彭蒙惠英语：The Ultimate Pitching Machine

 

The Ultimate Pitching Machine

 

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Using technology to improve

 

Pitching employs a coordinated¹ sequence of body movements. The goal at ASMI is to identify and remove any inefficiencies from a pitcher²’s delivery, while reinforcing characteristics demonstrated by the best pitchers³. Great pitchers are highly flexible, with stable joints⁵ and a good range of motion. Leg strength is paramount⁶. The legs generate the power that’s passed up to the hips⁷, trunk, chest and arm.

 

This is where ASMI’s analytical⁸ process comes in. The Institute harbors a cavernous motion-capture lab that looks like a movie studio—and with good reason. The 3-D optical system is a version of the setup used for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

 

Capturing a pitcher’s delivery is a simple procedure. Fifteen reflective markers are affixed⁹ at key joints on a pitcher’s body. The player stands on a mound¹⁰ and throws 10 pitches. The infrared¹¹ cameras track each of the markers in 3-D and send the data to a workstation.

 

Researchers can precisely¹² measure previously¹³ unquantifiable aspects of pitching—everything from the angular velocity¹⁴ of the arm at the shoulder joint⁴ to tension on the knees and elbows.

 

Making sense of it all

 

The trickiest¹⁵ part of ASMI’s analysis comes in making use of the data. “If you say to a pitcher, ‘Your hips are traveling 600 degrees per second and your torso is traveling 1,500 degrees per second,’ that’s not going to mean anything,” says New York Mets’ pitching coach Rick Peterson. “Good pitching isn’t analytical like that.”

 

Rather than filling his pitchers’ heads with numbers, Peterson has devised exercises to encourage good habits and correct mechanical flaws. His players go through their delivery in slow motion to develop a “muscle memory” of what feels right and what doesn’t.

 

Peterson has been taking his charges to ASMI for years. Lately more and more teams have followed him there—a new generation of managers, coaches and players turning to technology and scientific methods to build, manage and train winning teams.

 

Vocabulary Focus

employ (v) [im5plCi] to use something for a particular purpose

paramount (adj) [5pArEmaunt] more important than anything else

unquantifiable (adj) [7QnkwCnti5faiEbl] impossible to determine the amount, extent or number

charge (n) [tFB:dV] a person for whom one is responsible

 

Specialized¹⁶ Terms

torso (n) 躯干 the main part of the human body without the head, arms or legs

 

终极投球手

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利用科技来改善

投球是利用一连串身体动作协调的结果。美国运动医学协会的目标就是要发现并且除去投球手在投球动作中任何没有效率的部分，同时让球员加强一些最佳投球手所表现出来的特点。优秀的投球手具有高度弹性，包括稳定的关节和延伸有力的动作。腿部的力量最为重要。双腿能够产生上传到臀部、躯干、胸部和手臂的力量。

这就是美国运动医学协会进行分析的部分。协会里设有一个看起来像摄影棚一样的洞穴内动作追踪实验室，而这是很有道理的。此处的 3-D 视觉系统类似电影《魔戒三部曲：王者再临》使用的系统。

捕捉投手投球的过程很简单。将15个具反射性的标志贴附在投手身上的重要关节部位。球员站在投手板的小丘上投出10球。红外线摄影机以 3-D 方式追踪每一个标志，然后将资料送回工作站。

研究者可以精确地测量出先前无法量化的各种有关投球方面的数据——从肩关节部位手臂移动角度的速度，到膝盖和手肘的张力。

 

了解个中奥妙

美国运动医学协会的分析最需要审慎处理的一部分，就是如何运用该资料。“如果你对一名投球手说：“你的臀部每秒移动了600度，你的躯干每秒动了1500度，”那没有任何意义。”纽约大都会球队的投球教练瑞克•彼得森说：“投出好球并不是这样分析得来的。”

彼得森并没有把一大堆数据塞进球员的脑子里，反而设想了许多能够养成好习惯并且改正技巧上缺点的练习。他的球员们用慢动作来练习投球，以培养能够感觉出动作对或错的“肌肉记忆”。

彼得森多年来一直将他训练的球员带到美国运动医学协会去。最近有愈来愈多球队跟随他到那里去——新一代的球队经理、教练和球员借助科技和科学的方法，来建立、管理和训练胜利队伍。

 

* 译注：“硬科学”（hard science）指的是数学、化学、物理方面的科学，有别于管理学、统计学、决策科学等“软科学”（soft science）。

 

 

1 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

3 pitchers   

大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Over the next five years, he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. 在接下来的5年时间里，他成为了最了不起的棒球投手之一。
• Why he probably won't: Pitchers on also-rans can win the award. 为什麽不是他得奖：投手在失败的球队可以赢得赛扬奖。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

6 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

7 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

9 affixed   

adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章）

参考例句：

• The label should be firmly affixed to the package. 这张标签应该牢牢地贴在包裹上。
• He affixed the sign to the wall. 他将标记贴到墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

11 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

14 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

15 trickiest   

adj.狡猾的( tricky的最高级 )；（形势、工作等）复杂的；机警的；微妙的

参考例句：

• Many believe this is the trickiest area to navigate. 很多人认为这是最难驾驭的领域。 来自时文部分
• Establishing confidence in a new monetary system was the trickiest part. 建立对新货币体系的信心是其最棘手的部分。 来自互联网

16 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。