The Sports Guy. Yup.

Sometimes we all make mistakes. In the case of Bill Simmons, he makes them publicly and repeatedly since he refuses to embrace the art of editing. Whether he’s waxing poetic about hockey games that never happened, players who don’t exist, or attempting to weave some weird pop culture notions into sports, Bill Simmons just can’t seem to stop typing. So today, I present to you… a rant about the Boston Red Sox, written in the stylings of everyone’s favorite fairweather fan, Bill Simmons. Note: The Real Bill Simmons was not harmed in the creation of this story. 

I want to keep the first game of the double header the Red Sox and Yanks played on Sunday in the doubleheader on the front panel of my TV forever. I think it has to have earned coveted “save until I delete” status on my TiVo, because it’s exactly everything I’ve been saying about this Red Sox team, and that’s this Red Sox team doesn’t know how to win as a team. It’s obvious. They don’t know.

How did the Patriots do it when they won their first Super Bowl in 2000? They did it because that Patriots team was a team. This Red Sox team doesn’t have what it takes, what all great teams have when they play as a team. They know how to play as a team. It’s that simple, it really is. It’s like when my buddy House went to see Warrant and Poison play a double bill at the Worcester Centrum in college and we were drunk on Bud Lites and Marlboro Reds. Warrant came on first and really tried to sell it and convince the audience taht they were a real arena rock band, but when Poison came on, with Bret Michales running around stage and their guitarist all coked out, it was pretty clear that this Poison team knew how to take it to the next level with their show. It’s the same thing. They knew how to play as a team. You have to play as a team.

I remember watching that Patriots team in the Rose Bowl from my seat in the luxury box while my dad watched with me in the luxury box, and it was obvious that that Patriots team knew how to play like a team. John Lackey definitely doesn’t, and his signing definitely reeks like I said it would. Theo got played like a drunken slut at the craps table in Vegas when the only guy that wants here is there dirnking Sam Adams because he just got divorced like some kind of sad broke loser.

(Imagine if you had parlayed the Rays, Angels and Red Sox as a three-team teaser with the Blue Jays on the side. It’d be like hitting on 17 in blackjack at that one table with the newlyweds and the drunk townie who wants to let it ride one last time. You know he wants it, he’s counting cards and he’s doing everything by the book. The newlyweds are just there for the free drinks and are playign tthe token chips they got at the hotel because they upgraded to the villa, and then you’re there with your buddies who are too distracted because they just saw some fat girl in the corner wearing a Tony Romo jersey. It’s obvious that she’s only wearing it because she can’t afford to wear a better jersey, and that’s just sad. Yup. OK, back to the column.)

It’s like when you have a burrito in the microwave after a long night of striking out at the bar, where you were stuck playing wingman while your buddy House was nailing one co-ed after another, smoking Marlboro Reds by the dozen and now all you want after running through all that is to have a burrito from the microwave. And when you put it in and it’s in there for the first 15 seconds, you think that this is going to be the best burrito ever. But it’s not the best burrito ever, it never delivers the way it’s supposed to. And that’s because it’s your fault for cooking it too fast and trying to eat it all in three bites, with the ends blazing hot and the middle ice cold. What you should’ve done was to cook the burrito in the toaster oven, let it get warm slowly and then eat it in sensible bites while Donna from the Real Housewives goes crazy over her latest botched botox. The Red Sox are like that burrito that was cooked too quickly, and Theo Epstein needs to let his next burrito cook more slowly, because this Red Sox team is like that burrito.

I have a picture of Dustin Pedroia up in my office next to a signed pictuere of Larry Bird that I bought off eBay for $500 back a few months taht I just got, and it’s going to have to come down. I mean, even besides those great Patriots teams of the 90s and the great Celtics teams of the 70s and 80s when I used to sit on my dad’s lap at the Garden and watch them play and the crowd and fans were loud enough that we actually WILLED the team to beat the Lakers, I didn’t care that my dad had been divorced because I had Basketball Jesus and Red and Kevin McHale’s armpits.

