July 13, 2008
Prospectus Q&A
Brandon Webb
原文连结：http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7793
by David Laurila
A National League All-Star for the third straight season, Brandon Webb has
clearly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. The
possessor of what is arguably the best sinker in baseball—Webb’s 3.74
GB/FB-ratio over the past four seasons is tops among all MLB starters—he
goes into the midsummer classic with an NL-best 13 wins. Last season, Webb
put together a 42 1/3 consecutive scoreless-innings streak, the 12th-longest
in big league history, en route to leading the senior circuit in innings
pitched. A 29-year-old native of Ashland, Kentucky, Webb captured the
National League Cy Young Award in 2006.
连续三年被选为国联全明星，Brandon Webb 无庸置疑是最顶级的投手之一。他拥有着世界
上最犀利的深卡球（Webb 在过去四个球季以 3.74 的滚飞比领先所有 MLB 的先发投手）
，而他将带着国联最佳的 13 胜参加这场仲夏的经典赛事。上个球季，Webb 拥有着连续
42 1/3 局未被得分的纪录（这是大联盟第 12 长的纪录），而他的投球局数也在国联排名
第一（译按：文中的 the senior circuit 指的是国家联盟）。现年 29 岁，出生于肯塔
基州的 Ashland，Webb 在 2006 年获得了国联赛扬奖的殊荣。
David Laurila: How would you describe Brandon Webb’s approach on the mound?
可以说明一下你的投球策略吗？
Brandon Webb: I try to pitch to contact. That’s the biggest thing for me,
trying to throw quality strikes down in the zone with the sinking action I
have. I like to get early contact, and if you can do that, and have good
defense behind you, you’re going to pitch a lot of innings and keep yourself
in the game with a low pitch count. So I want early contact, a lot of ground
balls, and early outs. That’s kind of how I go about it.
我试着投给打者打。对我而言，这是很重要的一件事，试着投出有水准并带有我独特下沉
味道的好球。我喜欢让打者在一开始就出棒碰我的球，如果你能够做到这件事，而且你的
身后有着不错的防守的话，你就可以吃下很多局数，同时投球数也不会过量。所以我希望
打者一上场就立刻挥击，然后就有一大堆滚地球，和超快的出局数。这就是我的投球策略
。
DL: A lot of guys talk about pitching to contact, but how do you go about
doing that—how can pitchers consistently induce weak contact?
有很多人常在说投给打者打，但是你可以说一下你是怎么办到的吗－－我是指要怎样投才
可以投给打者打，却又让打者没有办法把球打得很强劲呢？
BW: By keeping the ball down in the zone and making quality pitches instead
of just throwing it down the middle without any movement. If you do that—if
you leave pitches out over the plate—you’re going to get tattooed. So it’s
all about throwing good quality pitches down in the zone, and hopefully you’
ll get outs more often than not.
你要把球控制在好球带低的位置，并且要投有水准的球，而不是只把一颗完全没有任何位
移的球往好球带中央偏低的地方丢过去。如果你这么做的话－－如果你让你的球留在好球
带中央的话－－你就等著看烟火秀吧。所以重点在于要把有水准的球投在好球带低的位置
，这样你应该就可以顺利的拿到出局数了。
DL: When asked why your sinker is so good, your usual response is to say that
it’s mostly just a result of your natural arm action. How would you describe
your arm action?
每次有人问你为什么你的深卡球那么棒的时候，你都会说这跟你手臂的动作有关。你可以
说一下到底是什么样的手臂动作呢？
BW: When I throw, I try to think about working on top of the ball and
creating a two-point movement, instead of just a lateral movement that a lot
of people have by working on the side of the ball. I really concentrate on
getting my two fingers that I throw the ball with over on top to get that
two-point movement.
当我投球的时候，我会试着由球的上方去制造出横向及纵向的位移，而不是像其他人只注
意由球的侧面去产生横向的移动。我会一直提醒自己把两根手指放在球的上方以产生横向
及纵向的位移。
DL: Can you describe, in specific terms, how you grip your sinker?
你可以仔细介绍一下你深卡球的握法吗？
BW: It’s just a two-seam fastball. You can basically throw a curveball with
any grip; you can throw a slider or a changeup with any grip. It’s the same
with a sinker. It really doesn’t have anything to do with the grip; it’s
the way you manipulate the ball with your arm action. I do grip the ball the
same each time, though; it’s what feels most comfortable to me.
