Nice Spanish article on Freddy Garcia I translated for the forum

[chisoxfan09]

Here you go, I read it and was very impressed and moved by his commitment to winning and how he has adapted to life and his struggles with his shoulder. The Spanish paragraphs proceed the English translations. Hope everyone enjoys it. Not all the translation is 100% but is is pretty much on the mark.

 

Link: http://www.liderendeportes.com/Noticias/?id=99143&sid=66

 

Article: El lanzador tiene aspiraciones de Serie Mundial y aseguró que su brazo está listo para la campaña

The pitcher has aspirations for a World Series and assures us his shoulder is ready for the season.

GLENDALE.-Freddy García es la roca que golpea la ola. Hace tres años, mientras convalecía de dos operaciones en el hombro, casi no podía levantar una pelota y la arrojaba con la fuerza de un niño pequeño. Luego de sugerir la posibilidad del retiro se incorporó y en 2008 volvió a Grandes Ligas con los Tigres de Detroit. Se lastimó durante el receso invernal 2008-2009 y otra vez empezaron a cacarear los rebullones.

English: Freddy Garcia is the rock that slams against the wave. 3 years ago, while he was convalescing fro 2 shoulder operations he cold barely lift a baseball and he tossed it with the strength of a child. After suggesting the possibliy of retiring he returned to the Big Leagues in 2008 with the Detroit Tigers. He injured himself during the 2008-2009 Winter Break and the rumors started again.

En la primavera de 2009 el tirador venezolano se hallaba en pie y buscaba un puesto en la rotación de los Mets de Nueva York. Los Metropolitanos lo enviaron a las menores y luego lo dejaron libre, así que su futuro volvía a nublarse.

English: In the Spring of 2009 the Venezuelan pitcher found himself standing and looking for a spot in the New York Mets rotation. The Mets sent him to the Minors and then he was released, again clouding his future.

Como antes, García levantó cabeza, convenció a los Medias Blancas de Chicago y mostró en la recta final del calendario del torneo que todavía pertenecía al reino de los vivos, al apuntarse siete aperturas de calidad en nueve salidas.

English: As before, Garcia lifted his head up and convinced the Chicago White Sox and demonstrated in the final stretch of the calendar that he still belonged in the world of the living. He had 6 quality starts in 9 outings.

 

Es marzo de 2010 y el baruteño es, sin discusión alguna, el quinto abridor de los patiblancos. “Van a seguir hablando de mí por mucho tiempo, el brazo está bueno”, dice el serpentinero con tono retador.

Oswaldo Guillén, su mánager, resumió así la reciedumbre de carácter del lanzador derecho: “Es un guerrero”. A lo que el monticulista repone: “Sí, me gusta la competencia”. Un tipo que ha escapado de tantos atentados contra su carrera mal podría dejarse arredrar por la molestia en la ingle que sufrió el pasado fin de semana.

English: It is now March 2010 and the Baruteno (Venezuelan nickname) is without discussion the 5th starter of the Palehose. “They will be talking about me for a long time, my shoulder is fine”, claims the reliever with a strong tone.

“Tengo que salir ahorita a ver si me molesta o no; pero en este momento me siento bien”, avisa el mirandino. Sube a la lomita, lanza pelotas, y bien. Va a la otra loma, practica la jugada de out 3-1 y mejor. No duele, no duele.

English: I have to go out now and see whether it (The shoulder) bothers me or not; but at this moment I feel fine says Garcia. He takes the mound, tosses a few balls, and all is fine. He goes to another mound, play a game of 3-1 and feels better. No pain, no pain he says.

 

Sin problemas (Without any issues)

 

Mientras no duela el hombro, todo lo demás es baladí. Y ese se porta bien. “Ya no tengo molestias”, asegura. “Lo que necesito es pitchar y seguir saludable, porque con salud uno hace lo que sabe hacer. Cada vez que lanzo me siento bien al día siguiente”.

 

English: As long as he feels no shoulder pain, everything else is trivial while his shoulder behaves.I don’t have anymore irritations, Garcia assures us. What I need is to itch and remain healthy, because with health one does what one is familiar with. Everytime I pitch I feel better.

Funcionó la rehabilitación con el tráiner Ron Yacoub: tres horas diarias de ejercicios, cuatro veces por semana durante meses funcionaron y reflotaron la carrera del baruteño. Mejor no pudo ser la recomendación de su agente, Peter Greenberg, figura clave en la prolongación de su carrera.

English: The rehab with trainer Ron Yacouh worked: 3 hours daily exercising, this regime 4 times a week for many months worked and rejuvenated the career of the Venezuelan. The recommendation from his agent Peter Greenburg could not have been better. It was key in prolonging his career.

