Daisuke Matsuzaka News: Pro Sports Daily

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March 18

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox held what amounted to a staff meeting on the practice field adjacent to City of Palms Park before yesterday's game against the Mets. General manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona, and pitching coach John Farrell were there, along with Epstein lieutenants Ben Cherington and Allard Baird. The attraction was the long-anticipated and delayed first batting practice session thrown by Daisuke Matsuzaka. The righthander survived, throwing 54 pitches to Aaron Bates, Tug Hulett, and Angel Sanchez. There was no sign of the back and neck pain that put Matsuzaka three weeks behind the other starters. The plan now is for Matsuzaka to throw in the bullpen tomorrow and work two innings ..."

Matsuzaka's neck feels a little better

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March 16

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox post the daily assignments for every player on the clubhouse bulletin board during spring training. Daisuke Matsuzaka's duties were highlighted in yellow yesterday, as though to make sure he knew exactly what was expected. Back field, 40 pitches of batting practice, 11:30 a.m. But what the Sox hope Matsuzaka will do is not always what happens. Instead of throwing batting practice, the righthander threw 19 pitches in the bullpen to Jason Varitek. The BP session is now scheduled for tomorrow."

No BP for Matsuzaka

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March 15

Boston Globe

"Stunning news here from Fort Myers. Daisuke Matsuzaka will not throw batting practice at 11:30. He did throw 19 pitches in the bullpen to Jason Varitek. So that us some progress. No word yet on when the BP session will be."

Daisuke Matsuzaka a no-go for BP

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March 14

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox promised that their surplus of starting pitching would take care of itself before the regular season started, and yesterday's development appears to have proved them right. A stiff neck prevented Daisuke Matsuzaka from throwing his first live batting practice session, setting back his already delayed spring training even further and virtually ensuring that he will not break camp with the big league club. Starters are expected to have at least 25 innings under their belt in the spring. Matsuzaka hasn't thrown a pitch this preseason, and Opening Day is three weeks away. The fact that the Red Sox don't need a fifth starter until mid-April made it unnecessary for the team to rush ..."

Sore neck further delays Matsuzaka

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March 14

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox had resigned themselves to Daisuke Matsuzaka starting the season on the disabled list when he reported to camp a month ago with a sore back. But the hope was he would be ready to take his place in the rotation two weeks into the season. Now that is in jeopardy, with the righthander unable to throw a batting practice session yesterday because of a sore neck. Matsuzaka threw only five warmup pitches before telling pitching coach John Farrell he would not be able to continue. It is now uncertain when Matsuzaka will pitch his first game of the exhibition season. That had been planned for Wednesday."

Sharp turns: Wakefield, Matsuzaka look to put injuries behind them

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March 6

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox spent the winter unsure of what to expect from Tim Wakefield, the 43-year-old righthander having had surgery in October to repair a herniated disk in his back. His place in the rotation vanished. There was only optimism for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was said to be getting into the best shape of his career after a 2009 season truncated by assorted injuries and bouts of miscommunication with the organization. His renewed commitment was a constant theme. But it was Wakefield who threw two scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium yesterday, continuing what has been a surprisingly strong early spring. He allowed one hit, an infield single, and threw 16 of his 21 ..."

Red Sox loving this Daisuke Matsuzaka

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March 6

Boston Herald

"All the talk yesterday was about the back and shoulder of Daisuke Matsuzaka, but underneath it all the focus was on his ears. Matsuzaka threw his first bullpen session since coming up with a sore upper back early in spring training, a condition that has set him back for the second straight spring. But unlike a year ago, nobody seems to be mad at anybody, which frankly is a step forward in this relationship. Last spring, Matsuzaka managed to be the star of the World Baseball Classic while also being, according to the Red Sox, in the most dreadful condition in the history of organized baseball. He hadn't done this and he wouldn't do that, and he ignored their much publicized offseason ..."

