AL Cy could boil down to longtime rivals
2007年9月13日 星期四
節錄大聯盟官網的文章
討論今年球季賽揚獎的可能人選
因為牽扯到洋基和紅襪兩支世仇球隊而變的更加刺激
很有趣的文章 不過也有點難...囧
晚一點來翻譯看看好了 當做練習!
(小王這張好帥>///<)
Wang, Beckett front-runners, with Sabathia right there, too
By Tom Singer / MLB.com
Chien-Ming Wang (left) and Josh Beckett could finish 1-2 in this year's AL CyYoung vote.
(AP photos)
Just when you thought the Yankees and the Red Sox had exhausted all possiblemanifestation of their intense rivalry ... here come the ballots for theAmerican League Cy Young Award.
Both AL East kingpins have suited up their fair share of pitchers on thereceiving end of their art's highest award, with Pedro Martinez (1999 and2000) and Roger Clemens (2001) keeping the honor in the I-95 corridor.
But Yankees and Red Sox pitchers have never contested the same Cy YoungAward, never finishing in the top two in the vote since the award's inceptionin 1956.
Well, there is always a first time. Boston's Josh Beckett and New York'sChien-Ming Wang are the respective leaders of their postseason-bound staffs,and both will receive ample support among the voting members of the BaseballWriters Association of America.
They are hardly running a match race, buttheir season-long excellence on the road to 20 wins will be hard to ignore.
Their most serious competition will come from another undisputed staff ace,C.C. Sabathia, the big chief of the Cleveland Indians. Right-handers JohnLackey and Kelvim Escobar, virtually peers in the Angels rotation, figure tocancel each other out in the voting booth.
FAVORITES
Wang, Yankees: If Cy Young balloting were like some cell phone plans, Wangwould be a shoo-in thanks to rollover votes. He didn't receive a singlefirst-place vote last year, even though he matched winner Johan Santana's19-6 record. So now he is producing a carbon copy, with no one even close tohis two-year record of 37-12 (Santana is 34-17, Justin Verlander 33-14, RoyHalladay 30-12). But what makes Wang truly stand out is his responsibilityfor the Yankees' contention, through his remarkable consistency. He has notmade it to at least the sixth inning only twice in 27 starts.
Beckett, Red Sox: Despite a fresh face (Daisuke Matsuzaka) and a cured arm(Curt Schilling), the cognoscenti tabbed Beckett as the key man on Boston'sstaff -- and he has delivered splendidly, also delivering on his potential.For the fourth consecutive season, Beckett has raised his victory total andhas become a smart pitcher, not just a hothead thrower. Leading evidence ofthat is having more than halved both his walks (74 to 36) and homer yields(36 to 14). But he doesn't stand out on his staff as Wang does on his; noteven close.
Sabathia, Indians: Finishing strong to give Cleveland its first 20-gamewinner since Gaylord Perry (1974) could sway the voting in the bigleft-hander's behalf. He is certainly worthy, with an amazingstrikeouts-to-walks ratio (185-to-33) for a tall lefty -- historically themold for wildness. Has already posted career highs in innings and strikeoutswhile matching his single-season high of 17 wins. Eight of his wins havefollowed Tribe losses.
DARK HORSES
Lackey, Angels: A rocky four-start stretch beginning in mid-August probablyejected the right-hander from possibly even the favorite's seat. Hesurrendered 26 hits and 13 runs in 17 2/3 innings around his clutch Aug. 27shutout in Seattle. But remember that word "clutch," as well as "workhorse";he has gone seven-plus innings in 13 of his last 23 starts. And his 8-1record against the other AL West teams is a big reason for the Angels pullingaway from the division.
Escobar, Angels: Many consider the one-time reliever and swing starter theAngels' best money pitcher, who has really flourished once given a permanentplace in the rotation. And he could very well end up leading the league inERA -- on the 30th anniversary of the last time an Angels hurler did so,Frank Tanana in 1977. But he and Lackey are essentially the same pitcher,with virtually identical numbers.