(And what is with Dustin Pedroia’s hair anyway? How did he go bald before 30? It’s impossible without steriouds. And look at him anyway, he’s always angry and kind of tweaked out, he’s probably on steroids. Yeah, how else does a 4’7” midget hit 20 home runs and dropkick David Ortiz, anyway? He really needs to get on Rogaine or something. I have hair, and people who don’t scare me. OK, back to the column.)

It all goes back to the Bruins team of this past summer, when I ended my NHL widow phase and banged on the glass while Patrick Bergen scored against Vancouver at home in Game 5 of that series. Bergen, Chara and Marchland knew what it toook to play as a team angainst the team of that Canucks team with Luongo, who looks way too much like the guy John Tuturo played in Mr. Deeds. Ever seen that, the creepy way he’s obsessed with Adam Sandler’s feet wihile Winona Ryder is taking a break from shoplifting long enough to pretend to be interested in Sandler? Luongo was like John Tuturo in Mr. Deeds. He was obsessed with the BRuins’ team’s feet. And that was Sandler’s feet.

This Red Sox team is a lot like taht John Tuturo team. Until they’re able to man up like Josh when he had to climb the rope over the wall in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge IV, they won’t go anywhere as a team.

Yup.

(You can read more pieces about baseball by Nick Tavares on his site, Saves and Shutouts. I promise, his real stuff is better than this)

“Moneyball”: A Review

“There are rich teams and there are poor teams. Then there’s 50 feet of crap…and then there’s us.”

I had the opportunity to see a screening of “Moneyball” last night, which is scheduled to hit theatres on September 23^rd. You can see the trailer here.

The movie is loosely based on the Michael Lewis book of the same name, which is based on the reality of the Oakland A’s experimentation with sabermetrics in running their ball club during the 2002 baseball season.

The biggest complaint I’ve seen about this film so far, and from my own experience, is its representation of the fact, timelines, and portrayals of the characters. There is no doubt that this film was adapted with some creative Hollywood licensing, and for the folks expecting to see a documentary about sabermetrics, there will be disappointment.

That said, as someone who entered the theatre with relatively low expectations, I found myself really enjoying this film.

The movie’s focus is on A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (based on Paul DePodesta, played by Jonah Hill) as they attempt to turn the A’s  into a winning ball club using Brand’s strategy of run production through sabermetrics. The dynamic of Pitt and Hill worked better than I had anticipated, and Jonah Hill brought comic relief in his comedic timing that makes average dialogue funny.

I was surprised at how many laugh out loud moments this movie had. The dialogue was intelligent and witty, and there were bits of subtle baseball humor that I appreciated.

I was skeptical of Pitt portraying Billy Beane, but overall I was impressed. He captured the gruff and loveable sides of Beane. He captured his nervousness and the relationship in the film between Beane and his daughter really brought a more human element to the film.

Jonah Hill does a great job as Peter Brand, however, it’s unfortunate that the writers felt a need to geek up his character as much as they did. It’s no surprise that Paul DePodesta refused to let the movie use his name, as the character they created doesn’t seem to match his story too well.

While Beane and Brand’s characters are well developed, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Art Howe seemed lacking. While his character played a smaller role in the film, who served largely as the antagonist in the sabermetrics experiment, it was difficult to watch an actor as good as PSH go underutilized.

As for the baseball parts of the film, “Moneyball” does a good job of staying accurate to history (with a bit of creative licensing, of course). The players and the story lines they follow are accurate to the A’s season, including a great performance by Chris Pratt ( of Parks and Rec fame) as Scott Hatteburg. From my perspective, it was nice to see how accurately they handled the A’s losing/winning streaks, and the use of actual game footage was very well done. For giggles, I checked the box scores from two of the games used in the movie, and all of the base runners, position players, and pitchers seemed accurate as far as I could tell.

As for the sabermetrics, there’s not much of that in the film. However, the script is cleverly written and some of the principles of sabermetrics were clearly explained in scenes with scout discussions and coaching with the players. There’s enough baseball and saber to keep those who like baseball entertained, and there’s enough of a story-line to keep casual or non-baseball fans intrigued.

