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本篇來源:Baseball Digest 2013五六月份合刊 P.9-11,圖片c是我從網路上找來的,圖片註解是我自己加的。翻譯這篇文章的目地是想讓大家認識一下紅雀隊史上的傳奇:Stan Musial。

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Stan Musial: A Genuine Hero

真英雄─史坦.謬席爾

By Bob Kuenster

Stan Musial, who passed away on January 19 at the age of 92, was a revered major league player, one of the greatest performers of his era.

119日以高齡92歲過世的史坦.謬席爾是一位令人敬佩的大聯盟球員,他的表現在當時也是最出色的。

 

The 1930s and 1940s were filled with great men and women who guided our country through the Great Depression and World War II. They made up what has been frequently described as America’s greatest generation, one that introduced baseball fans to Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller and Musial.

1930年代和40年代間,許多不凡的人引領著我們國家走過經濟大恐慌以及第二次世界大戰。他們的成就也讓後世形容當時是美國最傑出的世代,而這個世代裡,出現了棒球迷們最津津樂道的泰德.威廉斯、喬.迪馬喬、鮑伯.菲勒以及謬席爾。

 

Musial played 22 years in the majors, winning three National League MVP awards, seven batting titles and helping the St. Louis Cardinals to four pennants and three World Series titles.

謬席爾在美國職棒打滾了22年,曾三度拿下國聯MVP以及七座打擊獎項,也幫助聖路易紅雀隊拿下四座聯盟冠軍以及三座世界大賽冠軍。

 Stan Musial  

史坦.謬席爾,紅雀史上最偉大的打者之一

In 1946, one year after missing the ’45 campaign while serving in the U.S. Navy, Musial became the first and only player to hit 50 doubles and 20 triples in the same season.

1945年,謬席爾服役美國海軍而缺席了整個賽季,但隔年,他成了大聯盟史上第一位,也是唯一一位單季打出50支二壘安打以及20支三壘安打的球員。

 

In 1948, he fell one home run shy of winning the Triple Crown while leading the N.L. with .376 batting average, 135 runs, 230 hits, 46 doubles, 18 triples, a .450 on-base percentage. He hit one home run that was erased by a rainout. Had it counted, he would have become the ninth player since 1900 to lead his league in homers, RBI and batting average in the same year.

到了1948年,他甚至只差一支全壘打就拿到三冠王。當年他以0.376的打擊率,135次得分、230支安打、46支二壘安打、18支三壘安打,0.450的上壘率的成績領先國聯。那年謬席爾在某場比擊出全壘打,但卻因為這場比賽因雨取消而被沒收。如果把這支全壘打列入計算,他將成為1900年以來,第九位在單一球季囊括所屬聯盟的全壘打王、打點王、打擊王的選手。

 

From 1943 through 1953, Musial averaged 43 doubles, 13 triples, 25 homers, a .347 batting average, 118 runs and 105 RBI per year.

1943年到1953年間,謬席爾平均一年能貢獻43支二壘安打、13支三壘安打、25支全壘打、118分、105個打點,平均打擊率為0.347

 

Stan the Man, a moniker he became known by, finished his career with 3,630 hits, 725 doubles, 177 triples, 425 home runs, 1,949 runs, 1,951 RBI and 1,566 walks. He batted .331 with a .417 on-base percentage and .559 slugging mark.

謬席爾被人讚譽為真男兒史坦,他生涯共打出3630支安打,包括725支二壘安打、177支三壘安打、425支全壘打,得到1549分、貢獻1951分打點,也靠著保送上壘1566次。生涯打擊率為0.331,上壘率0.417,長打率0.559.

 

Even with these astounding totals, Musial never got the publicity that fanned the careers of Williams, DiMaggio or Feller.

儘管成就不凡,謬席爾卻從未像威廉斯、迪馬喬或是菲勒那樣受到關注。

 

“He was as good as any hitter in the game,” Feller said in 1994. “Williams was the best hitter I ever faced and DiMaggio was the best player, but I never had the opportunity to face Stan in regular-season games since we played in different leagues. I face him twice in the ’46 All-Star Game. He reached base on an error and I got him to pop out to second. To pitch against Musial would have given me the chance to pitch against the three best hitters of my time.”

