Daisuke Matsuzaka in Action
Matsuzaka is a sight to see, even when he's not on his game
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched last night (May 30, 2007) for the Boston Red Sox. He allowed six runs and 12 hits and looked, well, like a normal American League pitcher getting smacked around by one of the best teams in baseball. The Cleveland Indians made Matzusaka look mediocre and vulnerable.
Red Sox fans are shocked when Daisuke gets tossed around the yard. They have heard about the mystical man from Japan – his six pitches, his gyroball, his funky delivery. Daisuke can’t speak English and that just contributes to the mythology. Somehow, as athletes continue to talk to the media, the microscope zooms in on their flaws. Because of the language barrier, Daisuke does not have this problem and will continue to be a mystery to American baseball fans.
But his reputation precedes him. Daisuke started against Indians hurler Paul Byrd. He threw 13 first-pitch strikes to the Cleveland hitters and allowed two runs through five innings. But the Indians tagged Daisuke for four runs in the sixth before Sox manager Terry Francona brought in reliever Kyle Snyder.
The point here: the jury isn’t out on Matsuzaka. Many players on the Sox don’t think he’s reached his full potential in the major leagues yet – in fact, not even close. Many forget that Matsuzaka is a rookie in the major leagues. Yes, he is older, but he is young in American baseball years. He hasn’t seen American League hitters. He hasn’t pitched in American League ball parks. He hasn’t had to go through a translator to talk to his teammates before. So yeah, he’s probably still making some adjustments and will be for some time.
So how does that translate to the mound? Again, we don’t know.
Seeing him in person, however, was quite the experience. There are some things that go on during a Daisuke start that you just don’t see in baseball, especially at Fenway. After less than six innings of work, the Indians had thumped Daisuke for six earned runs and 12 hits, but the Fenway faithful gave him a standing ovation as he walked towards the dugout. Usually the Standing O’s at Fenway are reserved for Boston baseball lifers (a.k.a. the return of Trot Nixon), tremendous pitching performances and home runs.
Another small but noticeable tidbit: when Snyder made the long jog in from the Sox bullpen in right field, Daisuke was there waiting for him, to give him a pat on the back and hand off the torch. Francona grabbed the ball from Matsuzaka and catcher Jason Varitek stood to his left. Francona didn’t know what the guy was doing as he waited for Snyder. Not something you see from American pitchers.
Daisuke’s windup is unusual. Maybe even Nomo-like. Hideo had the long, rhythmic pause at the top of his motion and hid the ball until he released it. Daisuke’s is similar, but the pause at the top is less pretty. It’s almost herky-jerky. He throws his right hand and his glove over his head and then waits for a split second, adjusting the ball in the leather until he’s satisfied with the grip and then he goes, swinging his right leg around his body after the release.
Matsuzaka’s stuff isn’t overpowering. He’s got a slider, several changeups and several fastballs. He changes speeds very well, and that’s where he draws his power. His fastball hit 94 on the radar gun but went no higher.
Despite seeing the Indians deal Daisuke his first loss in his last seven tries, it was fun to see what all the hype was about.
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