I came into this film with incredibly low expectations, as I do in most cases where I have read the book or am extremely interested in the topic, but this film exceeded expectations. Sure, there’s creative license that strays from reality, but overall I found the film enjoyable. There are a couple of scenes that are a direct homage to “All the President’s Men” and “The Natural” which I found to be a nice touch.

For an extremely polished, Hollywood version of baseball and statistics, “Moneyball” does its job and a little more. It is definitely an entertaining film worth seeing, for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike.

Curious Nava Plays Left Field

In case you’re new around here, my cynicism is one of my finer qualities. Especially when it comes to professional athletes.

When Jed Lowrie and Sam Fuld started the season on fire, I couldn’t think of anything more annoying. Of course, I like when a player does well, but the fact that they were playing above and beyond their ability as people seemed to relish in them being super heroes made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

We get it… Fuld made a couple of amazing catches, he nearly hit for the cycle, and even though the Tampa Bay Rays had a promotional night in which they gave away Sam Fuld superhero capes, he’s largely returned to reality as a mediocre utility outfielder that toiled with the Cubs. If he were really a superhero, his slugging average would be a little better.

And with all of the Lowrie and Fuld talk and tweets about their awesomeness, I am reminded of my favorite overhyped player of the past few seasons–Daniel Nava, of the Boston Red Sox. Or should I say former Boston Red Sox, current Pawtucket Red Sox, who was DFA’d because he is not very good at baseball? I digress.

I do occasionally root for the underdog, but the story of Daniel Nava’s one day of major league success is just too saccharin sweet to be true. His story is one even Hollywood movie producers would stay away from, because it was just too unbelievable.

The story of Henry Rowengartner and his pitching mentor Gary Busey is more believable than this one.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Daniel Nava, here’s an excerpt from something I wrote at the beginning of the season reviewing the best moments of the 2010 season. Now, this moment was suggested by a reader. I don’t really consider anything that Nava has done as worthy of such an accolade, but sometimes the internet is a democracy, and this is just one instance.

Outfielder Daniel Nava had always been an underdog. Nava weighed just 70 pounds in high school, but worked hard at fulfilling his baseball dream.

Failing to make the cut for the baseball team at Santa Clara University, Nava became their equipment manager before leaving to play at a junior college in San Mateo, then eventually returning to the starting lineup for Santa Clara.

Nava went undrafted out of college and signed with the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League. After a rocky start, perseverance and a hard work ethic made Nava the number one independent league prospect by Baseball America in 2007.

Okay, so he’s the underdog. He’s not even supposed to be on the Red Sox roster, but he is because Ellsbury is McRib at this point (broken ribs, not smothered in sauce) and Jeremy Hermida (he’s with the Reds now, that way you don’t have to google him, because I know you will) so he made his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 12, 2010.

In the second inning of the game, JD Drew hit a solo home run, followed by singles for Adrian Beltre, Jason Varitek, and Darnell McDonald. Daniel Nava stepped to the plate versus Joe Blanton for his first major league at-bat.

Blanton knew that a nervous young batter would be swinging on the first pitch, and tried to throw a sinker away, hoping for a double-play ball to end the inning.

Blanton’s attempt failed, as he left a fastball over the middle of the plate that Daniel Nava crushed into the Red Sox bullpen, just beyond the right field wall.

Daniel Nava’s grand-slam in his first at bat in the major league, made him the second to do so on the first pitch (Kevin Kouzmanoff in 2006 was first). The only previous player to hit a grand slam in his first appearance for the Red Sox was Rip Repulski on May 10, 1960.

And you would think that the story ended there, but it just keeps getting better. Nava’s parents rushed out to Boston to see their son’s major league debut, but they nearly missed the game because of mechanical issues on their flight. I’m imagining that his mother is frantically trapped in the airport ala Home Alone and that John Candy and his polka band offer to take her to Boston because she has to see her son, but apparently the plane starts working and they make it to Fenway Park… just MOMENTS before their son’s first major league at-bat.

