ARCH*TEMPLAR BLOG

The day was gone, the game lost, the afternoon wasted, and Alex Rodriguez knew it. Hey, it happens. It's baseball. Even the best teams get 60 or so days like this one. Even the best players get tied up in their Superman cape once in a while.
Rodriguez had struck out twice. He'd made an error in the top of the ninth inning that pushed a three-run deficit to four. Excellent as he'd been, extraordinary as he'd played, he'd finally hit a speed bump. It happens. It's baseball.
A-Rod很清楚知道, 今天即將進入尾聲, 而以輸球作收的比賽也讓他們今天下午的努力似乎全都白費了。球是圓的, 世事豈能盡如人意, 就算是全年表現最佳的球隊, 一年都要面對60次左右像是今天下午這樣的狀況; 就算是時有超人表現的球員, 也有被自己身上超人披風給絆倒的時候。在今天的比賽中, A-Rod兩次遭到對方投手三振, 還在九局上半因為自己的失誤而讓已經落後三分的洋基隊多掉一分。 開季以來表現驚人的A-Rod, 終於還是踢到了鐵板。老話一句...球是圓的, 世事豈能盡如人意。

"When you're as hot as he's been," his manager, Joe Torre, had said before the game, "you go to bed dreaming about the next day's pitcher, what he's going to throw you, what you're going to hit off him. You relish these times because you never know how long they're going to last."
"當你手感發燙的時候, " Torre在賽前這麼說道
"就連在睡覺時都會夢到隔天比賽將會面對的投手, 想像他會用何種球路對付你, 想像你自己將如何擊垮他, 你會很享受這樣的時刻, 因為就連你自己都不知道這樣發燙的手感會持續多久。"

More than half of the 40,872 who'd come to Yankee Stadium on getaway day had already gotten away themselves. The Indians led 6-2. They had their closer, Joe Borowski, on the mound, getting some work. He got the first two men out. A few more thousand people filed out, trying to beat the others to the parking lots.
全場40,872個球迷中, 有超過一半的人已經離場, 當時比賽進行到九局下半, 有著四分領先的印地安人隊派上了當家後援投手Joe Borowski, 很快地, 他就解決掉洋基前兩位上場打擊的選手。 此時, 又有許多球迷起身朝著出口走去, 只希望能搶在其他人之前到達停車場。

Some were startled on their way out the door by a loud thwack - Josh Phelps had just taken Borowski deep. Six-three. There was polite applause in the stands. There was a mild ripple in the Yankees dugout, where Andy Pettitte was sitting next to Rodriguez.
當球迷正往出口移動時, 他們聽到了球棒紮實擊中球所發出的一聲清脆聲響, Josh Phelps把Borowski所投出的球一棒送到全壘打牆外, 比數成了6比3, 洋基三分落後。球場看台中傳來稀稀落落的掌聲, 就連球員休息區中的隊友也沒有太大反應, 而這時Pettitte正坐在A-Rod身旁。

"You know," Pettitte said, "you might get one more swing here yet."
"或許你會有再一次上場打擊的機會" Pettitte這麼對A-Rod說道。

Rodriguez shrugged. Then watched Jorge Posada single to center on a 2-2 count. Then watched Johnny Damon walk on a full count. And then started to let his own imagination play some games with him. Why not? Crazy things can happen. It's baseball.
A-Rod只是聳聳肩, 沒有回話。下一棒的Posada在2好2壞的狀況下擊出一壘安打, Johnny Demon在滿球數的情況下最終獲得了保送。這時的A-Rod終於開始想像球賽還沒結束的可能性。誰說不可能？球是圓的, 什麼事都有可能發生。

"After that," he would say, "I started to see the inning developing a little. I knew [Derek Jeter] would find a way to get on. And Bobby [Abreu] is swinging the bat great."
"看著當時的情況, 我知道Jeter一定會找到辦法成功上壘, 而Abreu狀況之好更是不在話下" A-Rod說道。

Jeter did get on, singling to left. Abreu continued to swing the bat great, collecting his fourth hit of the game. Damon roared around third, scored. It was 6-5. The tying run, Jeter, was on second. The winning run, Abreu, was clapping his hands at first.
Jeter果真靠著一支一壘安打成功上壘, Abreu則是手感持續發燙, 敲出個人該場比賽第四支安打, 把Demon送回本壘得分, 比數成了6比5, 代表追平分的Jeter此時正站在二壘壘包上, 而代表超前分的Abreu則站在一壘壘包上為自己和隊友鼓掌打氣。

It was 4:42 in the afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and it was important to remember the time, to remember the date, because for the first time in Alex Rodriguez' career as a Yankee, there wasn't a soul anywhere in the building who doubted what would happen next.
洋基球場當時的時間是下午4點42分, 千萬記住這個時間、這個日子, 因為這是A-Rod穿上條紋球衣以來, 你第一次發現, 全場沒有任何人會對接下來所將發生的事情感到一絲懷疑...

