Daisuke Matsuzaka Shows Up Early, 'Looks Good'
by Randy Booth on Feb 13, 2010 12:23 PM EST
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PrintDaisuke Matsuzaka showed up early to Fort Myers and all reports are good so far on the Red Sox's back-end of the rotation starter:
Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived in Fort Myers two days ago and looks terrific according to people here who have seen him.
We're hoping to get a look at Matsuzaka today. He arrived at the Player Development Complex today in an SUV that zipped around the back. There's a chance he might throw off a mound later this morning.
[...]UPDATE, 11:33 p.m.: No Dice-K throwing session today, it seems. But Theo Epstein stopped to chat on his way out and said that Matsuzaka looked good and has lost weight. "He worked hard this winter, that's evident," the GM said.
Dice-K's performance this year is going to be huge. If the Red Sox can get a performance out of him similar to his rookie campaign (204.2 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 8.8 K/9), the Red Sox are going to be one dangerous team. Dice-K really is the Wild Card: we pretty much know what to expect from Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey. Clay Buchholz is more of a sure thing, in my opinion, than Dice-K.
Imagine if the Red Sox can get a mid-3 ERA out of Dice-K and have him limit his walks a tad. That spells good things for the Sox in 2010.
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Great news to wake up to!
What… it’s 1pm? Quit judging me.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
As Roger Clemens, David Wells, and C C Sandwichia will attest
good looks have nothing to do with pitching ability. I’m a big Daisuke fan, and hope he puts it together for another successful season like 2007 (or a lucky one like 2008). His last few games in 2009 are cause for hope, but Dice-K is still a huge question mark.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea /
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown /
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
New name
Instead of Diva-K, should I call him Dicey-K?
I didn’t realize there would be this much drama (Drama-K?) with him. He could dominate if only he’d listen to Farrell and attack the zone instead of wasting pitches and time with nibbling on the edges. He has the stuff.
"simul justus et peccator"
Is he Fat-su no more?
he is the great unknown… would be nice if you knew what you were getting out of him.
"Is everyone in my life freakin' bananas?" - Tony Soprano
I'd settle for an ERA around 4.00
If he can do that, he’ll be the best #5 starter in baseball.
Imagine if the Red Sox can get a mid-3 ERA out of Dice-K and have him limit his walks a tad. That spells good things for the Sox in 2010.
If that happens we might honestly win 105+ games.
God willing we'll never go into a game thinking "Well, we've got no shot tonight."
If we can stick to primarily 6 starters this year, we should have just that.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 13, 2010 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
I mean throughout the year.
Having the 6 starters we (presumably) have on the major league roster now (including Wakefield, regardless of his ultimate role come April) make all-but-a-few of our starts this year will be big. No need for a Masterson or Byrd type to eat a start.
However capable Tazawa or Bowden may be, it’s better for everyone if we can stick to the guys we expect to be our rotation, instead of shuffling guys around constantly.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 15, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, i totally agree
If everybody stays healthy, the 5 starters all together should eat up around 140-150 starts and Wake should get most of the rest.
Let us now go and pray to the baseball gods for no serious injuries to the rotation …
yeah, i figured that
i was curious if things they are a-changing, regarding rotations.
i think the Japanese league uses 6 starters. i had wondered if the sox would accommodate dice-man.
my great grandfather told me that mlb staffs only had 3 starters. he enjoyed watching a young sox pitcher that thru a nasty knuckler every 4th day. he doesn’t remember his name but thinks his nickname was “wake”.
it wasn’t too long ago that there were 4 man rotations. i think the o’birds had four 20 game winners, in one season.
loo-ie el-tiant started 3 games in a 8 day span back in october of ’75. 2 complete game wins and 8 innings of a 12 inning loss. the sox were up by 3 until loo-ie finally tired and gave up 3 for the tie. people in my neighborhood still insist the decision to start el-tiant in the 8th was made by an unknown youngster named grady little.
i don’t think there are too many old timers who ever expected to see 5 starters. i’ll be shocked to see 6, but who knows?
For now, there's no reason to think 5 starters can't hold down a rotation without undue strain on their arms
Assuming, of course, they’re not misused (see: Baker, Dusty). Until there is, teams will stick to 5, because it’s a disadvantage to have more starters in the rotation when it’s not needed.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 16, 2010 12:03 AM EST up reply actions
Dice-Man
This guy is a no:1 on any other team. Sox put out $1mill. to get him in a Sox uniform. One thing I can tell you all, they are great business men……. They Know…….GO SOX
What on earth are you talking about?
Daisuke is at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter on any team, and they put up $100 million.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 14, 2010 6:50 PM EST up reply actions
He's new so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt....maybe...
"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko
by sox-inda-south on Feb 14, 2010 9:24 PM EST up reply actions
leading indicator
To me the issue is Dice-K’s commitment, and the best shape of his life shows commitment. After the JD Drew GS in game six he went into the clubhouse to look at film and get ready. When I went to game seven there was no doubt in my mind that he would pitch well (serious pride thing). I think redemption this year is a big deal to him and I ma expect his best year in a Red Sox uniform.
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