Has Dice-K Boded Well?

After paying nearly sixty million dollars just to speak to Daisuke Matsuzaka, the question that should be asked: has the pricey conversation worked out?   

In the first season of Mr. Matsuzaka’s season with the Red Sox, it did not go as well as people hoped.  Boasting a 15-12 record, 4.40 ERA and zero shut outs, the Red Sox fans, or maybe myself, had questioned this deal.   However, after seeing the gyro ball thrower play an amazing post-season, I had a feeling that he would be one of the top starters in the American League for the 2009 season.  So far, I’ve been correct in that prediction.   

Of his nineteen starts, he has won twelve of them and only lost twice.  A much lower ERA with 3.04 and has allowed only eight home runs and has ninety-four strikeouts.  Not to mention he is undefeated on the road with a 5-0 record.   

There is no doubt that Josh Beckett is struggling this year (you can read my article “Very UnBeckettesque) but Matsuzaka and the young crew, even the knuckleballer (my favorite Red Sox pitcher) Tim Wakefield, are pitching well.   

Analysts and fans questioned his innings and they were correct in 2008 where he’d throw, in some games, five innings but he has adjusted to the Major League Baseball setting and has thrown at least six innings in each of his last five wins.  

 Is Dice-K Cy Young material this year?  Maybe not, but that doesn’t bother the Red Sox much, as long as he keeps winning ballgames and striking out the batters.   

Like the old Groucho Marx joke goes, “Who are you going to believe? Me or your own eyes?”  Just look at the below stats comparing 2007 to 2008 so far: