根据外电报导，在双城高阶A打拼的我国小将胡智为将在美国时间星期二至AAA支援一场双
重赛的先发，笔者长期关心旅美小将的动态，在此发表一些个人的观察，也顺便翻译一篇
目前是双城高阶A迈尔斯堡奇蹟队的封面故事。
一定会有人问，为什么AAA会要A+的小朋友来支援？而不是直接从AAA或是AA找，答案其实
很简单。观察目前双城AAA罗彻斯特红鹰队的名单，仅有五位选手在本季为固定先发，AA
的査塔努加瞭望者也是如此，在不破坏先发投手投一休四的情况之下，目前采用六名先发
轮值的双城高阶A会是比较好的选择。
好，那如果要选高阶A，为什么是胡而不是其他人呢？胡本季4胜0败，ERA 1.03，SO/9超过
9，WHIP是夸张的0.83，被打击率低到.185。经过前两年在小联盟的发展，胡已经在季前升
到双城农场体系的#23新秀。双城的农场十分肥沃，本年度的百大新秀之首也在他家。在受
球团重视和期待升高之下，AAA出现双重赛先发投手的缺口，选择胡智为也是很合理的选择
了。
至于如果表现良好有没有可能就不下来或是顺势升到AA呢？依目前观察不太可能。纵使双
城的后段轮值有点悲剧，但AAA的轮值还算稳定，且有3位都是在40人名单之中球员。在目
前AA和AAA都使用五人轮值的情况下，在这个时间点要卡位AA以上机会看起来不太大，比
较有可能的时间或许会落在明星赛前后调整球队名单之时。
胡智为是一个充满企图心的球员，在之前的专访就有提到，他给自己今年的目标是入选未
来之星赛和年底去亚利桑那秋季联盟磨练。去年的亚运代表中华队出赛表现不尽理想，退
场还怒摔手套，情绪控管固然还需加强，但也代表他的工作态度极高，好胜和竞争心态都
非常好，这点在以下译文也有提到。
最后当然是期望他继续能有好表现囉！
Just Hu is this guy?
这家伙是谁？
Chih-Wei Hu has caused a stir with a sensational start to the season
胡智为开季的好表现已经激起一阵骚动
http://0rz.tw/yqcXx1111111
By Brice Zimmerman, MiracleBaseball.com
05/16/2015 3:38 PM ET
Who is this guy that leads the Florida State League in earned run average?
佛罗里达联盟 (小联盟A+层级) 的防御率王是谁？
Hu, is this guy that leads the Florida State League in earned run average.
答案是胡。
With a miniscule 1.03 ERA over his first six starts, 21-year old Taiwanese
right-hander Chih-Wei Hu is a rising star in the Minnesota Twins organization
with an unlimited amount of pun opportunities for fans, writers,
broadcasters, coaches and teammates.
六场先发、ERA 1.03，这是来自台湾的21岁投手胡智为缴出的数据，这样的表现让他成为
了双城农场体系的明日之星，同时他的姓氏也将会继续成为老哏笑话的主轴。
"The last name is just something that never gets old because you get all
these jokes," said Miracle pitching coach Ivan Arteaga. "Hu's going to pitch?
Hu's got the pitching chart?"
双城高A的投手教练阿提嘉说：“胡这个姓氏的笑话永远玩不腻啊！例如，谁(Hu/Who)要
投
球？谁(Hu/Who)手上有投球纪录？”
Signing for $220,000 out of Taichung, Taiwan, Hu came to the CenturyLink
Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. in the summer of 2013 with light fan fare
after inking his deal in early August of 2012. Immediately, the ability to
jest with his teammates helped bridge the culture and language gap of a
teenager in a foreign land.
在2012年被双城以220,000美金签下之后，胡在2013年来到双城高阶A迈尔斯堡奇蹟队的
主场观赏比赛。爱开玩笑的个性让他跨过语言和文化的障碍，很快就和队友打成一片。
"That right there made him fit," said Arteaga of Hu's assimilation into a
crowded locker room. "He embraces all of that. He's just that kind of guy."
阿提嘉说：“他这种个性让他适应新环境，能够充分融入，他就是这种人。”
On the field, Hu blended in seamlessly. Chih-Wei made his North American
debut as a member of the Gulf Coast League Twins and performed well in 12
appearances, five starts. Hu allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, over 36.2 innings
with only eight walks and 39 strikeouts. A successful showing in the GCL was
a solid start, but while pitching in the heat of the Florida sun Hu realized
his conditioning needed improvement.
在球场上，胡也顺利无缝接轨。第一年的职业生涯从湾岸联盟(菜鸟联盟)起步，出赛了12
场，在36.2局的投球中丢掉10分自责分，送出39次三振且只有8次保送。在湾岸联盟的成
功
为他的职业生涯踏出第一步，但他也知道自己还需要加强。
"He was overweight when he came over, but not because he didn't work enough,"
explained Arteaga. "He was competing in Taiwan at that weight and he was
dominating. He actually found out for himself that he needed to get and stay
in better shape and he did that on his own."
阿提嘉说：“他刚来美国的时候过重，但这并非他不认真训练，是因为他在台湾的时候就
是这个体型，而且当时他表现良好。不过后来他发现应该要更认真控制体型，他也就自己
办到了。”
Prior to the 2014 season, Hu returned to the United States early to reunite
with a coach from Taiwan that was now based out of California and prepared
for a season that began at rookie level Elizabethton in the Appalachian
League. Chih-Wei made three starts before the Twins player development staff
decided the sturdy righty was ready for the Midwest League.