「他就像其他打者一樣優秀」菲勒在1994年說道。「威廉斯是我面對過最好的打者,迪馬喬則是最佳的選手。但因為待在不同的聯盟,所以我沒有機會在例行賽裡對決史坦。我曾在1946的明星賽裡兩度和他交手,第一次他靠著失誤上壘,第二次他打出二壘方向的內野飛球。這次和謬席爾的對決後,我已經和我同時代最出色的三個打者都交手過了。」

 

Spending his entire career in the low-profile Midwest city of St. Louis instead of New York and Boston, the baseball capitals in the eastern region, Musial’s exploits as a player didn’t seize the attention of fans. Television coverage was in its infancy and newspapers provided little coverage beyond their hometown teams, as they did in later years. So, stars in smaller markets were less known and their accomplishments weren’t instantly spread across the country as they are today on ESPN and other media that flood the airwaves.

謬席爾生涯都待在不受矚目的中西區城市聖路易,而不是東邊的棒球重鎮紐約以及波士頓。也因此球迷不太清楚謬席爾出色的表現。電視報導才剛剛起步,當時除了當地球隊之外,很少有其他球隊的報導,要過幾年這樣的現象才會慢慢減少。所以小市場的明星較鮮為人知,他們的成就也無法像今天這樣利用ESPN或其他媒體大肆宣傳。

 

“Baseball in St. Louis wasn’t broadcast around the country like in the major big cities,” one-time Cardinals announcer Harry Garay said years ago. “New York’s big three (the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants) and the Red Sox in Boston were always getting the majority of the attention in print. Musial took a back seat to the stars on those teams when it came to publicity, but on the field he took a back seat to nobody.”

「在聖路易,棒球沒辦法像大城市那樣在全國轉播。」曾任紅雀隊主播的哈利.蓋瑞幾年前如此說道。「紐約三巨頭(洋基、道奇、巨人)和波士頓的紅襪總是能博得板面。講到知名度,和在那些隊伍的明星們相比,謬席爾必須退避三舍;但說到球場上的表現,所有人都必須禮讓謬席爾三分。」

 

“He was the best player I ever saw play,” Garay said. “He could hit for average and power. He could run and play great defense. His arm wasn’t great, but it was good and his instincts were flawless. He always made the right play. And as great as he was as a player, everyone looked up to him outside the game.”

「他是我見過最傑出的球員」蓋瑞說道。「他能兼具打擊率和長打,也能兼具速度和守備。他的臂力或許不出色,但也有一定的水準,他的天賦無庸置疑,他在場上總能做出正確的決定。而他身為一個如此偉大的球員,在場外當然受到每個人尊敬。」

 

Musial was married to his wife Lil for almost 72 years before her death in 2012. They raised four children together.

謬席爾和老婆黎薾結婚近72年,她在2012年過世,他們家中一共有四個小孩。

 

In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Musial the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “an icon untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kid to emulate.”

2010年時,總統巴拉克.歐巴馬頒給謬席爾總統自由勳章並讚美他「一個永垂不朽的偶像,一位被大眾愛戴的棟樑,一名你希望你孩子能效法的紳士。」

 

“Stan was just a great man,” former teammate Tim McCarver said. “He never said a bad word about anybody, and I never heard anyone speak a bad word about Stan. He was a joy to be around.”

「史坦實在很了不起」前隊友提姆.麥卡佛說道。「他從不說別人任何壞話,而我也沒聽過別人說過史坦的壞話。有他在氣氛真的很歡樂。」

 

Mike Shannon, who has been involved with the Cardinals organization for more than 50 years as a player and announcer, knew Musial as well. Shannon had grown up and gone to school with Musial’s son, Richard. Musial, at age 41, Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, Ken Boyer and Bill White were star players when Shannon arrived in St. Louis in 1962.

“I wanted to earn their respect and play the game the same as Stan did for so many years. With hard work and hustle,” Shannon continued.

