So is this guy Daisuke Matsuzaka for real, or just a lot of international hype?
I myself have always been skeptical when I see a pitcher making a transition to Major League Baseball from Japan. Pitching in the Japanese Leagues has never been at the same level of competition as pitching in the United States in baseball’s 135-year history.
That is why guys like Mike Greenwell, Kevin Mitchell, and Mel Hall have ended their careers by playing in Japan. They became “washed up, has-beens” in MLB, who extended there careers in by hitting off average pitching in Japan.
This common practice was eloquently captured in the heinous 1990’s film “Mr. Baseball” staring Tom Selleck. In the film Tom plays a veteran MLB star who moves to Japan to prolong his fading career. If you have a chance to see it…don’t! It is awful!
Hitting in the U.S. or overseas is generally equal. The best of the best can do it regardless of race, league, or continental origin. The trouble has never been hitting. Pitching is a different story!
In 1995 Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese star to start games in the United States. Initially he was very good. At first he lead the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff to a division title with a 13-6 record and 2.54 ERA. However Nomo’s dominate reign with the Dodgers was short, and by his third season LA quickly cut ties with the Asian Born star.
Two years later in 1997, Hideki Irabu was suppose to be the “Japanese Nolan Ryan” in America. Instead he became “The Toad”, a nickname given to him by Yankees owner Geo. Stienbrener. After just six seasons in the big leagues, Irabu had only 405 strikeouts and a career ERA of 5.15. Not quite the 5714 strikeouts or 3.19 ERA Nolan Ryan had after 27 big league seasons.
However MLB scouts, executives, and organizations have thrown all these facts and figures away, going crazy when Daisuke Matsuzaka expressed a desire to play in America. The Boston Red Sox put up 51.1 million dollars just to begin talking to the right-hander.
Why?
Because everyone believes this guy is different!
Everyone thinks he will be the one to change history and break the mold! And in their defense there are some key differences.
He has a fastball in the mid 90’s, (a must for any pitcher). He throws a plethora of pitches from a variety of arm angles including a: curve ball, sinker, slider, and splitter. He has also flitted with a pitch that the OLD MAN first introduced me to, known affectionately as “the gyro ball”. It is similar to a curve ball, but breaks later and harder. “It looks like it changes mid-form from a fastball to a curve” to quote TOM.
Those closest to Matsuzaka also say he has a caviler approach to pitching that is not seen by the average hurler. He is always in a good mental state when pitching, and is hardly, if ever, raddled on the mound.
Well now the pressure is on Boston.
The days are winding down for the Sox to close the deal, and get D-Mat in New England this coming summer. All signs point to the deal happening. But the Red Sox need more then just a free agent singing, they need an ace in the rotation!
In the last twelve months the Red Sox have: let Johnny Damon go to New York, traded away top starter Bronson Arroyo, froze up at trading deadline last August, and dropped to third place in the American League East ending the 2006 season. The pressure is on the Red Sox front office to make the right move for a change.
So the question still remains from the start of this article, is Daisuke Matsuzaka for real, or just a lot of international hype?
I say the stuff is there for D-Mat to break the mold. However if history has taught us anything, the odds are against any pitcher from the Japanese leagues becoming a consistent dominant ace in Major League Baseball!