Dice-K gets back to throwing

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March 2

Boston Herald

"Daisuke Matsuzaka threw off a mound for a few minutes yesterday. Tomorrow he'd like to be throwing against the Boston College Eagles. Matsuzaka's sore back isn't quite ready for that, but he made clear on a sunny morning at the Red Sox minor league complex that he wished it was. Not because he wanted to get back at the Eagles, who opened his career in Boston by lining the first pitch he ever threw in a Red Sox uniform for an indiscreet double four springs ago. No, his reasons were what it would signify to him. "I remember that," Matsuzaka said of his first pitch as a Red Sox after a morning workout in which he threw "25, 30 pitches" off a bullpen mound to a catcher who was standing up, not ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Don't 4-get about me

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February 25

Boston Herald

"Ever since the Red Sox signed free agent John Lackey, there has been talk of the pitching staff being fronted by a dominant Big Three - Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and the new guy, Lackey. But is it possible that the Big Three could be a Big Four? That's what Daisuke Matsuzaka is hoping will happen. "It's not like I can ask to be put into that group," Matsuzaka said yesterday through an interpreter. "I can't ask that group for admission, really. "But as the season goes along, and maybe partway through, if I can perform well enough, and if I can be seen as part of that group, then I think that's going to be great. That's what I'm hoping for." Matsuzaka is also hoping to bounce back from a ..."

Starter becomes relieved

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February 23

Boston Globe

"Daisuke Matsuzaka fell behind the other starting pitchers in Red Sox camp after being shut down for 10 days with a sore upper back. The question now is how quickly the righthander can catch up. That process started in earnest yesterday as Matsuzaka made 25 throws from 60 feet to coaching assistant Rob Leary before backing up 30 feet and making 25 more. He worked from an abbreviated windup and appeared to have no difficulty. "I had some hesitation going into it but I was able to throw without any discomfort, so I'm relieved,'' Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino. "For now we'll see how I feel [today]. As long as I don't have any unusual soreness, I think probably another week of ..."

Taking Matsuzaka for a spin

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February 20

Boston Globe

"The saga of Daisuke Matsuzaka keeps spinning, sort of like that mythical gyro ball that we've never seen. The latest offering from Matsuzaka is an upper back, ah, condition. Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino yesterday that he "wouldn't go so far as to call it an injury" and that it's "just a little bit of fatigue" from his rigorous off-season training work, part of his plan to tone up and atone for a disastrous 2009. This time, let's hope Matsuzaka is telling the truth when he downplays a physical ailment, because so much about him has proven to be exaggerated. The gyro ball is just a small part of the legend of Matsuzaka that followed him from Japan after the Red Sox bid ..."

After hard lesson, Matsuzaka softens stance

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February 19

Boston Globe

"Finally, after all the frustration and all the drama, it appears that Daisuke Matsuzaka is ready for a little bit of honesty. Having derailed his 2009 season because of a groin injury that he declined to discuss with the Red Sox, Matsuzaka rededicated himself to conditioning this winter. And then, when soreness developed in his back last week, he actually mentioned it to his bosses. It's a step for a pitcher with so much pride and so much determination to succeed that he has sometimes eschewed his own health for the opportunity to compete. "I feel like I have a pretty high pain tolerance,'' Matsuzaka said yesterday through interpreter Masa Hoshino. "So if I could tolerate the pain and ..."

Back ailment not throwing Dice-K off

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February 19

Boston Herald

"The bad news on the Daisuke Matsuzaka watch is that the right-hander already has been idled by an ache in his upper back. The good news? "I can't say for sure until I really start throwing the ball, but my expectations for the season are very high," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter yesterday during a media session at the Red Sox minor league complex. Matsuzaka, who made just 12 starts last season because of a groin injury - that, and a general belief that he reported to camp out of shape after representing Japan in the World Baseball Classic - said he did not take a break in the offseason as he worked to condition himself, and that the backache is "just a little bit of fatigue that ..."

Matsuzaka thrown off schedule by sore upper back

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February 18

Boston Globe

"Coming off a year of injury timeouts, of frustration and exile in extended spring training, Daisuke Matsuzaka already has had a pause put on this year's preparation. Having injured his upper back while training at Athletes' Performance Institute, Matsuzaka was stopped after playing long toss Friday, and will not resume throwing at least until having his spring physical tomorrow. Manager Terry Francona said the pitcher is "sore in his upper back on both sides from something he did at API.'' That injury was first revealed on Tuesday, when Matsuzaka made mention of the issue to Japanese media. "He played catch on Friday, and was thinking about throwing a pen and said he felt it a little bit ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka has strained upper back, will miss at least a few days of camp

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February 18

Boston Herald

"For the time being at least, this is not another case of, "Here we go again," with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Yes, the oft-injured right-hander is hurt. He has a strained upper back - the Red Sox hope it's only mild - and will miss at least a few days of camp. Unlike injuries past, however, this one seems borne of good intentions. Matsuzaka knows as well as anyone how disappointing his 2009 season was, so he worked his tail off all winter to get into shape, forsaking time he would typically spend in his native Japan to work out in Arizona. The Sox suspect that something from those workouts led Matsuzaka to stop his first throwing session of spring training before it even began on Friday with ..."

