09/08/2007 2:30 AM ET
Seeing Joba live a 'blessing' to father
Unable to travel far, elder Chamberlain enjoys son's dominance
By Conor Nicholl / MLB.com
KANSAS CITY -- Harlan Chamberlain started crying.
He had watched his son, Joba, "hundreds of times" in person. He played catch
with him every day when Joba was growing up, watched him in high school and
junior college. He saw him become the ace at the University of Nebraska and
help the Cornhuskers reach the 2005 College World Series.
But he had never seen him like this -- watching him pitch in a Major League
game, live, from the stands. Harlan, who has polio, is confined to a
wheelchair.
He doesn't travel often and has watched his son pitch for the Yankees only on
Major League Baseball's Extra Innings television package. But when Joba and
the Yankees came to Kansas City, Harlan had to make the trip from his
Nebraska home.
And when Joba entered the seventh inning of Friday's game against the Royals
at Kauffman Stadium, Harlan became emotional.
"I will never forget this night," Harlan said. "September 7, 2007. To
actually be here was pretty neat. It was a real blessing."
Joba continued his incredible scoreless streak, tossing two shutout innings.
He allowed just two singles and still hasn't allowed a run in the Major
Leagues. Through 11 appearances, Chamberlain has tossed 14 1/3 scoreless
innings. These two, though, were actually a little bit easier for
Chamberlain.
"We had a tight game going on and it is a situation where I want to be in,"
he said. "Doesn't matter what is going on. It is a big game for us no matter
who we are playing."
About six hours before his son appeared in the game, Harlan pulled into
Kauffman Stadium. Along with family members and friends, Harlan made the
three-hour trip from Nebraska to Kansas City.
He reached Kauffman about four hours before first pitch and spent time with a
Sports Illustrated photo crew, met Yankees manager Joe Torre and talked with
lefty Andy Pettitte's father.
Joba was certainly happy to see his father -- as well as most of the state.
Joba and Royals third baseman Alex Gordon are longtime friends, teammates and
Cornhuskers legends.
In 2005, Chamberlain went 10-2 with a 2.81 ERA and Gordon won the Golden
Spikes Award as collegiate baseball's player of the year.
Neither player knew how many tickets he asked for. Chamberlain couldn't even
estimate the number -- "I haven't even counted; I just put my name and number
next to a list" -- and Gordon received a barrage of phone calls and text
messages asking for tickets.
Because the Cornhuskers football team is traveling this weekend, this
Yankees-Royals series is the must-see event for many Nebraskans. Harlan put
the number of Cornhuskers fans in attendance on Friday night at 10,000.
However, no fan was likely happier than Harlan.
"I think that if you stand, like, 35 feet away, you can probably see his
smile," Joba said with a smile and laugh.
Harlan has always helped Joba. He taught him all he could about pitching.
"What I know about pitching will fit in a thimble; what I don't know will fit
in the Smithsonian," Harlan said.
But Harlan did teach his son one piece of advice -- advice that helped Joba
hone a dominating fastball.
"'If you throw a curveball, I will take you right out,' and he never did,"
Harlan said. "A kid growing up, a curveball is not something that he needs to
be throwing.
Harlan saw Joba take his talent to Nebraska, win 16 games in two seasons and
be picked as a supplemental first-rounder in the 2006 First-Year Player
Draft.
When -- on Aug. 15, 2006 -- his appendix failed, it appeared that Harlan may
not be able to see his son pitch again.
"When your appendix blows up at 54 years of age, there is a lot of other
stuff that happens," Joba said. "When a 21-year-old man's appendix blows up,
you are in and out of the hospital, but when you are a 54-year-old man who
has polio ..."
Harlan's body didn't react well to painkillers. But he kept fighting, didn't
give up. He wanted to continue living -- and continue watching his son play.
"A year later, he is finally back to where he was, and he is finally 100
percent," Joba said.
Harlan could watch his son skyrocket through the Minors. First, there was the
4-0 record and 2.03 ERA in seven starts at Class A Tampa. Then, 66 strikeouts
in 40 innings at Double-A Trenton. Finally, 18 strikeouts and one walk in
eight shutout innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
And then the Majors. Harlan watched his son pitch 10 games and throw 12 1/3
shutout innings.
"I knew he would always make it," Harlan said. "I felt in [my heart] that he
would always make it, but to move this fast, it is always surprising. He has
jumped right in and become a part of it, and the rest is history. Now we just
make new history."
