出處:The Hardball Times
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/another-red-sox-curse/
Another Red Sox curse?
by Alex Connors
July 03, 2013
The Red Sox broke the 86-year Curse of the Bambino in 2004 by defeating the
St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series. Now, nine years later, the team
appears to be cursed yet again.
紅襪隊在2004年打敗紅雀隊贏得世界大賽冠軍，破了86年的貝比魯斯魔咒。現在，
9年之後，這隻球隊似乎又受到了詛咒
The curse that I am talking about is the Curse of Papelbon.
我所謂的詛咒就是Papelbon魔咒。
The Sox closer spot was occupied from 2006 to 2011 by Jonathan Papelbon, the
club’s all-time saves leader by a wide margin. Papelbon became a free agent
after the 2011 season, and the Red Sox, fresh off their historic September
collapse, elected not to match the Phillies’ four-year, $50 million contract
offer to him.
2006年到2011年間，紅襪隊的終結者一直是由Papelbon這位紅襪隊史救援王來擔任。
在2011年賽季結束後，Papelbon成為了自由球員，而紅襪球團對於他們前無古人的9月
大崩潰顯然是記憶猶新，決定不提出對等費城人的4年5千萬美元合約給他。
At the time, the decision seemed a reasonable one. Two of the last three Red
Sox seasons had ended on blown saves by Papelbon, and the Sox had the perfect
replacement for him ready in their bullpen: Daniel Bard. The flame-throwing
righty whose fastball regularly touched 100 mph was built from the same mold
as his predecessor, and it seemed only a matter of time before he assumed the
role of closer.
這時，這個決定看起來非常合情合理。過去的三個賽季就有兩次是終結在Papelbon的
救援失敗上，而紅襪牛棚裡也有一個完美的終結者人選：Daniel Bard。
這位火球右腕動輒上看100麥的球速跟他的前輩如出一轍，成為終結者只不過是時間
的問題而已。
But, soon, the Curse of Papelbon would take Daniel Bard as its first victim.
但很快的，Papelbon魔咒就讓Bard成為第一個受害者。
Then Terry Francona was ousted as Red Sox manager, Theo Epstein went to the
Cubs, and new faces stepped up to lead the organization. Between GM Ben
Cherington and manager Bobby Valentine, and at Bard’s request, the decision
was made to transition him into the starting rotation. The project didn’t
work. Bard’s struggles in the starting rotation were highlighted by his
inability to consistently throw strikes, resulting in a 6.25 BB/9 and a 6.22
ERA. He made only 10 starts before being sent down to Triple-A and the
re-transition from starter back to reliever began.
接著下來的是，Terry Francona丟了教頭的位置，Theo Epstein跑去小熊隊，接替他們
領導球團的盡是新面孔。順應Bard的要求，GN Ben Cherington跟教頭Bobby Valentine
決定把他調進先發輪值。但這計畫沒有成功，無法持續把球丟進好球帶讓Bard在輪值裡
顯得格外掙扎，最終他的成績是6.25的BB/9以及6.22的ERA。在他被下放3A重新轉換回
牛棚投手之前，他僅僅只先發了10場。
As a result of the departures of Papelbon and Bard from the bullpen after the
2011 season, the Sox found themselves in need of both a new closer and a new
setup-man. So, the Sox traded outfielder Josh Reddick and two minor league
prospects to the A’s for Andrew Bailey. Then, they traded Kyle Weiland and
Jed Lowrie, two young but major league-ready players, to Houston for Mark
Melancon.
在Papelbon以及Bard離開牛棚之後，襪襪發現他們需要新的終結者及佈局投手。所以，
襪襪把外野手Reddick跟兩位小聯盟新秀送到運動家換來了Bailey。然後，他們把Kyle
Weiland跟Jed Lowrie這兩位準備好上大聯盟的年輕人送到太空人，換來了Melancon。
Bailey, always injury-prone, hurt his right thumb in spring training and did
not make it on to the mound at Fenway until mid-August.
Bailey這位痛痛人在春訓就傷了他的右手拇指，直到八月中才在芬威球場踏上投手丘。
Manager Bobby Valentine had a decision to make. Who would replace Papelbon
for the 2012 season? Valentine elected to go with Alfredo Aceves who, while
recording 25 saves, posted a 5.36 ERA with eight blown saves. Melancon, who
would have been the next man in line for the job, was unavailable after being
sent down to Triple-A on April 18 with an ERA of 49.50. Yes, you read that
correctly.
教頭Valentine必需當機立斷。今年誰要接替Papelbon的位置？Valentine決定讓Aceves
接手，儘管有25次救援成功，但同時也救援失敗了8次，ERA 5.36。而Melancon，這位
在後頭等待終結者位置的球員，在4/18帶著49.5的ERA被下放3A之後就不見人影了。
Yes~你沒看錯。
So, after the 2012 season, it was apparent that the Sox still needed someone
to fill the ninth inning role. Recognizing this need, Cherington traded
Melancon and two prospects to the Pirates for closer Joel Hanrahan.
所以，2012年季後，襪襪很明顯的還是需要一位第9局上場的角色。
明白這點的Cherington把Melancon跟兩位新秀送到海盜隊，換來了Hanrahan。
New manager John Farrell immediately named Hanrahan the closer, and it seemed
that the void finally was filled. Not so fast. Hanrahan pitched seven and a
third innings in a Red Sox uniform, posting a 9.82 ERA,and recorded only four
saves in six chances before tearing a flexor muscle in his right arm and
undergoing season-ending surgery.
新教頭John Farrell立馬讓Hanrahan擔任終結者的角色，而這空缺似乎終究被補齊了!!
嗯..別急。Hanrahan投了7又1/3局，ERA 9.82，在6次救援機會中守下了4次之後，他因為
右手的flexor muscle撕裂傷而進行了中止球季的手術。
After the injury, Bailey was once again given the nod as Red Sox closer.
Predictably, he has since lost the job. He blew five saves in 13 chances,
including four of his last five.
在那次受傷之後，Bailey再次被同意成為紅襪的終結者。
可以預料到的是，他失去了這份工作。因為在13次救援機會之中他只成功了8次，
近5次登板他就有4次救援失敗。
The closing job for the first-place Red Sox now rests in the hands of Koji
Uehara.
現在紅襪終結者的差事落到了上原浩治的手中。
But until someone in a Red Sox uniform hits a walk-off home run against
Papelbon at Fenway Park, the Curse remains.
或許在某位紅襪球員在芬威球場從Papelbon手中打出再見轟之前，
這魔咒會一直持續下去吧。
備註:Alex is a Daily Staff Writer for the Tufts Daily as a freshman at Tufts
University, and a diehard Red Sox fan.
簡單說 原作者也是襪迷
初試啼聲
翻的不好請別噓太用力 ^_^