那就是一般的二缝线而已。就像曲球有很多种握法，滑球跟变速球有很多种握法。深卡球
也一样有很多不同的握法。深卡球投得好不好真的和怎么握没有关系，重要的是你的手臂
动作。不过，我倒是有固定投深卡球的握法，但那只是我觉得最舒服的握法而已。
DL: The ability to make adjustments is a big part of pitching. What type of
adjustments do you typically make on the mound?
能够适时调整对投球来说是很重要的。你在投手丘上通常会做什么样的调整呢？
BW: A lot of times I have a tendency to throw across my body, so I have to
watch out for that and kind of bring my landing foot back over toward the
first-base side; I have to concentrate on working my body toward the plate
instead of around it. I also have to make sure that I get my arm up—get my
elbow up—so that I’m not rushing. I need to get a good balance point so
that my elbow is in the proper spot, at the proper time, to consistently
throw quality strikes.
我跨步常常会出现问题，这会让我没有办法好好运用腿部的力量，所以我会注意这方面的
东西，并且在跨步时我会把我的前脚稍微往一垒方向偏，同时我也会注意把身体面对本垒
而不是侧向着本垒（译按：throw across one's body 就跟字面上的意思一样，是指投球
时手部挥出的轨迹会与身体相交，而这是一个不好的动作，因为这样投球只能用到手部的
力量，却没有办法同时运用腿部的力量）。我还要确定我有把手臂举高－－我是指把我的
手肘抬高－－这样我的投球动作才不会太赶。我需要找到一个平衡点，以让我的手肘在正
确的时间点会在正确的位置，这样才可以稳定的投出有水准的好球。
DL: How would you describe your overall pitching mechanics?
可以谈一下你的投球机制吗？
BW: I think I’m pretty basic. I have the same arm angle that a lot of guys
have. My lower half is pretty identical to most every pitcher; every pitcher
has a good balance point and things like that. My mechanics are pretty
ordinary.
我觉得我的投球机制还满基本的。我的手臂角度和一般人的没有什么不同。至于下半身的
机制也和大部分的投手一样，每个投手都有一个最好的平衡点或者其他类似的东西。我的
投球机制倒是满普通的。
DL: Do you view your sinker as just one pitch, or as multiple pitches with
different velocity and movement to different zones?
你觉得你的深卡球只是一种固定球路而已，还是一种在投到不同位置时会有不同球速、不
同位移的球路呢？
BW: Yeah, I do sometimes take a little velocity off and work differently
against right-handers and left-handers. I’ll try to bring it off the body to
left-handers, and I’ll get a lot of strikeouts with that when it’s going
good. I’ll do the same thing to lock up a right-hander, getting it to come
back on the outside. Behind on the count, I’ll take a little off to try to
get a hitter too far out front so he’ll hopefully roll the ball over. So
sure, you can definitely look at them as different pitches.
没错，我有时候会稍微降低球速，而且对左打及右打时我会采取不同的策略。我会试着攻
击左打者的内角，而当我状况好的时候，他们只能乖乖被我三振。我会用同样的方法对付
右打者，不过这次球会从外侧转进来。在球数落后时，我会稍微降低球速，试着让打者挥
击过早，而制造出滚地球。所以你当然可以说这是一种多样的球路。
DL: Last year, left-handed hitters hit more balls in the air against you than
did right-handed hitters. Why?
去年在面对你的时候，左打者比右打者打出更多的飞球。你觉得是为什么？
BW: Left-handers, because they’re so used to seeing the ball sink away, sink
away—they dive out over the plate and try to shoot the ball to left field. I
think it’s probably that as much as anything.
因为左打者已经习惯球会一直往外跑，往外跑－－他们会往外侧倾，然后试着把球带到左
外野。我觉得那是最主要的原因。
DL: Have you made any adjustments in an attempt to induce more ground balls
from left-handed hitters?
你有试过让左打者打出更多滚地球吗？
BW: Yes, we’ve tried to come inside with a four-seamer and cutters this year
to try to get them off of that outside pitch. That way I’m opening up the
outside so they won’t be diving after that pitch as much.