Harlan saw on TV the incredible ovations and "Joba, Joba" chants his son
received at Yankee Stadium. He wanted to see his son play in person, and this
weekend offered an opportunity.
When he arrived at Kauffman Stadium, Harlan was greeted by Torre and his
son's teammates. Torre approached Harlan, who extended his hand. Torre asked
Harlan to call him "Joe."
"When each of the players came up and introduced themselves to me, it meant a
great deal to me," Harlan said. "It was indeed an honor to meet [Torre]."
Harlan enjoyed another incredible experience when his son came in to protect
a 3-2 seventh-inning lead. Joba threw 98-100 mph consistently and pitched a
scoreless seventh.
"I understand somebody told me that he hit 100 six times and 101 once,"
Harlan said. "That is bringing [it] up. It amazes me, whether it is Joba, or
[Carlos] Zambrano or [Joel] Zumaya."
In the eighth, Chamberlain faced his former teammate, Gordon, with one out. A
few days ago, Gordon told him to throw him a first-pitch fastball. That is
exactly what happened.
It was 100 mph. Gordon swung and missed.
"I got my first pitch to hit, and I was swinging," Gordon said. "You can't
let those go by against a guy with this kind of talent."
Gordon eventually singled, but Chamberlain finished the inning with no
damage. After Mariano Rivera closed out the ninth, Chamberlain met his dad
and family, capping a night his father would never forget.
Conor Nicholl is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not
subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
你會誤以為自己走進NBA名人堂，當你最近觀看洋基球賽，滿場球迷對著一名壯碩的中繼投手，狂喊「賈霸！賈霸！」而他的姓是張伯倫（Chamberlain），跟那位單場得分破百的NBA傳奇球星一樣。
他就是王建民的新隊友，Joba Chamberlain，八月七日升上大聯盟至今，出賽四場共投六局，只被擊出兩支安打，無失分，送出兩次保送、九次三振，78個投球數，49個好球，自責分率是完美的0.00。先把手套放在投手丘地上，背對本壘板靜默祝禱後，轉身面對大聯盟的最強打者，及滿場「Joba Chant」的奇景。新秀朱馬亞對上洋基打者，一再飆出162.5公里的速球。
賈霸‧張伯倫，這名年僅二十一歲的菜鳥投手，高三才當上先發投手，棒球啟發全靠罹患小兒麻痺的爸爸哈倫．張伯倫速球可達99英哩，刁鑽滑球上看91英哩，甚至比許多投手的速球更快，他的故事更單純、更感人，更讓人哀傷，也讓人更有勇氣。Joba Chamberlain生長於內布拉斯加的林肯市，但他擁有Winnebago印第安保留區的原住民血統，那正是他父親Harlan Chamberlain的原鄉，Joba也是美國原住民有史以來，選秀最高順位的大聯盟新人。
Joba原名Justin，當他兒時，跟著父親回到林肯市北方107英哩的Winnebago保留區，一名牙牙學語的姪子無法正確發音，人前人後叫他「Joba！Joba！」整個家族開起玩笑跟著如此喚他，他不但不以為意，還決心改名，從此他證件上的名字就變成Joba Chamberlain。而今，他已是整個Winnebago保留區的英雄，不時會有族人上來向他要簽名，然而，故事開始卻不見得如此美好。