Not his teammates ("He's scary," Jeter said). Not his manager ("This is what Alex is capable of," Torre said. "The sky is the limit."). Not the 10,000 or so stragglers ("M! V! P!" a few of them started to chant as the Armitron clock in left-center clicked to 4:43, as A-Rod dug into the batter's box).
他的隊友深信著（"他的表現實在太可怕了" Jeter說道）, 他的教練也深信著（"他絕對有能力辦到, " Torre說道"對他來說, 沒有什麼是不可能的"）, 而全場10,000個左右的球迷, 更是深信不疑（從A-Rod踏進打擊區開始, 球迷就不斷高喊著"M！V！P！"）

Certainly not A-Rod himself.
而A-Rod本人當然也不曾懷疑。

"I was living," he said, "in the moment."
"當下我就像又活了過來" A-Rod說道。

The moment got a little more interesting when Borowski - who looked as if he'd rather be playing dodgeball on the Deegan than throwing baseballs to Rodriguez right now - threw a wild pitch. But here's the funny thing about destiny: Everyone wants to play along. Of course Cleveland manager Eric Wedge should have walked A-Rod here, with first base now open.
這個關鍵時刻, 又因為Borowski對A-Rod的刻意閃躲而變得更加耐人尋味...他對A-Rod投出的第一球是個暴投。這就是命運之所以讓人不可捉摸的原因, 所有變因都迫不急待地想插上一腳。 任憑誰都會覺得, 既然一壘上的跑者已經藉由投手暴投上了二壘, 那麼印地安人的總教練Eric Wedge就應該下達保送A-Rod的指令。

"Maybe he knew Jason [Giambi] is starting to swing a hot bat," A-Rod would say.
"或許他注意到了Giambi的棒子正在持續加溫中" A-Rod說道。

Or maybe Wedge just wanted to do his part toward helping A-Rod author one more chapter in one of the most remarkable Aprils in baseball history. Tribe catcher Victor Martinez returned to his squat. Borowski's pallor turned the color of the centerfield fa‡ade. Really, you could close your eyes now, and just wait for the sound.
又或許是他（Wedge）想要讓A-Rod有機會在這棒球史上最令人歎為觀止的四月個人記錄表上, 再添上一筆成就。印地安人隊捕手Victor Martinez已經蹲下就定位, 而Borowski或許是因為緊張而臉色略顯蒼白。說真的, 你這時可以完全閉上雙眼, 因為事情接下來的發展, 你可以透過聲音就了解一切...

Thwack!

And there it was. Grady Sizemore started backpedaling, more out of duty than hope. Rodriguez started into what has become a familiar ritual, throwing both hands to the sky, touring the bases, slamming down hard on third-base coach Larry Bowa's head, slamming high-tens with Posada before jumping on the plate, discarding the helmet, disappearing into a tangle of joyful arms. And taking a curtain call.
接下來的畫面, 就是看到Sizemore絕望地不斷向後退, 卻發現自己完全無能為力。而A-Rod則是開始了所有人都再熟悉不過的慶祝流程, 先是高舉雙手依序踏過壘包, 經過三壘時更沒忘記要狠狠拍一下三壘指導教練Larry Bowa的頭, 和Posada興奮擊掌後, 他終於踏上了被熱情隊友層層包圍的本壘板, 將頭盔高高拋起, 接著就是被一同湧來恭賀的隊友教練給完全淹沒。當然不能忘記回應興奮球迷的curtain call, 他步出休息區脫帽致意。

"You called it," Rodriguez would say when he spotted Pettitte later, and Pettitte would laugh, and he'd shake his head, the way they all shake their heads watching A-Rod play this April of 2007, wondering if even the sky is the limit anymore.
"還真的被你說中了" 稍後遇到Pettitte時, A-Rod這麼對他說。
Pettitte只是笑著搖搖頭, 就像其他隊友看著本月A-Rod的驚人演出時, 一樣的反應。
他們心中有著共同的疑問...

對A-Rod而言, "極限"究竟存不存在？