在紅雀旗下當過球員和主播超過五十年的麥克.薛農也很了解謬席爾。薛農和謬席爾的兒子理查一起長大一起上學。當薛農在1962年進到聖路易時,41歲的木席爾、鮑伯.吉普森、科特.福拉德、肯.波伊爾以及比爾.懷特已經是隊上的明星了。「我想要得到他們的尊重,也想在場上好表現,就像史坦做了許多年的那樣,所以我不停地努力著。」薛農說道。

 

“Stan was an influence, but I felt very comfortable around him. I do remember asking him in 1963 why was retiring when he could still hit .300, and he said, ‘When you’re teammates with young men who grew up with your kids, it’s time to call it quits.’”

「史坦雖然很有名,但我和他相處卻很自在。我記得他1963年退休時我曾問過他為什麼要退休,他明明還能繳出三成的打擊率。然後,他跟我說:『當你隊友都是群和你孩子長大的年輕人時,你就知道你應該讓出位置了。』」

 

Musial had a great effect on how others played the game and they acted as ambassadors to Major League Baseball. Perhaps one incident that occurred in the spring of 1958 tells as much as any what Musial meant to baseball and those who looked up to him.

謬席爾影響了其他球員對待球賽的態度,而這些人也成為美國職棒的代言人。或許用一件1958年春訓時的小插曲足以說明謬席爾對棒球界的影響以及其他人對他的尊重。

 

The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees were playing an exhibition game in St. Petersburg, Fla., and during hitting practice, Mickey Mantle donned a batting helmet. That winter, the American League had made it mandatory for batters to wear the helmet at bat.

那年,支加哥白襪和紐約洋基在位於佛羅里達的聖彼得堡進行熱身賽。米奇.曼托在打擊練習時戴上頭盔,這是美國聯盟在冬天才新加入的規定,強制要求打擊者打擊時一定要戴頭盔。

 

When Mantle was through taking his swings, he returned to Yankee bench, where one-time White Sox beat writer and former Baseball Digest editor John Kuenster approached to him.

當曼托練習結束後,他回到了洋基休息室,曾任白襪隊專欄記者以及前《棒球文摘》編輯的約翰.昆斯特上前找他。

 

“Mick,” the reporter inquired, “does that helmet bother you when you’re hitting?”

「米哥,」這位記者問道,「頭盔對影響你打擊嗎?」

 

Mantle looked directly at his questioner without saying a word, paused briefly, and then sat down on the bench about 20 feet away from the reporter.

曼托沒有說話,只是直視著記者,他停了半晌,然後轉身走了六公尺後坐下。

 

“Don’t let that bother you,” a New York writer said to Kuenster. “He ignores us, too. If you’re making the kind of money he is, I guess you don’t have to talk to anybody if you don’t want to.”

「別在意,」一個紐約記者對昆斯特這樣說。「他對我們也是這樣子。我想如果一個人能像他一樣賺這麼多錢,就有權利在不想講話時不講話。」

 

Kuenster, who was also a beat writer for the Cubs and frequently interviewed Musial, knew Musial was one of Mantle’s idols as a young boy and responded to the New York writer, “Well, Musial makes that kind of money, too, but he doesn’t do that.”

昆斯特當時還兼任小熊隊專欄作家,所以經常訪問謬席爾。他知道謬席爾是曼托年輕時的偶像之一,所以他跟紐約記者說:「這個嘛,謬席爾也一樣賺這麼多,可是他就不會這樣做。」

 

With that, Mantle got up from the bench, walked the 20 feet to where the reporters was perched, sat down, and began discussing the pros and cons of wearing the batting helmet. The remark about Musial had hit home.

聽到這裡,曼托從長凳上站起來,又走了六公尺到記者們聚集的地方,坐下,然後開始討論戴打擊頭盔的優缺點。可見這一段對謬席爾的評論效果十足。

Mickey Mantle  

Stan Musial也是名人堂選手Mickey Mantle心目中的模範

 Fellow Hall of Fame Ernie Banks was another friend and fan of Musial. Just before Musial retired in 1963, Banks invited Musial to accompany him to an appearance at the Better Boys Foundation in Chicago when the Cardinals were in town.