Dice-K likely to miss start of spring

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February 17

Boston Herald

"Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka has a sore back that is expected to sideline him for the start of spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. However, the injury is not expected to keep Matsuzaka from being ready for the start of the season. Matsuzaka told Japanese reporters recently, in comments relayed by ESPNBoston, that his back was feeling sore. He left the minor league complex today after a truncated workout that included shoulder strengthening."

This loss is one they like

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February 15

Boston Globe

"So far, Daisuke Matsuzaka has done everything the Red Sox expected of him to prepare for the coming season. The righthander arrived here Thursday and worked out at the team complex the last two days. After a winter that included several sessions at the Athletes' Performance training center in Arizona, Matsuzaka appears to be in better condition than last season. "He worked hard this winter, that's evident,'' general manager Theo Epstein said. "He has lost weight.''"

Recommitted Matsuzaka impresses Red Sox

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February 15

Yahoo! Sports

"How do you repair a strained relationship? Daisuke Matsuzaka, who admitted hiding a groin strain from Boston trainers and officials last season, apparently is doing his best to work his way back into the Red Sox's good graces. Matsuzaka reported early to the team's spring training camp in Fort Myers, Fla., and appears to be in much better condition than last season, when he made only 12 starts because of shoulder problems that apparently evolved from the groin strain. The talented right-hander has been working out since Thursday at the team's Fort Myers complex after spending time this winter at the Athletes' Performance training center in Arizona. "He worked hard this winter, that's ..."

Farrell, Sox seek openness from Matsuzaka

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January 15

Boston Globe

"At this point in their relationship with Daisuke Matsuzaka, it's difficult to say that the Red Sox have confidence in the communication. Having been twice burned - when Matsuzaka made comments last summer about his training regimen in the United States, and a week ago when a Japanese magazine published an interview in which he disclosed an injury suffered prior to the 2009 World Baseball Classic - it's understandable that pitching coach John Farrell shied away from definitive statements about whether this might happen again. "I think the one thing that we strive to do, and go to great lengths, is to put a player in the best position possible to have success,'' Farrell said before last ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka reports good

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January 14

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox are looking ahead, not back, when it comes to Daisuke Matsuzaka. So the reports out of Phoenix, where Matsuzaka has been training for most of the last four weeks, have the team optimistic that Dice-K's 2010 will be a far cry from his 2009. The club has has been informed that Matsuzaka is training zealously at the Arizona base for Athletes' Performance, a preferred site for professional athletes who want or need a dedicated and individualized program to get in shape. Matsuzaka is working within a group of 15 Japanese baseball players, with a pair of Japanese-speaking coaches helping with language issues. Athletes' Performance official Craig Friedman, who runs all of the baseball ..."

Source: Red Sox learn Dice-K hid injury

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January 11

ESPN.com

"This is not the way the Boston Red Sox wanted to learn that Daisuke Matsuzaka hurt himself even before the World Baseball Classic last spring, reading his comments translated from an interview he gave to a Japanese magazine. But that's how it went down, a major league source said Sunday, even though Matsuzaka was asked repeatedly by the club last season if he was hurt and told them repeatedly he was OK. Matsuzaka and his agent, Scott Boras, who said nothing about Matsuzaka being hurt when he was in Boston on Friday for the news conference to announce the Red Sox's signing of Adrian Beltre, can expect to be quizzed about his purported injury -- and his refusal to come clean to his employers ..."

