Japanese Pitcher looks to Join MLB
| 12
|
by user PatrickBurke1980
Japenese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, MVP of the 1st World Baseball Classic, has reportedly been given permission to pursue a career in MLB.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Mariners, Mets, Red Sox, Rangers and Cubs; the Japanese ace could wind up with a contract as large as those offered to free agents Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt this winter, if not larger.
Clearly, he is an immense international talent. He is reportedly the first Japanese pitcher to top 100mph with his fastball and is said to have outstanding movement and control of all of his pitches. However, this raises the following question:
Why is there no international draft in baseball? With so many MLB teams vying to land him, only those teams with the most money will be able to him afford him. Is this fair? Not in my opinion. I'd like to see what everyone else thinks about this.
Background on Matsuzaka
Matsuzaka graduated from Yokohama High School in Japan in 1998. Matsuzaka became a national hero in 1998 when he pitched Yokohama High School into the Koshien Tournament and dominated the competition like no one before or since. In the quarterfinals of that year's Koshien national high school baseball tournament, he threw 250 pitches in 17 innings against traditional powerhouse P.L. Gakuen. In stifling heat, Matsuzaka pitched a game for the ages, emerging victorious. The very next day, in the final, he threw a no-hitter--the first ever in a final--to win both the tournament and the admiration of the nation. This performance garnered the attention of a great many scouts. After his graduation, he was taken by the Seibu Lions with the first pick of the 1998 draft.
In his first professional season (1999), he had 16 wins and 5 losses as the team ace, and was voted Rookie of the Year. In 2003, Matsuzaka logged 16 wins and 7 losses. He won the Pacific League ERA title with a 2.83 mark. Matsuzaka also played for Japan's National Baseball Team, and pitched against South Korea.
He participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece and was a key player in Japan's acquisition of the bronze medal. His fastball ranges from 90-96 mph, with good late movement. He also throws a splitter, changeup and slider with almost the same delivery. He is also the pitcher most associated with the infamous gyroball, although by his own admission he does not throw one.
In Japan, people born in the 1980 fiscal year (from April 2, 1980 to the following April 1, 1981) have been called the Matsuzaka generation.
