肯米的棒球天空

五月初被統一獅隊解約的洋將華盛頓（Rico Washington），在２０號報料統一獅隊當初解約他的理由並不是因為受傷緣故，卻因為這理由解雇他，讓他目前沒工作也受心傷。但我們在這裡要討論的並不是華盛頓到底有沒有工作，而是球團對外公佈的理由究竟該不該說實話。

講實在的，當統一獅隊說要解約華盛頓時，我就有發表過一篇文章對這樣的消息感到惋惜，更有朋友提出有球迷到現場問華盛頓，華盛頓也表明說沒有傷勢影響就這樣離開了工作環境，這也怪不得華盛頓，畢竟在國內棒球中，老闆或總教練的權利最大，旁人無法干涉。

更近一步的推論是說，林增祥對華盛頓沒有愛，就這麼幾場的時間就要華盛頓離開，在情義上是說不過去的，但這就是實力的差距，因為選來去年還在大聯盟舊金山巨人隊先發的Jose Castillo對戰力而言是加分的動作。

Jose Castillo從０４年就固定在大聯盟出賽，到０７年都在海盜隊擔任蠻重要的出賽數據，雖然數據上並不夠威猛（最高的OPS在０５年的0.724，不是大聯盟所謂的大炮數據），但這樣的成績來台灣已經足夠勝過一堆洋將了。

但是按照林增祥所說的受傷理論，如果真要將華盛頓換成卡斯提的話，為什麼要用受傷解約的理由，實在是讓人想不透，連呂文生總教練當初也說到華盛頓有傷，但如今洋將反咬一口說球團欺騙他，難免讓人聯想到球團的誠信問題。球團真的誠信越來越差嗎？為何連洋將解約也要編造出這樣的理由，讓球迷百思不解。

球團撒謊的理由是什麼？從洋將的論點來看，一直以來洋將在中華職棒只是過客而已，且不論最近幾年留下來的洋將，有哪些球員是打的好留下來超過十年的嗎？算算看也只有勇壯與鷹俠這兩位球員而已，但洋將一直是免洗的情形下，國內又這麼急需要急戰力，用不到一個月就解約，究竟能看出什麼？而且有時候還會從球團口中說出洋將難管理，這真的難管理嗎？

我相信真的有，但那也是球團要去克服的事情，要不然美國職棒大聯盟也從許多國家進口不少外籍球員，又為何能夠好好控制不出大問題？球團的發言的確該好好思考怎麼處理，但最主要的是我們對外籍球員的不尊重，以及把關不嚴格的情形，讓他們起了色心（與女球迷的關係比比皆是），或者是起了貪念（簽賭案很少沒有出自洋將的），如此才會造成洋將反彈。

華盛頓這件事情讓許多人了解到球團發言方面有疏失，這也是歷年來積習已久的陋習，球團理當跳出來道歉，免的打壞我們的名聲，讓許多來打工洋將留下不好的印象，也會讓爛名流傳到國外，這樣就不好了。

以下是華盛頓原文：

FROM THE COMMENTS ON "FOREIGN PLAYERS IN TAIWAN and CPBL STANDINGS" :

"To whom it may concern. I am Rico Washington, the guy who really played for the Uni-President Lions in Taiwan.

Those people (Lions management) are telling the biggest lie ever. I was not hurt at the time of my signing. They did not like me very well I would say, the general manager, Jason, who does not know anything about the game of baseball and the business side of it, either.

I had a sore muscle and was told by the (team) doctor to rest for a couple of days. I did and was ready to play within a week. I really have no idea why they released me, because they never told me."

TO REVIEW, RICO WASHINGTON, WHO PLAYED 14 GAMES FOR THE ST.LOUIS CARDINALS LAST SEASON, WAS RECENTLY RELEASED BY TAIWAN'S UNI-PRESIDENT 7-ELEVEN LIONS OF THE CHINESE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE. THIS DESPITE SOME INTERESTING PRODUCTION WHICH INCLUDED THREE HOME RUNS, WHICH HAD THE VETERAN PLAYER AMONG
THE LEAGUE LEADERS AT THE TIME OF HIS DISMISSAL. WASHINGTON, WHO WAS HAS PLAYED 1,226 MINOR LEAGUE GAMES IN ADDITION TO HIS ST.LOUIS SERVICE, ALSO HAD THE HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE (.297 from 86 at-bats), ON-BASE PERCENTAGE AS WELL AS SLUGGING PERCENTAGE FOR ALL THIRD BASEMEN IN THE LEAGUE AFTER 19 GAMES PLAYED.

THE IRONPIGPEN SENT MR.WASHINGTON AN EMAIL AND COMMENTED HERE AT THE SITE :

"Actually, I read articles that say Taiwan management are brutal with their foreign players.

I read that, if a player gets hurt and misses even a little time, the management get furious and seek to drop and replace that player immediately. You seem to be confirming this."

AT WHICH POINT MR. WASHINGTON EMAILED BACK :

"You are correct and that's something I really did not know while I was there, but I learned alot from management and being in Taiwan. I had no idea I would get released with the numbers I had, but, unfortunately, I did. Now, I only missed four games and I was ready to return when they did not activate me - I thought that was a little weird. So, that's when I got a phone call saying I am released and it was a shock to me.

I feel bad for any foreign player that goes over there, I really do. Now I am back in the USA and I can't get a job in organized baseball after being in the Major Leagues. I just don't understand the business of baseball. Thank you for reading my blog.

                                                         Enrico A. Washington"

ACTUALLY, IT IS THE IRONPIGPEN AND THE READERSHIP WHO THANK MR. WASHINGTON VERY MUCH FOR SHARING HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE CHINESE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE.

延伸閱讀：獅隊華盛頓及熊隊戈登離隊＠肯米的棒球天空