A Tale of Two Pitchers
The Red Sox sit atop the heap in the American League East, and though there is still a large chunk of spring before the dog days of summer, the season looks to be a memorable one. In large part, the early success is the result of strong starting pitching, something fans of the 2006 team did not have the fortune to witness. Smack dab in the middle of that pitching are two very different pitchers on what appear to be very similar paths, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Both pitchers were tops in their respective leagues before coming to the Red Sox, and both exude a confidence that is found in the best pitchers in the game. Unfortunately, despite their impressive talents, both found their first exposure to the American League to be an eye-opening experience.
Josh Beckett, in his first year, discovered in the rudest way imaginable that every number nine hitter in the American League can hit cheese. The result was a home run total that would make José Lima green with envy. Matsuzaka, though this is still just the beginning of his career in Boston, had the earliest April success, but has found himself standing somewhere closer to earth as of late.
The biggest adjustments these two pitcher underwent involved the quality of the lineup and the number of pitches required to have success past the middle innings. Daisuke, however, is dealing with two things Beckett never encountered. The first has been greatly discussed, that being the switch from a six man rotation in Japan to a five man rotation in the States, a switch that means less rest between starts. The other obstacle is one that has not received a lot of print space: the difference between the Japanese and American baseball.
Matsuzaka's success in Japan had him throwing a smaller pill, one with seams that are a little bigger and whose cover isn't as slick as the MLB version. His breaking balls, which depend so heavily on his ability to grip the ball, have really lacked the placement that he's so renowned for. His success thus far has been due to the fact that he's new to the league, but we're already starting to see some difficulties in his latest starts. Tonight's start, where Daisuke allowed 4 earned runs in the opening frame, is the case in point. Somwhere, there's an adjustment to be made. There is hope.
Where, you ask? Look no further than the aforementioned Josh Beckett. After his debut season struggles, Beckett was able to go back to his other pitches and regain his control over them, leading him to a 6-0 start here in 2007 and a fair share of gasps and slackjawed dumfoundedness. Matsuzaka, like Beckett, is likely come around and find a way through the mechanical and physical obstacles of this, his transition year, and when he does, expect the pitcher we hoped for.
Both pitchers were tops in their respective leagues before coming to the Red Sox, and both exude a confidence that is found in the best pitchers in the game. Unfortunately, despite their impressive talents, both found their first exposure to the American League to be an eye-opening experience.
Josh Beckett, in his first year, discovered in the rudest way imaginable that every number nine hitter in the American League can hit cheese. The result was a home run total that would make José Lima green with envy. Matsuzaka, though this is still just the beginning of his career in Boston, had the earliest April success, but has found himself standing somewhere closer to earth as of late.
The biggest adjustments these two pitcher underwent involved the quality of the lineup and the number of pitches required to have success past the middle innings. Daisuke, however, is dealing with two things Beckett never encountered. The first has been greatly discussed, that being the switch from a six man rotation in Japan to a five man rotation in the States, a switch that means less rest between starts. The other obstacle is one that has not received a lot of print space: the difference between the Japanese and American baseball.
Matsuzaka's success in Japan had him throwing a smaller pill, one with seams that are a little bigger and whose cover isn't as slick as the MLB version. His breaking balls, which depend so heavily on his ability to grip the ball, have really lacked the placement that he's so renowned for. His success thus far has been due to the fact that he's new to the league, but we're already starting to see some difficulties in his latest starts. Tonight's start, where Daisuke allowed 4 earned runs in the opening frame, is the case in point. Somwhere, there's an adjustment to be made. There is hope.
Where, you ask? Look no further than the aforementioned Josh Beckett. After his debut season struggles, Beckett was able to go back to his other pitches and regain his control over them, leading him to a 6-0 start here in 2007 and a fair share of gasps and slackjawed dumfoundedness. Matsuzaka, like Beckett, is likely come around and find a way through the mechanical and physical obstacles of this, his transition year, and when he does, expect the pitcher we hoped for.
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Ryan Brodeur at 9:15 PM
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