Holy smokes. . . It must have just KILLED you when the bids were opened and the Yankees weren't the high bidder. Hell, I never even heard of the guy until I read where the Yankees had their eye on him. I was more surprised than anyone. And, right now, he'd be your staff ace. Rookie pitcher. Doesn't know the language. Doesn't know the hitters. In his first four games in the league, he's averaging just under seven innings per appearance, and just over a strikeout per inning. He was thrown into the crucible that is Yankee-RedSox baseball, and got a win. Not too shabby. And that $100 Million?? His salary this year is just over $6 million. Far less than, say, Carl Pavano. And that posting fee that makes up the balance? You didn't happen to look around the ballpark last night, did you? Notice all the Japanese advertising? You can't swing a chopstick around Fenway without hitting a Japanese visitor, these days. You can see that money coming back to them.
And thats not to mention all the Red Sox gear that is being sold in Japan. And pretty soon millions of people in Japan will be wired for Red Sox baseball. Thats a big chunk of change. Dice-K will more than pay for himself. The Wilpons and Mets were also willing to spend $30 million for the chance to sign K-Dice and an additional $50 million or so to sign him and we all know the Mets do not throw around their money foolishly.
I'd take a nomo rookie year... 2.54 ERA 1.056 WHIP 11.1 K/9, 3 k/bb, that could win the Cy Young this year.
Let me explain dominated to you. 12-4, 14-11, 13-5, 8-5 and 2-1. The scores of the Yankees 5 game sweep of Boston last year. That was domination. Not 7-6, 7-5, and 7-6 when the Yankees had the lead in the 8th, 4th and 6th innings of those game. That is called squeaking by the short hairs of your chin.
Now he has 12 pitches? He only had 6 last night...damn he's impressive. I'm not impressed because I see the same thing I see in all Japanese pitchers. Going from pitching once a week to every 5 days wears them down. Maybe will break the mold but so far he is following the pattern perfectly. Either that or he just wasn't as good as the hype to begin with. The Yankees hit just about every pitch they swung at and that was the first time they faced him. He did fool them a few times and get called third strikes. I think there were only 2 swinging third strikes that I remember. Arod and somebody else.
We already have that with Matsui. The Yankees would have gained nothing by signing him from that standpoint.
Thats a very fair point. Its also now makes me understand why they were outbid by both the Red Sox and Mets.
Really there has only been one japanese pitcher like him before, a star in Japan who came over in their prime and that was hideo nomo. he had 2 great seasons then was a league average pitcher after that. Matsuzaka if anything should have a better career, as he throws much harder, where Nomo had a very funky delivery. Also Nomo shows that a pitcher from Japan can throw plenty of innings.
That is his strength. Batters see that face, can't help but laugh, lose concentration. My avatar is a joke though. My statement about Papelbon, no joke.
I agree that innings won't be an issue. We coddle our pitchers here way too much. That never happened in the 40s-70s. Thats relatively new and I think it sucks. It does nothing to extend anybody's career either.
After reading this thread all the way through, I am struck by one HUGE bit of hypocrisy. All the Yankee fans want to point to the 5 game sweep last year, but then dismiss this series to the Yankees having injuries. Have you any of you SEEN the Red Sox injury report from last August?
No. Who was out in that series? Never mind, I'll look it up. I know Crisp was. No we wasn't. This was their lineup, who is missing? Crisp Loretta Ortiz Ramirez Youklis Lowell Hinske Lopez Gonzales So, your point? Oh, and the Yankees were missing Sheffield and Matsui in that series too. So again, your point is what?
DEVILONTHETOWNROOF: After reading this thread all the way through, I am struck by one HUGE bit of hypocrisy. All the Yankee fans want to point to the 5 game sweep last year, but then dismiss this series to the Yankees having injuries. Have you any of you SEEN the Red Sox injury report from last August? Yazstremski, Conigliaro, Scott, Petrocelli, Rice and Lynn.