Matsuzaka discusses leg injury

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January 10

Boston Globe

"The disconnect that existed between the Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka may have gone deeper than first realized. The righthander told the Japanese magazine Friday that he suffered a leg injury while training for the WBC that he kept hidden from the team. The injury altered his mechanics and led to the shoulder injury that put him on the disabled list. Some excerpts from the story, as translated by friend of the blog Daigo Fujiwara, a Globe staff graphic designer. "Early on in January 2009, I hurt my right inner thigh. I consider movement around my hip joint a crucial part of my pitching motion. It happened during my exercise to strengthen my hip joint that I incorporated into training since ..."

Tough market may leave Sox at status quo

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December 1

MLB.com

"As they dissect the current state of affairs on the Hot Stove market, the Red Sox are left with a lot of unknowns. This, thanks to a less-than-spectacular class of available free agents and the unpredictability that comes with trying to engage other teams in a blockbuster trade, which could bring the likes of Roy Halladay or Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. But, if you fast forward to next year at this time, general manager Theo Epstein and his crew of assistants will be in a far more enviable spot, one that could land them major stars who may have the impact that the Yankees felt from CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett en route to a 2009 World Series championship. This doesn't mean ..."

A meeting of the minds?

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October 14

Boston Globe

"After being excluded from the American League Division Series rotation, it might be easy to conclude there's a great deal of frustration on both sides and perhaps the Daisuke Matsuzaka-Red Sox marriage should end this offseason. But while that appeared to be the sentiment for a long time in 2009, there actually is a pretty good relationship developing, according to a source close to the situation."

Vintage Daisuke Matsuzaka

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October 3

Boston Herald

"Playoff teams usually include at least one "X-factor" they hope can pop up out of the blue as a surprise October contributor. If his performance last night was any indication, Daisuke Matsuzaka has as good of a shot as anyone on the Red Sox roster to come out of the shadows and turn into that X-factor. Not that Matsuzaka was particularly brilliant or dominating in the Red Sox' 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians, but he did show enough signs of escape artistry (circa 2007 and '08) that he seems eminently capable of coming to the rescue at some point later this month. Matsuzaka allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. He prevented seven of the nine Indians who ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka takes mound today

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September 26

Boston Herald

"With a playoff berth close to being sewn up, one could look at the rest of the Red Sox schedule as an exercise in playing out the string. That is the case in large part, but one exception will take place this afternoon, when Daisuke Matsuzaka gets a start against the Yankees. The Red Sox are curious to discover in these waning days of the season what exactly they have in Matsuzaka, especially as it pertains to his availability as a starter in the Division Series - possibly in Game 4 - or the ALCS. Pretty much awful for his first eight starts, Matsuzaka has shown glimpses of goodness in his two outings since returning from exile in Fort Myers, where he restrengthened his shoulder. He has a ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka latest starter to shine

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September 21

Boston Herald

"For a time earlier this year, the Red Sox believed they had a surplus of starting pitching. Then, just as quickly, they entered a phase in which they clearly didn't have enough. And now, with two weeks left in the regular season, the issue isn't so much quantity - though that's been rectified, too, enough so that the Sox can switch to a six-man rotation - as much as it is quality. A deep rotation is nice. A consistent, at times dominant rotation is even better. Yesterday it was Daisuke Matsuzaka's turn to propel the Red Sox to yet another win, 9-3 over the overmatched Baltimore Orioles. The game was the 13th straight in which a Sox starting pitcher allowed three runs or less. In that span, ..."

Matsuzaka shows off top form in his return

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September 16

Boston Globe

"There was a weight on Daisuke Matsuzaka. He knew how he had pitched, knew how little he had helped his team over the first five months of the season. He had disappeared to Florida, leaving the Red Sox and their rotation to carry on without him, even as he was relegated to sprints in the Fort Myers sun alongside minor leaguers so young they barely could imagine the majors."

Daisuke Matsuzaka works hard to be a better fit

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September 16

Boston Herald

"The results - six-plus scoreless innings, just three hits allowed - came on the Fenway Park mound, with the usual sellout crowd roaring its approval on a crisp late-summer night. But the hard work necessary to make last night a reality came in the solitude of a back field in Fort Myers. It was there, about as far away from the pennant race as you can get, that Daisuke Matsuzaka got his groove back. "He's to be commended for the work that he's done," pitching coach John Farrell said after Matsuzaka outstripped everyone's expectations and helped the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels, 4-1, "in reshaping himself, getting his core strength. Everything about the work he did on the DL, it ..."