 

“Yo más bien me adelanté”, habla García sobre su propio milagro. “Se suponía que para volver a la competencia necesitaba quince meses de recuperación y yo regresé en ocho. Eso me afectó (porque recayó). Uno aprende de eso, si no me hubiera apurado habría pitchado toda la temporada pasada. Nadie pensaba que yo iba a regresar al beisbol de Grandes Ligas, más de uno se quedó boquiabierto. Muchos pensaban que Freddy García estaba fuera de carrera, pero he demostrado que no es así. Salí adelante”.

English: I more or less got ahead of myself, says Garcia regarding his own miracle comeback. “It was generally accepted that to return to competition I would need 15 months of recovery and I returned in 8”. “I learned from that, if I had not accelerated my recovery I would not have pitched last season”. “Noone thought I would return to MLB, and I left more than one person with their jaw dropped”. “Many thought Freddie Garcia was finished, but I demonstated that it was not like that, and came out ahead”.

En su oportunidad, el propio Yacoub ratificó, vía telefónica, la inquebrantable convicción de su paciente. “Nunca me mostró un solo segundo de duda mientras estuvo en la rehabilitación o fuera de ella”.

English: Given an opportunity, even Yacoub verified telephonically, the unbreakable conviction of his patient. “He never demonstatrated to me any doubts for a second while he was rehabbing or outside of it”.

“Nunca tomó atajos, nunca se quejó por los horarios, aun cuando tenía que manejar una hora hasta mis instalaciones, y siempre cuadraba el tiempo según mi tiempo y no el de él, cosa que se aprecia y demuestra su compromiso. A veces llegaba y él mismo se hacía sus tinas de agua caliente o sus bolsas de hielo, siempre doblaba sus toallas. Tuvo algunos pasos atrás, algunos dolores en el hombro, algunos pinchazos de dolor y él se ponía eso en el bolsillo de atrás y volvía al trabajo”, recordó Yacoub.

English: “He never took any shortcuts, never complained about the schedules, not even when he had to drive one hour to my locations, and he always adjusted him time with mine, which is something to appreciate and demonstrates his commitment”. “Often he arrived and prepared his own hot water tubs, or his own ice packs, and he always folded his own towels”. “He had a few set backs, a few shoulder pains, a few stinging bouts of pain, and he always managed to put that in his back pocket and return to work”, remembers Yacoub.

“Si hubiera dudado no habría estado de regreso el año anterior, me mantuve positivo”, afirma el escopetero.

English: “If he had doubted himself I would not have returned last year, I remained positive”, affirms Garcia.

“Una vez hice un comentario (asomando el retiro), pero era la frustración del momento. Nunca he pensado en eso. Como en este negocio hay tanto dinero… bueno, ya tú sabes”.

English: “One time I mentioned retirement, but it was due to the frustration of the moment”. “But I never thought about it, because in this business there is so much money, well you know…”

Y ahí está García, en la cima del montículo, con planes, con proyectos. Quiere lanzar doscientos innings. “Y si es por objetivos, me gustaría ganar quince partidos, por lo menos, y llegar a los playoff”.

English: But there is Garcia, on top of the mound, with plans, with projects. “I want to pitch 200 innings”. “And if it is regarding objectives, I want to win at least 15 games and reach the layoffs”.

El criollo y sus paisanos en el club patiblanco

The native and his compatriots on the Palehose

El locker de Freddy García colinda con el de Omar Vizquel, ilustre recién llegado al clubhouse de los Medias Blancas. Con más de diez años en las Grandes Ligas, y más de un centenar de triunfos en ellas, mal podría esperarse que el derecho temblara de la emoción por tener al lado a Vizquel, pero reconoce su importancia.

English: Freddy Garcia’s locker is located adjacent to Omar Vizquel, who recently arrived to the White Sox clubhouse. With over 10 years of MLB experience, and more than 100 victories, one would hardly expect him to tremble from the emotion of having Vizquel to his side , but he see the importance.

“Es un orgullo jugar con un personaje como Vizquel”, dice. “Ha jugado como cuatro décadas y yo le preguntaba cómo hacía eso. Es un orgullo estar al lado de un señor como él, que cuando se retire, ya, al Salón de la Fama de una vez”.

English: “It is an honor to play with Vizquel”, says Garcia. “He has played almost 4 decades and I asked him how he accomplished this”. “It is an honor to be at the side of a gentleman such as him, who once he retires, should be immediately enshrined in the Hall of Fame”.

Sobre su mánager y amigo, Oswaldo Guillén, mencionó que ahora “está más viejo”.

