來了。Montero把錢領出，留下兩百元，剩下的全交給老爸。
Now, 11 years after signing his first official contract, a much bigger payday
awaits the catcher. He and the Diamondbacks weren't able to agree to a
long-term extension, but after accepting a one-year deal worth $5.9 million
for this season, the next contract he signs will be one that sets him up for
life.
現在，離他第一份合約已過了11個年頭，一個更大的發薪日在等著他。他和蛇隊無法
達成延長合約協議，但在接受今年的一年5.9M的合約後，下一份合約將會讓他一生衣
食無虞。
Montero said there won't be any negotiating until after the 2012 season and
that the Diamondbacks will get his full attention in the off-season. But if
the right deal isn't there, he knows he ultimately could end up elsewhere.
Montero說要到球季後才會再度開啟協商。儘管蛇隊是首選，但如果沒辦法拿到理想的合約
，他知道他最終可能將要琵琶別抱。
"I've got a big decision to make," he said. "But I'm not thinking about that
right now. I've got to concentrate on baseball, playing hard, helping the
team win and go to the World Series. The rest will take care of itself."
"我將要下一個重大決定。但我現在不會去想它。我會專注在球場上，努力打球，幫球隊
贏球然後進入世界大賽。剩下的自然會OK"
As Montero knows, good news doesn't always happen right away. He's learned
how to wait and how to be patient.
就像他所知道的，好消息不見得會馬上發生。他已經學會要如何有耐心地等待。
"It's a great story in that he's an All-Star and he continued to push through
when nobody believed in him," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "There
are so many people out there that aren't given an opportunity, but as long as
they believe in themselves, they'll have an opportunity like Miggy has this
year and beyond."
"這是個好故事。當所有人都不像信他時，他依舊持續奮戰並成了明星選手" 蛇隊總教練
Kirk Gibson說 "很多人沒有得到機會，但只要他們還相信自己，最後他們也能像去年的
Montero一樣證明自己"
Oh, and as for some of those scouts who passed on Montero back in the day, he
said he still runs into many of them when he is back home in Caracas.
對了，當年那些錯過Montero的球探，有不少Montero還會在家鄉的路上遇到他們。
"It's interesting, too," he said, "because when I see a lot of those scouts
they tell me, 'Oh, we were going to sign you. We always knew you could play.'
"恩，這也很有趣" 他說 "因為當我遇到他們時，他們對我說'阿，我們原本要準備簽你的
，我們一直知道你能打'"
"I know they're full of crap. They just say it because they want to say it
because now I'm in the big leagues. That's OK. I always knew I could play."
"我知道他們是一坨[-]。他們總是因為你在大聯盟所以才這樣恭維你。沒關係，我一直
知道我確實能打。"