I have to see Daniel...I have to see MY SON.

I remember watching the interview with his parents mid game, and their tearful response to their son’s heroic at-bat… and laughing. I’m sure it’s the culmination of being the parent who takes your son to every practice, to every lesson, and plays catch with him in the backyard until he reaches the majors, but this whole story was just too good to be true. In 60 games last year with the Red Sox, Nava hit just one home run…which was his fabled grand slam that will live in infamy while he toils away in the minors…which is the point of this story.

And the fans of the Red Sox revered Daniel Nava as a hero, in an uncomfortable fashion. There are Nava T-shirts. Any time he would come to bat in a close game, fans would remember that sunny day in June when he exceeded expectations and hope that he’d found some sort of secret underdog mojo that allowed him to hit another home run, but alas… he never did. Yet some fans seem to think there will some day be a Daniel Nava statue on Yawkey Way.

Perhaps it can be next to one of Jed Lowrie misfielding a routine grounder and Andrew Miller throwing a pitch wide to the back stop. Fenway Park…where dreams come true.

I will be spending Labor Day weekend in New England, and I will be attending my first PawSox game. This morning I was informed that that our seats are in left field, a space of land that Daniel Nava now calls home.

Our seats will be close enough to heckle the player who leaves a ticket for Erin Andrews at every game, who hits heroic major league grand slams (that one time), and is the adorable underdog, always getting into mischief and learns his lessons from a Man In the Yellow Hat.

Okay, we’re confusing two fables here, but you can’t tell me that a series of books about Curious Nava, a little man (or monkey in this case) who tries to play on the field at the same time as other Big Leaguers wouldn’t make a good book. In fact, there’s already a cover design for the first book (thanks, Nick Tavares).

This has spawned an idea for children’s books about overhyped athletes who accomplish amazing things before returning to normal. I’d like to find a publisher who would take on Curious Nava, Sam Fuld as Super Grover, and Jed Lowrie as Stuart Little. I’ll make my millions someday, and then fill up a swimming pool full of coins and I’ll splash about while someone I’ve hired sings the Duck Tales theme song.

The Birth of Tim Wakefield

Since Tim Wakefield gets a bit of teasing because of his age, I figured I might as well have a little fun because he’s so old. I really don’t have any photoshop skills, so I enlisted the help of my friend Nick Tavares to make me laugh.

Here are a few memories of Tim Wakefield’s past. These events were prior to his baseball career.

Happy Birthday, Wakefield. You’ll get #200 soon enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Andrew Miller Experiment

If Andrew Miller is not promoted to the majors by today, he can declare free agency and pitch elsewhere. Though nothing is official yet, Peter Abraham of the Globe is reporting a major league source said last night that the Red Sox are working on a plan to add him to the rotation.

Hooray?

After all, there is a spot in the rotation… Sorta. Lester, Beckett, and Buchholz have settled in comfortably and John Lackey has returned from a stint on the disabled list. Tim Wakefield, who replaced Daisuke Matsuzaka who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on Friday, is flexible and can slide back to the bullpen to make space for Andrew Miller.

But is it a good thing?

It seems as though Miller got hot at just the right time: right before his opt-out clause deadline, giving him the opportunity to make his first appearance in the major leagues since a rocky 2010 with the Florida Marlins.

Miller’s last three starts with Triple-A Pawtucket have been impressive. He is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In those starts, he struck out 16 while walking only two batters.

Miller seems to be putting the pieces together this season, with a low ERA (2.54), more strike outs, and a low opponent’s batting average (.187), he’s had one huge issue hindering his success: walks.

Prior to his last three appearances, Miller walked 32 batters in 40 ½ innings. While the Red Sox are looking for someone to replace Daisuke Matsuzaka, beating his walks per 9 innings probably is not what they had in mind.

Miller’s highest walk percentage consistently comes in the first inning, so Pawtucket pitching coach Rich Sauveur changed his pre-game routine to he mimics Clay Buchholz’s warming routine: pitching a simulated inning before the game.  The experiment seems to be working, but the sample size of three games seems a little too small to be jumping to conclusions on future success.