“Este año vamos a jugar el beisbol que a él le gusta, con rapidez, robando bases. Ese es el beisbol que él quiere y tiene el equipo para hacerlo”

English: Rgarding his manager and friend, Oswaldo Guillen, he mentions that “He is a little bit older”. “This year we are going to play the baseball he likes, with speed, stealing bases. This is the type of baseball he wants and he has the team to do it”.

En 2009 Freddy García estaba en Port Saint Lucie, reducto meridional de los Mets de Nueva York, a la espera de una oportunidad como abridor.

 

“Eso es lo que soy”, comentaba el derecho, que estaba siendo usado como taponero. No había nada claro. Los neoyorquinos lo enviaron a pasar frío a AAA, el brazo se descompensó y, cuando menos se lo esperaba, García estaba sin trabajo.

English: In 2009 Freddy Garcia was in Port St. Lucie, awaiting an opportunity to open as a starter with the Mets. “That is what I am” explains the righty, that he was being used as a stopper. Nothing was clear. The Mets sent him to suffer from the cold in AAA, his shoulder worsened, and when he least expected it, he was out of a job.

“Me dijeron una cosa e hicieron otra”, se queja. “Fui a pelear por un puesto y nunca me dieron el chance. Las dos primeras salidas fueron como relevo. Bueno, las cosas pasan por una razón”.

English: “They told me one thing and they did another” he complains. “I went in fighting for a spot and they never gave me a chance. The first 2 outings were as a reliever”. “Well things happen for a reason”.

La velocidad le dio paso a la habilidad en la lomita

English: His velocity gave way to his ability on the mound

García ya no lanza a 95 millas por hora. El Freddy lanzallamas, ese sí se retiró. Quedó el pitcher. “Freddy sabe pitchar, ha aprendido a pitchar”, considera Guillén.

English: Garcia does not pitch at 95 MPH anymore. “The Freddy fastball has retired”. “The pitcher remains”. “Freddy knows how to pitch, he has learned to pitch”, observes Guillen.

“Por muy mal que le esté yendo en un juego, sabe sacar a la gente de out, es un pitcher muy inteligente. Sabe que tiene que tirar strikes. Ya conoce la liga y cada vez que va allá arriba te va a dar lo mejor que tiene”. A esa virtud se le llama adaptabilidad. Por tenerla, la especie humana domina la Tierra. “La experiencia”, afirma García, quien le da una entonación particular.

English: “As bad a game as he may be having, h know how to get people out, he is a very intelligent pitcher”. “He knows he has to throw strikes and he knows the league well and every time he takes the mound he is going to give you his best”. This virtue is called adaptability. “In possessing it the Human Race dominates the world”, affirms Garcia who gives this quality a special meaning.

“Si no está la recta está el cambio; si no, el split. Yo salgo a pitchar con lo que tengo, no soy de los que, si no están al 100%, no salen. Yo me fajo, como se dice. Soy un fajador así esté lanzando 80, a mí no me importa. Yo voy pa’llá. Tengo la maña y gracias a Dios siempre he contado con los envíos quebrados para sacar de balance a los bateadores. Eso es lo que me ha mantenido hasta ahora: sé mover la pelota, la corto. Ya no están las 95 millas, pero ahí vamos”.

English: “It it is not the fastball, it is the changeup, if not the splitter”. I go out to pitch with what I have”. “I am not one of those who if I am not at 100% I don’t go out”. I roll up my sleeves, so to say”. I am a pitcher if I am pitching at 80 MPH ad it does not bother me”. “I have that knack and Thank God and have always counted on those pitches to keep batters off balance”. “I don’t have 95 MPH velocity anymore, but that is the way it is”.

 

 

 

[SouthsideDon48]

Thanks for translating all that, I enjoyed reading it and I really appreciate the effort you put in. :

 

I hope Freddy has a good year, this article makes me want to root for him more.

[JorgeFabregas]

Yes, thanks. I am going to paste together the translated portions to make them more readable. You may want to do the same with the Spanish.

 

English: Freddy Garcia is the rock that slams against the wave. 3 years ago, while he was convalescing fro 2 shoulder operations he cold barely lift a baseball and he tossed it with the strength of a child. After suggesting the possibliy of retiring he returned to the Big Leagues in 2008 with the Detroit Tigers. He injured himself during the 2008-2009 Winter Break and the rumors started again.

 

In the Spring of 2009 the Venezuelan pitcher found himself standing and looking for a spot in the New York Mets rotation. The Mets sent him to the Minors and then he was released, again clouding his future.