名人堂選手厄尼.班克斯是謬席爾另外一個朋友,也是他的粉絲。在謬席爾1963年退休前,班克斯邀請謬席爾在芝加哥的好孩子基金會露面,當時紅雀在芝加哥作客。

 

During their trip to visit the boys, Banks drove Musial and told him the place they were headed to was in a tough neighborhood.

在造訪那些孩子們的路上,班克斯擔任司機,並告訴謬席爾他們要去的地方是一個環境艱困的鄰近地區。

 

“You came from a poor neighborhood, didn’t you?” Banks asked Musial.

你也出身於貧窮世家吧?」班克斯問道。

 

“Yeah, and tough, too,” said Musial who grew up in Donora, Pa. “The farther down the street you went, the tougher it got, and I lived in the last house on the street.”

「是啊,而且環境也很糟」謬席爾說道。他在賓夕法尼亞州的多諾拉區長大。「你越朝街道裡邊走,環境就越糟,我住在街道最裡面。」

 

Banks laughed and continued to chat with his friend about baseball. “What was your biggest thrill?” he asked.

班克斯笑了,接著他跟他朋友聊到棒球。「你最興奮的一刻是幾時?」

 

“Getting into my first World Series in ’42,” Musial responded. “I was just a youngster. The Yankees beat us the first game, and then we won four in a row.”

「應該是我42年第一次打進世界大賽吧」謬席爾回答。「那時我還年輕,洋基贏了第一場比賽,接著我們拿下四連勝。」

 

“My 3,000 hit was something special, too,” he added.

「還有我第三千安也很特別。」他補了一句。

 

Banks who had switched from shortstop to first base during his career, just as Musial had moved from the outfield to first base, asked, “Which position is easier?”

班克斯職業生涯曾轉換跑道,從游擊手轉任一壘手,就像謬席爾從外野轉任一壘手一樣。他問謬席爾:「哪個位置比較好守?」

 

“I’d rather play the outfield,” said Musial. “That’s a breeze. First base is work. You’ve got to back up plays, move in and out, watch for throws from the pitcher or catcher when there’s runner on base.”

「我比較喜歡守外野」謬席爾說道。「那比較輕鬆。一壘負擔很重,你必須支援許多守備,跑進跑出,壘上有人時還要隨時注意投手和捕手會傳球給你。

 

Banks said he continued to dig into Musial’s baseball knowledge and experience, asking him what adjustments he had to make as he got older.

班克斯說他更深入地探求Musical關於棒球的知識和經驗,並詢問謬席爾在年紀漸長之後如何做出調整。

 

“Up to 37, I felt good physically,” Musial said. “At 38, I started to feel something changes, so in the winter I started going for heavy exercise. At that age, the main thing is to exercise and watch your weight, so you don’t get too far out of shape.”

「我一直到37歲都覺得身體狀況很好,」謬席爾說。「但到了38歲,我開始覺得有些地方不一樣了,所以我休兵期間開給自己很重的菜單。當球員到那個年紀時,要做的就是運動和注意體重,這樣你身材才不會走掉。」

 

When Banks and Musial reached their destination, they chatted with the young boys and signed autographs. Banks remembers it was a big thrill for him to have Musial participate.

當班克斯和謬席爾到達目的地時,他們和小男孩們聊天並給他們親筆簽名。班克斯還記得謬席爾的出席有多讓他興奮。

 

“ I was excited as the kids were,” Banks said. “He always had been my idol…what a nice, gracious guy.”

「我像那群孩子一樣興奮」班克斯說道。「他一直是我偶像他人很好,也很親切。」

 

Stan the Man Musial had scored again.

真男兒史坦又一次得分了。

 

Nobody in life is perfect, but Musial, it seems, is as close as any person can get. He was a Hall of Fame player, a great family man and a friend all could depend on. Fans adored him and he responded with gratitude.

沒有人的人生完美無瑕,但是謬席爾看起來似乎是最接近完美的人。他是名人堂球員,顧家的人,更是個值得依賴的朋友。球迷喜愛他,而他則以感激的態度做回應。

 

In life, Stan Musial hit a home run.

史坦.謬席爾算是為自己人生打了一支全壘打吧!

Stan Musial    

 

 

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