Matsuzaka-san.

(Photo: New York Times)

So, it's over, Matsuzaka's first official major league outing. It resulted in a 4-1 win and an increase in expectations for the young Japanese superstar. From the very beginning, Matsuzaka looked like he wanted to be there. The very first pitch, a fastball, ended up as a strike for David DeJesus, though the final result of the AB was a single to left center field. DeJesus would later leave the yard, plating the only run for Kansas City in their second loss of the season, a loss in which the Sox starter staked his claim to the pitcher's mound and validated his own hype.

The most impressive quality of the entire start was the way in which Matsuzaka approached hitters. On Wednesday night, Josh Beckett demonstrated the polar opposite of a Daisuke's start, relying heavily on his mid-nineties fastball to overpower batters, a tactic that typically results in a lot of foul balls, deep counts, and prolonged at-bats. Matsuzaka's style was more in line with the oft-preached but rarely heeded pitching adage of "Keep hitters off-balance," as his ability to mix in a variety of off-speed and breaking pitches from different deliveries and arm slots did exactly that. The resultant strikeout total (10) over his seven innings of work speaks volumes to his talent, and hopefully will serve as a sign of times to come.

Detractors of the start are going to mention one point in an effort to lessen the impact of the debut. It's the Kansas City Royals, not the New York Yankees. In my opinion, this point is moot. A major league team is a major league team, and while the Yankees strike fear into the heart of every opponent, the Royals have been one of those teams that has profited from an inability on the part of the Sox to beat lesser nines. The Yankees cause people to elevate their game, and so it appears we have a better record against them than the Royals in recent years. Additionally, the weather was so cold that a breaking ball pitcher like Matsuzaka should have been at the mercy of the hitters. He's already adjusting to balls using a slicker leather than those used in Japan, but add winter temperatures to that and he should have been toast. He wasn't.



All in all, it was a fantastic debut, one that will hopefully allow people to dissipate much of their nervous energy before his inaugural Fenway appearance next week. The first step is always the hardest.

Three To Watch: Coco Can't, Dustin Can, and J. D. Does His Thing

Coco Crisp's 2006 season was a forgettable one. A torrid spring and start to the season was capped off by a broken finger that never healed properly and a prolonged DL stint. He never quite got back into the swing of things, posting an embarassing line of .264/.317/.385 with 22 SB. His 2007 spring was a bad one, as he tried to put 2006 and the detachment of the fans behind him. The last couple games at Kauffman Stadium have been like playing a video game and swinging at every pitch for Crisp: fooled by the breaking balls, late on the fastballs, and under or on top of just about everything he puts wood on. Here's hoping he learns a little bit of plate discipline and puts his ego behind him, because his on-field performance and subsequent "Je m'en fous" attitude towards the fans and the city has him on the fast track to being obsolete.

Conversely, Red Sox rookie Dustin Pedroia is living up to his Ecksteinian comparisons, rapping out a .500/.545/.500 line in his first three games, with one walk and only one strikeout in his first 10 ABs. His defense is adequate to slightly above average, but his small stature and big league confidence have already begun to endear him to me and the rest of the Sox fans. The failure of Coco to do anything significant only puts Pedroia's small-sample-size success in a more flattering light.

Then, of course, is number 7. The Man Who Replaced Trot Nixon, J. D. Drew, is doing exactly what he was supposed to. An introductory line of .400/.500/.600 and some clutch defense in right field already has him on the upside of fan perception. Not much to say other than that it's been a pleasure to watch Drew's ABs, where his even-keeled, patient approach is like a drink of cold water after witness the hack-and-slash of players like Julio Lugo and the aforementioned Crisp.