Starry night for Daisuke Matsuzaka

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September 16

Boston Herald

"By pitching so well last night, Daisuke Matsuzaka earned a tank full of goodwill that could propel him, and the Red Sox, right into, and through, the postseason. Making his first start since June 19, when his World Baseball Classic-weakened shoulder and weaker results finally led to the Red Sox casting him away for a complete overhaul, Matsuzaka allowed no runs and three hits in six-plus crisp innings in the 4-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway. Featuring a fastball with zip and pep and with pinpoint command, Matsuzaka pumped fresh oxygen into a team now sprinting toward a full slate of postseason baseball. Just off this one start, Matsuzaka made himself an instant ..."

Sox starters have unfinished business

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September 15

Boston Globe

"When the offseason haul came in, the veteran stars of past seasons purchased at bargain prices, the accolades began. The Red Sox rotation was deemed - yes, mostly by the media - potentially the best in the American League. Now, with three weeks left in the season, those proclamations seem a bit ridiculous. Or, if not ridiculous, they seem very, very far away. The reality of the starting pitching has been far different from the predictions. Though Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, for the most part, have lived up to the hype, anchoring the starting staff throughout the season with a minimum of blips, the rest of the rotation has not been nearly so worry-free."

'09 starts anew for Sox righty Daisuke Matsuzaka

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September 15

Boston Herald

"There are forgotten men, and then there's Daisuke Matsuzaka. For a while it looked like Harry Lime or Keyser Soze would appear at Fenway Park before Matsuszaka, who made his last appearance on June 19 and then basically dropped off the map. After getting back into shape in Florida and then back into form in far-flung outposts like Allentown, Pa., and Salem, Va., Matsuzaka returns from obscurity tonight to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It will be his first start in 87 days, and it's no small thing. The Red Sox still are seeking a fourth starter for the postseason, what with Tim Wakefield's back a question mark and Paul Byrd unproven as he returns from nearly a year away from the ..."

Matsuzaka's return shapes the stretch run

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September 13

Boston Globe

"It's been three months since Daisuke Matsuzaka took the mound for the Red Sox. He was exiled to the minor leagues, where he went on an exercise regimen that shaved off pounds, perhaps improved his stuff, and has prepared him for a return to the major leagues. That happens Tuesday when Matsuzaka will start the series opener against the Angels. It would be a difficult assignment for anyone, but Matsuzaka yesterday expressed excitement at the opportunity, saying he felt ready to help the Sox in their push toward the postseason."

Dice-K enters stretch

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September 13

Boston Herald

"Daisuke Matsuzaka, who on Tuesday night will make his first start for the Red Sox since being hammered by Atlanta on June 19, refuses to look at the assignment as an opportunity to make a statement about his major league readiness. Speaking through an interpreter, Matsuzaka, who will start against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park, said, "It's less having something to prove than it is that we're at a point in the season where every win is so important. And if I can contribute to the team in a way that helps us win, well, that's the most important thing." Matsuzaka gave the Red Sox an 18-3 record and 2.90 ERA in 29 starts last season, but has missed much of 2009 because of shoulder ..."

Major move: Matsuzaka will start Tuesday

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September 12

Boston Globe

"It has been nearly three months, one major misunderstanding, and quite a few pounds since Daisuke Matsuzaka last took the mound for the Red Sox. That was on June 19, an outing in which he allowed six runs in just four innings, sending him on an odyssey that has taken him through Fort Myers, Fla., and much of the minor league system. But Matsuzaka will be back in the majors Tuesday. His last start, against Single A competition, was a positive development, with Matsuzaka throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk, and striking out seven. He got up to 89 pitches, which was the intended result."

