Ron Neccai: 27 Strikeouts In Nine Inning Game
Many pitchers in the history of organized baseball have struck out a lot
of hitters in one game but Ron Necciai struck out 27 batters one night 57
years ago.
在職業棒球史中，許多投手曾經在一場比賽裡三振一狗票擊球員。
但在57年前，Ron Necciai僅花了一個晚上就三振了27位打者。
The date was May 13, 1952 when Necciai started the game in the Class-D
Appalachian League game feeling sickly. He was pitching for the Bristol Twins
against the Welch Miners in Bristol, VA.
那是1952年的5月13日，Necciai病懨懨的在阿帕拉契聯盟的比賽中銜命上陣。
作為Bristol Twins的先發投手，他要在自家主場迎戰Welch Miners
At this time May 13 was known for being the birthday of heavyweight boxing
champion Joe Louis in 1914 near Lafayette, Alabama. Others born on this
date were Bea Arthur of Maude and Golden Girls fame in 1923, Stevie Wonder
in 1950 and Dennis Rodman in 1961.
在當時，5月13日係以重量級拳王Joe Louis的生日為人所知...同樣出生在這天的還有
Bea Arthur,史提夫汪達，還有羅德曼。
During the game Necciai complained about feeling sick so the manager sent
for some cottage cheese to settle his stomach down. In fact, Necciai had
been sent to Bristol to rehab from ulcers problems he had experienced at
spring training.
在比賽中，Necciai時而抱怨身體不適，教練遞過一些茅屋起司藉以紓解他的胃痛。
事實上，Necciai在春訓期間也曾因胃潰瘍問題，被送至Bristol接受治療。
He was so dominating that by the fourth inning the Welch batters started
trying to bunt for base hits but that didn’t work either when they could
only foul off the pitches.
他在場上是如此的具宰制力，是第四局以降，Welch的打者開始嘗試以短打方式
站上壘包。然而，總歸徒勞，他們只是一而再再而三的把球擊出界。
One batter was retired on a groundout early in the game but when the catcher
was charged with a passed ball on a third strike in the ninth inning Necciai
struck out a fourth batter in the inning to give him a chance to strike out 27.
在比賽前半段，一位打者經由滾地球出局。在9局下半，投出第3顆好球後，捕手發生
捕逸。天賜良機，Necciai以單局4K，拿下第27次三振。
He had thrown a no-hitter but the game was far from perfect since he hit a
batter, one reached on an error, he walked one batter and the other though
a strikeout victim reached first on a passed ball.
他投出了一場無安打，但卻離完全比賽遙不可語。
因為他投出一次觸身，一位打者藉由失誤上壘，他又保送一位打者；另一位打者雖然
成為他三振紀錄的受害者，卻又經由捕逸上到一壘。
The catcher Harry Dunlop dropped a foul ball on purpose so Necciai would
have a chance for 27 strikeouts. After dropping the ball per the instructions
from the fans Necciai struck out the batter.
因為捕手Harry Dunlop刻意漏接一個界外飛球，Necciai因而取得了27次三振的入場券。
在觀眾鼓譟下刻意漏球，Necciai隨後三振了那位打者。
Still he recorded 27 strikeouts in the game a feat which had never been done
before in professional baseball and has not been done again since that night
57 years ago.
縱或如此，他單場27次三振的紀錄，在職業棒球史中，不僅前無古人，在57年後的現在，
亦後無來者。
Before this night he had already had games of 20 and 19 strikeouts so the
27 strikeout game was not a fluke.
在該役之前，他已經有過單場20k和19k的紀錄，是以單場27k，絕非僥倖。
In fact after the 27 strikeout no-hitter he would strikeout 24 in his next
start limiting the opponent to two hits. He struck out five batters in one
inning in this contest. His 51 strikeouts in two games is another feat that
is unlikely to be repeated.
事實上，在投出27次三振無安打比賽後，他在下一場先發也送出24次三振，僅僅讓對手
打出兩支安打。該役，他曾在一局裡三振了五位打者。在2場比賽中三振51人，這又是
一次無法複製的壯舉。
Branch Rickey who had seen a lot of baseball pitchers during his time in
baseball paid Necciai the ultimate compliment. He said Necciai was one the
three best pitchers he had ever seen. The other two were Hall of Famers
Christy Mathewson and Dizzy Dean
Branch Rickey*1在其棒球職涯中閱見無數投手，對於Necciai，他賦予無上讚美。
他提到Necciai名列他所見過三位最優秀的投手之一。另外兩位是名人堂成員
Christy Mathewson 和 Dizzy Dean。
Necciai pitched his first major league game for the Pittsburgh Pirates
in August of 1952. He was 1-6 with a 7.08 ERA. He struck out 31 in 54 innings
but walked 32.
在1952年8月，Necciai為匹茲堡海盜獻出了大聯盟的處女秀。最後，他以1勝6負7.08
投手自責分率作收。在54局投球中，三振31人卻也投出32次保送。
The Pirates had twenty pitchers who pitched during the 1952 season and none
of them had a winning record in their 42-112 record.
在1952年賽季，海盜啟用了20名投手，在42勝112負慘淡陰影下，沒有一位投手過五成
勝率。
By the next month Necciai’s major league career was over because he had
a career ending rotator cuff injury.
一個月後，因為粉碎其投手生涯的旋轉肌傷痛，Necciai的大聯盟之旅正式告終。
He would hang on in the minor leagues hoping his arm would be healthy
until 1955 when a doctor told him he needed to get a job at a gas station.
The same doctor had seen the arm of Dizzy Dean when he had a career ending
arm injury and saw that Necciai had the same exact injury.
他繼續在小聯盟奮鬥，期許手臂能夠恢復健康。直到1955年，一位醫生告訴他，
是時候該在加油站另謀出路了。同樣一位大夫，在見過Dizzy Dean手臂的傷勢後，
宣告其投手生涯的死刑。同樣的傷勢發生在Necciai身上，如出一轍。
He will be 77 on June 18 and was a successful businessman and said
there would be no benefits ever held for him.
在6月18日他將要滿77歲,，他過去曾是成功的生意人，並提到他未曾受特別眷顧。
Necciai may only have had one major league win but for one night in May
in 1952 he was the best pitcher in baseball when he struck out 27 batters.
Necciai也許只能在大聯盟拿下區區一勝。但是在1952年5月那晚，締造27次三振紀錄後，
無疑的，他是地表上最強大的投手。
http://tinyurl.com/jt2fsw6
Branch Rickey*1 看過#42這部電影應該對他會有印象，
他就是Brooklyn Dodgers的總經理