 

As before, Garcia lifted his head up and convinced the Chicago White Sox and demonstrated in the final stretch of the calendar that he still belonged in the world of the living. He had 6 quality starts in 9 outings.

 

It is now March 2010 and the Baruteno (Venezuelan nickname) is without discussion the 5th starter of the Palehose. “They will be talking about me for a long time, my shoulder is fine”, claims the reliever with a strong tone.

 

I have to go out now and see whether it (The shoulder) bothers me or not; but at this moment I feel fine says Garcia. He takes the mound, tosses a few balls, and all is fine. He goes to another mound, play a game of 3-1 and feels better. No pain, no pain he says.

 

(Without any issues)

 

As long as he feels no shoulder pain, everything else is trivial while his shoulder behaves.I don’t have anymore irritations, Garcia assures us. What I need is to itch and remain healthy, because with health one does what one is familiar with. Everytime I pitch I feel better.

 

The rehab with trainer Ron Yacouh worked: 3 hours daily exercising, this regime 4 times a week for many months worked and rejuvenated the career of the Venezuelan. The recommendation from his agent Peter Greenburg could not have been better. It was key in prolonging his career.

 

I more or less got ahead of myself, says Garcia regarding his own miracle comeback. “It was generally accepted that to return to competition I would need 15 months of recovery and I returned in 8”. “I learned from that, if I had not accelerated my recovery I would not have pitched last season”. “Noone thought I would return to MLB, and I left more than one person with their jaw dropped”. “Many thought Freddie Garcia was finished, but I demonstated that it was not like that, and came out ahead”.

 

Given an opportunity, even Yacoub verified telephonically, the unbreakable conviction of his patient. “He never demonstatrated to me any doubts for a second while he was rehabbing or outside of it”.

 

“He never took any shortcuts, never complained about the schedules, not even when he had to drive one hour to my locations, and he always adjusted him time with mine, which is something to appreciate and demonstrates his commitment”. “Often he arrived and prepared his own hot water tubs, or his own ice packs, and he always folded his own towels”. “He had a few set backs, a few shoulder pains, a few stinging bouts of pain, and he always managed to put that in his back pocket and return to work”, remembers Yacoub.

 

“If he had doubted himself I would not have returned last year, I remained positive”, affirms Garcia.

 

“One time I mentioned retirement, but it was due to the frustration of the moment”. “But I never thought about it, because in this business there is so much money, well you know…”

 

But there is Garcia, on top of the mound, with plans, with projects. “I want to pitch 200 innings”. “And if it is regarding objectives, I want to win at least 15 games and reach the layoffs”.

 

Freddy Garcia’s locker is located adjacent to Omar Vizquel, who recently arrived to the White Sox clubhouse. With over 10 years of MLB experience, and more than 100 victories

 

Rgarding his manager and friend, Oswaldo Guillen, he mentions that “He is a little bit older”. “This year we are going to play the baseball he likes, with speed, stealing bases. This is the type of baseball he wants and he has the team to do it”.

En 2009 Freddy García estaba en Port Saint Lucie, reducto meridional de los Mets de Nueva York, a la espera de una oportunidad como abridor.

 

In 2009 Freddy Garcia was in Port St. Lucie, awaiting an opportunity to open as a starter with the Mets. “That is what I am” explains the righty, that he was being used as a stopper. Nothing was clear. The Mets sent him to suffer from the cold in AAA, his shoulder worsened, and when he least expected it, he was out of a job.

 

“They told me one thing and they did another” he complains. “I went in fighting for a spot and they never gave me a chance. The first 2 outings were as a reliever”. “Well things happen for a reason”.

 

His velocity gave way to his ability on the mound

 

Garcia does not pitch at 95 MPH anymore. “The Freddy fastball has retired”. “The pitcher remains”. “Freddy knows how to pitch, he has learned to pitch”, observes Guillen.

 

“As bad a game as he may be having, h know how to get people out, he is a very intelligent pitcher”. “He knows he has to throw strikes and he knows the league well and every time he takes the mound he is going to give you his best”. This virtue is called adaptability. “In possessing it the Human Race dominates the world”, affirms Garcia who gives this quality a special meaning.

 

“It it is not the fastball, it is the changeup, if not the splitter”. I go out to pitch with what I have”. “I am not one of those who if I am not at 100% I don’t go out”. I roll up my sleeves, so to say”. I am a pitcher if I am pitching at 80 MPH ad it does not bother me”. “I have that knack and Thank God and have always counted on those pitches to keep batters off balance”. “I don’t have 95 MPH velocity anymore, but that is the way it is”.

Edited March 27, 2010 by JorgeFabregas