当然有啦，我们今年试着多往内角塞四缝线或卡特球，这样他们就没有办法一直等着我的
外角深卡球。如此一来，当我利用外角时，他们就没有办法像以前一样往外侧倾了。
DL: Do you buy into the theory that sinkerball pitchers are more effective
when their arms aren’t quite as fresh?
你相信深卡球投手在疲劳时反而会更有效率的说法吗？
BW: It’s probably different for different people, but in my case, if I’m
really strong I think the ball does tend to flatten out a little bit. If I’m
around 87 to 89, maybe 91, it’s a lot better than in some games where in the
first few innings I’ll be 89 to 93. It can be kind of flat then.
这个应该是对不同人有不同的情况吧，就我的来说，假如我的手臂太有力的话，我想我投
出去球的变化幅度会减少一些。如果我的球速在 87 到 89 英里，或者在 91 英里，那时
的情况通常会比我在球赛一开始球速有 89 到 93 英里时好的多。在球速快的时候变化幅
度反而比较小。
DL: You led the National League in innings pitched last year, and are among
the league leaders again this season. What are your thoughts on workload?
去年你在国联投球局数排名第一，今年也是在联盟领先群里。你对于负担的局数有什么看
法呢？
BW: I take pride in having a lot of innings, because if you’re leading the
league, or are even close to leading the league, it means you’re out there
doing well and keeping your team in the game. So I take a lot of pride in
that. As far as workload, if you do your exercises and keep in shape, you
should be fine. I don’t really worry about working too much.
我认为能吃下越多局数越好，因为当你在这方面领先全联盟时，或者只是位于领先群时，
这代表你的投球表现不错，而且还可以让你的球队有胜利的机会。所以我认为这是值得骄
傲的一件事。对于负担的局数，我想只要持续健身并保持身体状态，这应该是没有问题的
。我并不会因为负担太多局数而担心。
DL: How do you prepare for games?
你赛前会做什么准备呢？
BW: I actually don’t do a whole lot of preparation. I go over the scouting
report with the catcher for about five minutes, but other than that I
basically just go out there and do my thing. There’s stretching and all
that, but I don’t go too much in depth with the other stuff. I like to keep
it simple.
事实上我并没有做太多的准备。我会花个五分钟跟捕手讨论打者的资料，除了这个之外，
我基本上只是做我自己的事。我会做做伸展或是其他的东西，不过我不会深入得作其他的
事情。我喜欢简单的感觉。
DL: It sounds like you don’t start to really focus until closer to game time?
感觉上你好像是在比赛快开始的时候才开始集中精神？
BW: Exactly. I start stretching my legs and arm with the trainer about an
hour before the game, and that’s when I kind of start locking in. Some
people take the whole day, but I’d be worn out if I did that. I like to
interact with guys and don’t change my routine too much from the everyday,
because I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I take it like any
other day up until the point that I go to the trainer to start getting ready.
I’m pretty open to anything before that.
没有错。在比赛前一个小时，我会开始和训练员做腿部跟手部的伸展，而那时才是我开始
专心的时候。有些人会整天都集中在今天的比赛，但是这样的话我会受不了。我喜欢和其
他人有互动，而且我不想改变我的生活习惯，因为我不想有太多的压力。我会把比赛那天
当作一般的日子，而到我跟训练员报到时再开始专心准备比赛。在那之前我是不会刻意限
制自己的行动的。
DL: Lenny DiNardo of the A’s has said that there’s a correlation between
pitching and playing the guitar, in part because of the pressure he puts on
the seams. As someone who also plays the guitar, do you agree with him?
运动家的 Lenny DiNardo 说投球跟弹吉他是有关系的，而有一部分的原因是因为对缝线以
及弦的施力方式。就一个也有在玩吉他的投手，你觉得他的说法可信吗？
BW: Personally, I don’t correlate that too much, because I don’t put any
extra pressure on my index finger to throw the sinker; I keep it pretty
equal. I suppose there might be for some guys who do both—pitch and play the
guitar—but not for me.
我个人认为这两件事似乎没有什么关联，因为我在投深卡球时并不会刻意用食指施力，我
的施力方式还满平均的。我认为或许有人会同意这种的说法－－我是指同时有在投球和弹
吉他的人－－只不过我自己不这么想。