But rushing Miller to the majors is the only option the Red Sox have or he could join a starting rotation elsewhere. It’s the best time to give Miller a chance because of the opt-out clause: nothing more, nothing less.

Miller was a first-round pick in 2006, and was revered as the top pitching talent and though he should have gone to the Royals as the #1 overall pick, the rumors of how expensive he would be deterred teams until the Tigers drafted him sixth overall. His track with the Tigers was accelerated to say the least, and after just three minor league starts he was in the majors.

His career thus far has been split between time in the majors (where he has been terrible) and minors (where he has been less terrible). He was a decorated prospect with endless upside, but since 2006, he has done very little to prove his abilities beyond occasional glimpses of greatness.

Miller’s biggest upsides remain: he’s young, left-handed, and tall. Being a combination of all of these things forgives a multitude of pitching mechanic issues, injury, and the pounding he has taken in the NL East since he was traded to the Marlins in 2008.

Even after posting a 8.54 ERA and a high walk-ratio (8.62) last season with the Marlins, the Red Sox still chose to take a chance on Miller for the chance at a young lefty.

Were it not for the contract issues, there is no doubt that Miller would continue to pitch in Triple-A Pawtucket, but the opt-out clause will rush him to the majors, a chance the Red Sox must take to prevent him from snagging a rotation spot elsewhere.

Miller’s biggest problem is his walk ratio, something he’s struggled with since his college days at University of North Carolina. At times in his career, his Walks per 9 innings has been as high as 10.03 (2009, triple A for the Marlins). While he is beginning to reign in other aspects of his game (more strikeouts and keeping more balls in the park), his command continues to be a concern.

Another concern for Miller is his pitch selection. Miller has worked for most of his career to develop a solid third pitch, but it’s still not there. Looking at the Pitch f/x he relies on a fastball and a changeup. It appears that he sometimes attempts a cutter and slider, but they are used in much lower frequencies and unsuccessfully. While he’s gained some velocity (94 mph on some) his inability to effectively throw a third pitch could be a detriment.

If Miller does enter the Red Sox rotation as the Globe has reported, he may be fine… but he may not. If Miller is terrible, Tim Wakefield (who looks the best he has looked since 2008 or earlier) can slide back into the starting rotation.  If Miller has finally found his stride, I’ll eat crow and apologize for pointing out his flaws and accept the lefty into the rotation with open arms.

Until then, consider me skeptical.

The Highs and Lows of Tim Wakefield

(Editor’s Note: Since I was asked to contribute to Pedro Martinez Week at Saves and Shutouts, I demanded that Nick Tavares return the favor and write something for this site as well. Not only will you enjoy this contribution, you should check out his site–as his detail and story-telling are top notch).

Just as quickly as Daisuke Matsuzaka seemed to show promise in 2011, he’s off the active roster.

Matsuzaka has made seven starts this season, striking out 26, walking almost as many, and earning a 5.30 ERA along the way. Not the worst, not the best, but certainly worthy of a spot in a major league rotation. Look at your average no. 5 starter, and Matsuzaka is better than that average, bottom tier it may be. Through that small sample, pitched as well and as poorly as a pitcher can start.

But he’s out of commission for the time being, and with reports of Tommy John surgery on the horizon, he’ll be a ghost on the Red Sox payroll for the next 12 months.

Enter Tim Wakefield.

Though just as spastic on the scale, Wakefield has been far less maddening to watch through his career than the star-crossed Japanese ace. For one, the expectations have never been too high for Wakefield. With Pittsburgh, he was a converted first baseman not expected to make a dent in the majors, never mind the glorious splash of his rookie season.

But that didn’t last, Wakefield lost his touch on the knuckleball, and he was back in the minors, pitching in Buffalo, N.Y., miles away from the majors.

