The Red Sox are likely to experience a spring training like none other from the second Daisuke Matsuzaka touches down in Fort Myers one week from today. Manager Terry Francona said he will try everything in his power to make matters as normal as possible for his newest star.
Matsuzaka, who is currently working out in Southern California, is expected to draw approximately 100 Japanese media members to camp, requiring the addition of two more media trailers, a new media tent and the implementation of access regulations to cope with the mobs sent to chronicle his every move. Francona said it’s up to him and the team to try to make the transition from the Seibu Lions to Major League Baseball as smooth as possible for the right-hander.
The two major issues to deal with are communication and deployment.
Matsuzaka speaks little English, while few members of the Red Sox organization know more than a few words of Japanese. The 26-year-old will have his own translator, while the team has promoted Double-A Portland trainer Masai Takahashi to the position of assistant trainer at the major league level, which should aid communication in the dugout. Pitching coach John Farrell recently visited Matsuzaka in California, while catcher Jason Varitek has been in touch as well in an effort to try to get a feel for the best way to handle the Most Valuable Player of last year’s inaugural World Baseball Classic. No one knows for sure, however, how easy or difficult matters will be.
“From my standpoint, when I come out (to the mound), he’s coming out, so that’s not that tough,” said Francona yesterday at Fenway Park . “When I put my hand out, give me the ball. If he pitches great, I’ll pat him on the back. That’s not that tough. John and Jason will have to work at this a little bit, and they will.”
Matsuzaka worked in a six-man rotation in Japan. He will be asked to pitch more frequently due to the five-man rotation used in the majors. Francona said that one way to help Matsuzaka make the adjustment will be sticking with five starters in April, when teams often go with four due to the higher number of days off in the month. The Sox, however, will have two days off in the first eight days of the schedule and then not have another one until April 30. In all likelihood, Francona will stick with all five pitchers - Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon - in the order arranged in late March.
“We have some age (in the rotation) - like Schill and Wake - so we may use it differently this year than we have in the past,” Francona said. “We may not skip a guy.
“We might just go ahead and keep five starters, especially in April, and give guys and extra day every so often, so it won’t be completely different (for Matsuzaka), at least at the beginning.”
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言葉と５人のローテーションは問題ないと思う。確固たるクローザーがいないと、松坂が退いた後で、勝ち星をフイにするのが、一番の心配の種。
Matsuzaka, who is currently working out in Southern California, is expected to draw approximately 100 Japanese media members to camp, requiring the addition of two more media trailers, a new media tent and the implementation of access regulations to cope with the mobs sent to chronicle his every move. Francona said it’s up to him and the team to try to make the transition from the Seibu Lions to Major League Baseball as smooth as possible for the right-hander.
The two major issues to deal with are communication and deployment.
Matsuzaka speaks little English, while few members of the Red Sox organization know more than a few words of Japanese. The 26-year-old will have his own translator, while the team has promoted Double-A Portland trainer Masai Takahashi to the position of assistant trainer at the major league level, which should aid communication in the dugout. Pitching coach John Farrell recently visited Matsuzaka in California, while catcher Jason Varitek has been in touch as well in an effort to try to get a feel for the best way to handle the Most Valuable Player of last year’s inaugural World Baseball Classic. No one knows for sure, however, how easy or difficult matters will be.
“From my standpoint, when I come out (to the mound), he’s coming out, so that’s not that tough,” said Francona yesterday at Fenway Park . “When I put my hand out, give me the ball. If he pitches great, I’ll pat him on the back. That’s not that tough. John and Jason will have to work at this a little bit, and they will.”
Matsuzaka worked in a six-man rotation in Japan. He will be asked to pitch more frequently due to the five-man rotation used in the majors. Francona said that one way to help Matsuzaka make the adjustment will be sticking with five starters in April, when teams often go with four due to the higher number of days off in the month. The Sox, however, will have two days off in the first eight days of the schedule and then not have another one until April 30. In all likelihood, Francona will stick with all five pitchers - Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon - in the order arranged in late March.
“We have some age (in the rotation) - like Schill and Wake - so we may use it differently this year than we have in the past,” Francona said. “We may not skip a guy.
“We might just go ahead and keep five starters, especially in April, and give guys and extra day every so often, so it won’t be completely different (for Matsuzaka), at least at the beginning.”
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言葉と５人のローテーションは問題ないと思う。確固たるクローザーがいないと、松坂が退いた後で、勝ち星をフイにするのが、一番の心配の種。
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