當Joba還在蹣跚學步時，他的父母就已離異，他的父親Harlan罹患小兒麻痺再監獄工作27年養3口，左半身癱瘓，只能以輪椅代步，張伯倫還是嬰兒的時候，父母親就離婚，哈倫帶著兩個孩子住在只有兩個房間的屋子，一間給女兒住，他和兒子住一間，父子倆同睡一張床。哈倫1991年哈倫有電動摩托車代步，行動更自如，不僅帶兒子去打棒球，還招募其他孩子一起加入。東北高中棒球隊教練柯魯拉還記得，當年幾乎每天都看到哈倫帶著8歲的矮胖兒子到學校打球，後來球隊就讓張伯倫擔任球僮，主客場比賽老爸都會跟著去。
張伯倫第一個工作：洗廁所
張伯倫在高二正式加入球隊，高三才成為先發投手，靠著超重的體型，球速又快又重，因投球局數不多，未受到球探注意。畢業後他沒有和隊友一起念大學，而是選擇到公園管理處上班，每天整理草地，負責清理廁所，每小時支領8美元的薪水。很多人認為張伯倫的棒球生涯走到終點，唯一拒絕接受的是老爸哈倫。張伯倫說：「爸爸總是說我是最好的球員之一，叫我要有耐心。但我從來不相信他所說的，因為他是爸爸，總是會對兒子這麼說。」
從公園清潔人員到大聯盟投手，張伯倫生涯最大的轉捩點是內布拉斯加一所NCAA第二級大學，看過他投球之後，願意提供給他獎學金。張伯倫利用冬天厲行減肥，體重掉了30磅 (約13.6公斤)，變成較適合的225磅 (約102公斤)。之後他轉學到第一級的內布拉斯加大學，擔任兩季的先發投手，去年在新人選秀會在第41順位禮被洋基挑走。
兒子上了大聯盟，最開心的莫過於老爸哈倫，他說：「他不僅是位好球員、好投手，最重要的是，他是個好人。」哈倫以一句話帶出這家人的親密感情，「我從來沒有一天不對孩子們說我愛他們，他們也會每天對我說，愛我。」
Harlan原本是一名監獄管理員，退休後在球場擔任帶位員，他最大的娛樂與成就，就是陪著小Joba玩接傳球。Joba家附近有個棒球場，Harlan在家中準備了足夠的手套及球具，一有機會就召集附近的小朋友打棒球，Harlan則坐在輪椅上當裁判；當沒有球賽時，即使是嚴寒的冬天，「只要不是零下一百度」，他們父子就會到院子裡練習接傳球。
Harlan告訴記者，他沒有辦法用左手，只能用戴著1972年破舊手套的右手，接住兒子的球，然後脫下手套，用右手丟回給Joba；隨著兒子投過來的每一球越來越重，當Joba八歲時，Harlan已經接不住兒子的球。而記者發現，Joba家鋁質的外牆上，有上百個凹洞。棒球似乎是維繫這對父子的主要重心，雖然物質上，他們過得很艱困，Harlan必須靠著典當，才能養活兩個孩子。但Joba認為，父親的際遇與態度，給他很重大的啟發，「他受到某些限制，但是，誰不須面對一些限制？他從未怨天尤人，他接受現實並坦然過活，不像有些人，總是會誇大自己的處境。」
在走進洋基球場前，Joba也非一帆風順，他曾經只是林肯高中籃球校隊的球僮，部分原因是他重達272磅，「他實在太大塊了。」他的高中籃球教練，解釋Joba無法進球隊的原因。而今，他仍然有230磅。但他的命運轉捩點是，有天他接到內布拉斯加大學-康寧市分校教練的電話，要他填補棒球隊薄弱的投手群，打電話給他的棒球隊教練戴伊（Damon Day）說，「當時，我並不知道有天他會變成里維拉的設局投手，我只知道他會投好球，讓打者出局。」
但Joba因為表現優異，被內布拉斯加大學的校隊挖角。2006年，他被洋基以第四十一順位選中，一年內，從1A連跳四級，直衝大聯盟，就連洋基負責農場系統的Mark Newman也說，在他十九年的經驗裡，從未有人一年連跳四級，就算是Jeter也不曾。而今，只要在洋基主場出賽，無論是第幾局，都能聽見五萬人的大合唱：「Joba！Joba！」Joba本人說，這有點瘋狂，但他會盡量讓球迷的熱情，變成他投球的力量。一樣是洋基新人，相較於興奮溢於言表，在休息室滿場飛奔，「似乎想向每一位球星索取簽名」的Shelley Duncan，Joba只是安安靜靜坐在球員休息室裡，彷彿他已經來了一百年，幾乎看不出興奮或緊張；托瑞認為，對於一名新人而言，這是個好現象。
Joba在內州的學弟學妹，正計畫在九月七日到九日之間，當洋基在堪薩斯皇家主場比賽時，到球場為Joba加油，因為堪薩斯是距離Joba家鄉最近的球場。而他的父親Harlan，直至現在都只能透過網路，在MLB.com觀看兒子上場投球，這位不良於行的父親說，他希望等到健康允許、醫生點頭時，能親自前往洋基球場，摸一摸兒子身上的條紋制服。
9/8號這場洋基隊皇家比賽中...洋基以作客方式出戰皇家...JOBA來到了投手丘..依然以99英里的速球壓制皇家...成功完成中繼任務..他的父親HARLAN掉下了第1滴不驕傲的眼淚.....
張爸真的哭了！
參考資料
http://btplus.net/redirect.php?tid=1911346&goto=lastpost
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於 September 18, 2007 02:52 PM 回應 