If you’re reading this, you know the rest. Plucked off the scrap heap, control of the knuckleball regained, he’s been in Boston since 1995. He’s won 195 games in the major leagues, and he has been called upon to win a few more with the Sox’ rotation in a situation.

There seems to be a small movement, or popular belief, that if Tim Wakefield isn’t done, he’s about to be. For the past two seasons, he’s had to fight and wait for just such a spot in the rotation, while fans and pundits alike weigh the relative worth of young or unproven pitchers — Felix Dubront, Alfredo Aceves, Michael Bowdon — in that slot.

As a fan, it’s impressive enough that Tim Wakefield has dedicated his life to a pitch that seems just as likely to leave a future Hall of Famer in a stupor as it is to hang over the top of the plate, waiting to be rejected over the wall. There are times when he dazzles, and there are times when he’s shelled. It’s the life chosen when a career hangs on the knuckleball. It takes a special, steely resolve to keep the highs and lows in balance.

Starting in Matsuzaka’s place, Wakefield won his first two starts easily. He pitched into the seventh in both games, limited the Cubs and Tigers to one and two runs, respectively, and eased a lot of pressure off the rest of the pitching staff, bullpen and rotation alike. Even for his most ardent supporters, this was something of a surprise.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tim Wakefield pitched well. According to the box score, he hung in there for six innings against the White Sox, giving up four runs, controlled his floater for one walk, and left Boston in a position to win.

But beyond the box score, Wakefield’s lead by a comedy of errors in the field. Wakefield cruised through his first four innings, but in the fifth, Dustin Pedroia couldn’t come up with a fly ball between himself, Adrian Gonzalez and rightfielder Josh Reddick. Pedroia then threw a potential double-play ball wide to Gonzalez at first, keeping a runner on. A bad call allowed Juan Pierre to steal second base instead of being called out. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia broke the wrong way on a popup behind the plate, missing out on an easy out.

The White Sox scored two runs that inning, and Brent Lillibridge tagged Wakefield for a solo home run, a toss that didn’t float the right way. After 98 pitches, Wakefield was done, leaving Boston with a 4-4 lead, with two of those runs being the least earned an earned run could be. Matt Albers settled the matter once and for all, giving up what turned out to be the winning run to Chicago the next inning.

The Red Sox lost, 7-4, and Wakefield remained at 195 wins. So it goes for the 44-year-old knuckleballer.

Looking Back on Daisuke

Daisuke Matsuzaka may never pitch another game for the Red Sox.

The Japanese pitcher who has been with the Red Sox since 2007 is meeting today with the Red Sox organization to discuss his options for rehabbing his injured pitching arm, but it seems that Tommy John surgery is in his future.

With the long rehab period and Matsuzaka’s contract ending in 2012, his career with the Red Sox may end, and there’s been talk that his contract is one of the worst ever inked by the Red Sox.

But the celebration and condemnation of a pitcher with such an injury seems unfair. Especially when that pitcher is Matsuzaka.

I’m sure this has already garnered some eye rolls, but hear me out.

First, I will admit it’s easy to get frustrated with Daisuke.

From the accounts of team members and the media, it seems that the organization has struggled to deal with him.  He’s difficult to manage, he doesn’t listen to instruction, and he rarely takes blame. This season, it seems some publications have been quick to throw Daisuke under the bus when he’s been at his worst—as if his whole career for the Red Sox has been a giant failure.

His North American career has been a roller coaster of subpar performances, balanced with near-perfect outings. There’s been injury and frustration, but it always seems to balance out for Daisuke.

His pitching style is hard to defend: His nibbling is maddening; the amount of time he takes between pitches is unbearable. He looks uncomfortable, and his unpredictability on the mound has caused more than a few heart attacks and uneasiness as he works.

But none of these things mount to make him a bad pitcher, let alone the worst contract the Red Sox have ever offered. Regardless of the shenanigans on and off the mound for Matsuzaka, he’s been an asset to the Red Sox rotation throughout his career.

The Red Sox had every indication to give Matsuzaka the contract that they did, based upon the information they had.