在2014球季开始之前，胡提早回到美国和一位来自台湾的教练一同训练，为了新球季做准
备。胡先在阿帕拉契联盟(不是阿帕契喔...，是高阶新人联盟)先发了三场比赛，双城管
理层便觉得他已经准备好在中西联盟(1A)投球了。
On July 10 at age 20, Hu made his first of 10 appearances with the Cedar
Rapids Kernels during the 2014 campaign. He went six innings and allowed four
unearned runs with five strikeouts. Over the next nine appearances, Hu would
pick up seven wins including four in a row from July 16 to July 31 and a
10-strikeout performance on July 26.
2014年7月10日，20岁的胡智为献出了1A的处女秀，六局的投球中丢了四分非自责分，另外
送出5次三振。在接下来1A的9次先发中，他拿下了七胜，其中包含了一次四连胜，以及7月
26日单场送出10K的胜投。
The 2014 season came to a close and Hu had become a light beep on a very
crowded and bright Twins prospect radar. With the Twins considered one of the
top minor league systems in baseball, national pundits continued to gush over
high profile prospects like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, Jose
Berrios, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco, Kohl Stewart and many others worthy of
praise in the Minnesota organization.
当2014年球季即将结束时，胡智为在农场肥沃的双城农场中成为了亮点。双城的农场被认
为是大联盟前几名的，包含百大新秀#1的Byron Buxton，以及其他顶级新秀。
As yearly lists were compiled, Hu was represented well, but in the bottom
half or third of a deep organization. Chih-Wei ranked No. 23 for MLB.com's
preseason prospect list.
当2015年的新秀排名出来时，胡智为成功登上#23，但这也只是双城体系中的中下方了。
With a relatively small sample size of professional experience on his resume
and scouts reluctant to deem any of his offerings a true "plus pitch,"
Chih-Wei was still an unknown commodity to the outside baseball world. In
Spring Training, Miracle manager Jeff Smith picked up a trait of Hu's that
can't be quantified and often, cannot be learned.
因为在职业比赛中的经验和出赛仍属小样本，加上球探不觉得目前的胡有哪个球种可以称
为"plus pitch"，对外界来说，他还是个让人陌生的投手。在春训的时候，奇蹟队教练杰
夫‧史密斯发现了胡有个特质是无法量化也无法学习的。
"He's got that competitor's edge," said Smith. "He gets after it. You know
he's going to attack and you know what you're going to get when he goes on
that mound."
史密斯说：“他很有竞争意识，你可以知道他上场就是充满气势进攻，你也可以期待他上
场投球能带来的表现。”
Hu's battle plan includes a varied arsenal with a fastball that reaches the
mid-90's, but mainly sits 91-93. He will also throw a curveball, changeup and
is working on a slider. In addition to the more traditional offerings in Hu's
repertoire, he also employs a palmball.
胡的球路不少，包含在90mph中段的速球(通常在91-93mph)、曲球、变速球，以及正在练习
的滑球。除此之外，他还会投掌心球。
"Palmballs are different than changeups," explained Smith, a former catcher.
"A changeup is in your fingertips and a palmball your whole hand is on it.
With a changeup, you maintain a fastball arm speed and the ball is going to
come off the fingertips about 10 MPH slower than a fastball. A palmball, you
are going to get close to the same speed, but the only difference is that
when it comes out of the hand, by the gravity and the way it's placed in your
hand, it comes in right at the strikezone and goes straight down."
总教练，同时过去也是个捕手的史密斯说：“掌心球和变速球不一样，变速球是用手指，
掌心球则是用整个手掌。变速球投出时和快速球的甩臂相同，球速大概比快速球慢10mph；
掌心球的球速也差不多，但是当出手时，因为重力和放在手中的方式，在进入好球带时会
急速下坠。”
"Some people could mistake that for a curveball or maybe a split, but it's a
palmball for Mr. Hu."
史密斯继续说：“很多人会以为那是曲球或是指叉球，但胡投的就是这种掌心球。”
When watching Hu, the most impressive feature of all his pitches is that he
can throw any for strikes. In his career, Hu has just 29 walks over 142.2
innings pitched; less than two walks per nine innings. He throws strikes,
moves the ball around and shows an advanced feel for the game. All from a
21-year old from a non-traditional baseball country and under 150 innings of
pro experience.
看胡投球时，最让人印象深刻的就是他每种球种都能投进好球带。在他的职业生涯142.2局
的投球中，他只送出29次保送，等于BB/9不到2。他可以投好球，并将球在好球带游走。这
些都是胡的特长，这个来自非传统棒球国家(译按：原来我们不是棒球传统国家啊...)的21
岁小伙子。
"He uses that fastball in and out," Smith noted. "He can go up in the zone
with it. He uses a mix, but the big thing is he goes after you. As soon as he
gets to the ballpark on the day that he's pitching, he's focused. We feel
pretty good about having a chance to win that day."
史密斯说：“他充分运用他的速球，他可以投高吊球，也混和球种，最重要的是他不断攻
击。当他站上投手丘时非常专注，只要他先发我们就觉得今天有很高的机会获胜。”
Dominating his first six starts in the FSL, Hu will get a chance to test his
mettle at the Triple-A level with a spot start on Tuesday morning at 11:05
a.m.
在佛罗里达的前六场超棒先发表现，让胡挣得了在AAA代班先发的机会，这场比赛将会在
美国时间5/19的早上11:05举行。
If Hu continues on his current trajectory, Twins fans won't be asking "who?"
for very much longer, but instead… when?
如果胡能继续维持在FSL的超杀表现，双城球迷以后将不会再问谁(Who/Hu)？而是问什么
时候(When)？