Dice-K to start anew

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September 12

Boston Herald

"After an absence of three months, Daisuke Matsuzaka will return to the mound for the Red Sox on Tuesday, attempting to both salvage his lost season and perhaps claim a spot in the team's postseason's rotation. Matsuzaka's season was short-circuited back in June when, after eight starts and a trip to the disabled list, the Red Sox determined he lacked sufficient shoulder strength to compete. In those eight starts, Matsuzaka compiled an 8.23 ERA and got past the fifth inning only twice. He made his fourth rehab start Wednesday, pitching 6 2/3 innings for Single-A Salem, allowing a run while striking out seven. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the Sox were "very (encouraged)" by ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka goes back for 2nd try

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August 31

Boston Herald

"After a rough 49-pitch, five-run first inning for the Double-A Sea Dogs yesterday, Daisuke Matsuzaka lobbied the Portland coaching staff for another go at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats lineup. Matsuzaka got his wish and made the best of the opportunity. The Red Sox right-hander looked sharp in mowing down the side on nine pitches in the second inning, his last of the eventual 5-3 Fisher Cats win. The frame salvaged hope for an effective return to the big league rotation for Matsuzaka in time for the stretch run. "In the first inning, I think I got into the game at about 60-to-70 percent of maximum output for me," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "That's how I was approaching it. There ..."

Dice-K tosses three scoreless innings

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August 25

MLB.com

"Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka started his road back to Boston by pitching three shutout innings in a Gulf Coast League game in Fort Myers, Fla, on Monday. Thanks to the satellite system the Red Sox use to track all their Minor League affiliates, manager Terry Francona was able to watch Matsuzaka's performance. Over 37 pitches, Matsuzaka allowed one hit and no runs, walking none and striking out four. "Everything was pretty good," said Francona. "Good breaking ball. He commanded his fastball. He stayed down. Threw some good changeups. It was generally really positive." Matsuzaka will report to Fenway Park on Tuesday to meet with Francona and pitching coach John Farrell. Matsuzaka's ..."

Matsuzaka makes more progress

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August 25

Boston Globe

"After Daisuke Matsuzaka made his most significant stride yesterday in the two months since he went on the disabled list because of shoulder fatigue, the Red Sox believe he remains on pace to return to the major leagues by early September. Matsuzaka pitched in a live game for the first time during his rehab in Fort Myers, Fla., throwing 37 pitches over three innings in a Gulf Coast League contest. Matsuzaka gave up no runs on one hit in three innings, striking out four, hitting one batter, and throwing a wild pitch. Injuries and ineffectiveness eliminated the starting pitching depth the Sox enjoyed early in the season. With Tim Wakefield scheduled to start tomorrow and Matsuzaka on his way ..."

Dice-K now talking a different tune

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August 6

Boston Herald

"Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] did not just look different - slimmer, more tanned - yesterday. He sounded very different. For the first time since Matsuzaka became a Red Sox [team stats] in the fall of 2006, the Japanese pitcher made extended comments in English. The occasion was his first interaction with U.S. media since the late July kerfuffle that ensued after comments made in confidence to a Japanese media member became public. While some nuances may have been lost in the translation, the message was that Matsuzaka was clearly not on the same page with the Red Sox when it came to his shoulder program. That was then, this is now, as Matsuzaka made clear in plain English. "I want to clear up ..."

Matsuzaka smoothes team's ruffled feathers

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July 31

Boston Globe

"Two days after comments attributed to him about the Red Sox ignited a controversy, Daisuke Matsuzaka yesterday attempted to put out the fire, saying he never meant to be critical, didn't know his words would be made public, and refuted some of the strongest parts of the report, which first appeared on a Japanese website. Matsuzaka, on the disabled list since June 21, was reportedly upset at how the Red Sox' training routine for him differs from what he was accustomed to in Japan, and how it might be affecting his performance. The interview with a Japanese reporter quickly produced a reaction in Boston, with manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell publicly expressing their ..."

Terry Francona, Dice-K clear the turbulent air

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July 30

Boston Herald

"Red Sox manager Terry Francona yesterday cleared the air with disgruntled starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, one day after the right-hander complained about the team's training regimen in a published report. Francona spoke with Matsuzaka at length over the phone, noting that he appreciated the hurler's efforts to address him in English. The team had made no secret of its disappointment with Matsuzaka for telling a Japanese web site on Tuesday that his shoulder is weak because of the team's throwing program. "He made some points to me, which I appreciated," Francona said. "He understood how we felt, and he was trying to make some points. The points I made to him were, 'Yeah, this is how we felt. ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka airs dirty laundry in media

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July 29

Boston Herald

"Blindsided by Daisuke Matsuzaka's criticism that their throwing program is hurting and not helping him, the Red Sox yesterday expressed their own hurt about a breach of faith and trust by the $103 million pitching investment. "I thought we made huge strides in communicating through some of his frustrations and maybe some of ours, so to hear him say that is disappointing," manager Terry Francona said before last night's game. "Not disappointing that he has an opinion, that's very welcome. Disappointing that he took a meeting that was confidential and decided to air it publicly, yeah, we're very disappointed." Pitching coach John Farrell said, with considerable emotion, "There's been plenty ..."

Daisuke Matsuzaka wants to do it his Way

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July 29

Boston Herald

"Terry Francona and John Farrell were mystified yesterday. Daisuke Matsuzaka felt the same. But if Strother Martin was around Fenway Park when the story broke of Matsuzaka's rebellion against the Red Sox Way of conditioning pitchers, he would have understood. "What we have here is failure to communicate," Martin, playing a vicious prison captain, said in the film "Cool Hand Luke" as he worked to break the spirit of a defiant prisoner played by Paul Newman. "Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week. Which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don't like it any more than you men." After which Martin had Newman dig a hole and fill it in over and over in ..."

Ichiro Suzuki backs Daisuke Matsuzaka, WBC

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July 15

Boston Herald

"Ichiro Suzuki wishes he knew exactly what ailed countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka. But of this much he's certain: The World Baseball Classic is not to blame. The Mariners superstar outfielder passionately defended his Japanese teammate before last night's All-Star Game, expressing confidence that Matsuzaka will regain his form. "This might be the toughest time he's ever had to deal with, but he has always overcome them in the past," Suzuki said through a translator. "He has the mental ability to conquer this and take the next step. He's very tough on himself, but that's part of the reason why I think he'll definitely work through this." What Suzuki doesn't want to hear is anyone say the WBC ..."

Matsuzaka headed to Florida for long rehab

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July 4

Boston Globe

"Daisuke Matsuzaka played catch yesterday, making 60-foot throws in his first baseball activity since June 19, the day before the Red Sox placed him on the disabled list for the second time this year. Matsuzaka will fly to Fort Myers, Fla., Monday and begin an extended shoulder strengthening program. Yesterday and Monday are the only dates the Sox have attached any significance to in regards to Matsuzaka's rehabilitation. The Sox have one objective, and time will not be determining factor. "This time,'' manager Terry Francona said, "we're going to make sure that he's ready to pitch.'' Francona met with Matsuzaka "for a pretty lengthy amount of time'' Thursday. They mapped out his regimen, ..."

Dice-K off to Florida

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July 3

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox sat down with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka yesterday to map out a program they hope will have the pitcher returning to their rotation later this summer. Matsuzaka will travel to the team's spring training complex in Fort Myers today and began a conditioning and shoulder-strengthening program. Matsuzaka will begin light throwing soon, but the emphasis will be on getting him in better shape while building up the area around his shoulder. While in Florida, he'll be under the supervision of Goose Gregson, who doubles as the pitching coach for the Red Sox' Gulf Coast League affiliate. The Sox will treat this stint almost like Matsuzaka is beginning spring training. He did not report to ..."

It just doesn't add up

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June 23

Boston Globe

columnist Bob Ryan

"May we agree on one thing? Daisuke Matsuzaka was not worth $102 million. There's a lot of financial craziness out there in modern professional sport, but we have not yet reached the point where a third or fourth (and in this case, fifth) starter is worth a total investment of $102 million for six years. There's really not going to be any kind of debate about this, is there? The issue before us as Dice-K begins his open-ended stay in the Japanese Pitcher Witness Protection Program, otherwise known as the disabled list, is whether the bigger story is his almost complete collapse or that his absence is actually a blessing as the Red Sox attempt to seize control of both the division and the ..."

Dice-K in good standing back home

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June 23

Boston Herald

"The average Japanese fan certainly is not happy that Daisuke Matsuzaka is having a forgettable and injury-marred Red Sox season. However, according to members of the Japanese media who are familiar with recent coverage of the right-hander, the happiness Matsuzaka provided his country in March in helping produce a second World Baseball Classic title appears to have made it all worthwile. "For Red Sox fans, it's 'Oh man, he blew out his arm in the WBC,' " said a Japanese TV producer working in the U.S. "But from the Japanese fan's view, it's 'He led us to great victory, he performed at the top level, we hope he recovers and pitches well in the major leagues, but to not have him pitch as the ..."