His statistics in Japan were impressive, and he’d been touted as a durable pitcher with a lot of life in his arm. He showed a well-defined arsenal of pitches (6 of them), including a an unconventional gyroball.

The players that had faced him in Japan revered him as one of the best in their game; managers like Bobby Valentine endorsed him as being ready and capable for play in North America, and all of the scouting information seemed to add up.

The Red Sox knew that there was a gamble with bringing a pitcher to North America from Japan, as those transactions don’t always pan out. But as other teams (Rangers, Mets, Yankees) all expressed an interest in signing Matsuzaka, it was the Red Sox who won the posting bid.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about Matsuzaka’s contract is that $51MM of the money spent by the Red Sox was in the form of a posting bid. This bid awarded the team a 30-day exclusive negotiation for the pitcher. While the posting fee is a seemingly outrageous cost of doing business, the rest of his contract was not.

Matsuzaka’s 6-year $52MM contract was never out of line for a pitcher of his pedigree and proven caliber overseas. And while the past couple of seasons have been filled with injury and some cause for concern, it’s unfair to think he never delivered what the Red Sox were paying him for.

His first two seasons were his most solid. In 2007 he acclimated himself to a new league, team, and pitching schedule. While there were a few bumps along the way, his presence was undeniable. His post-season performance and his 5 scoreless innings in Game 3 of the World Series were a sign he was ready for North America.

His 2008 season, his best in the league, had tremendous numbers—18-3 record, with a 2.90 ERA, which was by far the best record of any in the rotation. And though Matsuzaka tended to walk more batters than most, in 2008 it didn’t matter much. He finished 4^th in the AL Cy Young… and at that point, two seasons into his career, I don’t remember anyone clamoring over his exorbitant contract and worthlessness.

The 2009 season was the rockiest for Matsuzaka. Due to injury, Matsuzaka spent the majority of the season on and off the disabled list, pitching just 10 games that season. There were flashes of brilliance late in the season, but the beginning was rocky. Even though he was dominant in his late season return in September (2.22 ERA), his injuries left many frustrated.

2010 seemed more of the same, which was amplified by other pitchers struggling in the rotation, as well. But the truth is, Matsuzaka still showed flashes of brilliance. During interleague, he took the Phillies into the 8^th inning before they got a hit. There was even a good laugh when Daisuke got a hit of his own in the same game. But the 2010 rotation was a mess, with a struggling John Lackey, an aging Tim Wakefield, and a uncharacteristically horrible Josh Beckett.

And while he’s on the DL now in 2011, he doesn’t seem to get the credit he’s earned this season. Matsuzaka struggled in his first two starts of the season (as the entire team slumped, really) and there seemed to be people calling for his head already. But he found his footing with his next three starts (19 innings pitched, just 1 run), and even pitched an inning of relief in a game that went 13 innings after a rain delay at Fenway.

Since his career seems to be ending, there’s a lot of vitriol about the waste of money and burden that Matsuzaka has imposed upon the organization, and for the most part that’s just not true. He’s been maddening at times and the nibbler has never been my favorite in the rotation, but his inability and burden have been greatly exaggerated.

Sometimes pitchers get hurt; sometimes the team eats that contract. Remember 2007 when the Red Sox paid Matt Clement $9.5MM and he didn’t pitch a single game? Sometimes these things happen, and while they’re frustrating, it happens all of the time in baseball transactions–there’s an element of risk in every contract.

And while the hype surrounding Matsuzaka when he joined the league in 2007 never came to fruition to make him the best pitcher that ever existed in the history of baseball, I doubt that’s ever what the Red Sox expected him to be.

Judging by his contract, it seems to fall in line with the sort of money the 3^rd or 4^th pitcher of a rotation tend to make—not the salary of an ace. The Sanatanas and  Sabathias of the world are earning north of $20MM this season, while Matsuzaka’s contract sits middle of the road among starters.

And while his pitching style frustrates me to no end, if his career really is over with the Red Sox, I will miss him… because if you look at the numbers, his flashes of brilliance have been more of an asset than his unpredictability has been a liability.