Boston Heraldより抜粋。
Worlds truly collided for the first time yesterday morning when Daisuke Matsuzaka faced both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz during batting practice.
Matsuzaka’s 50-pitch effort featured a good number of crisp fastballs, sharply breaking sliders and more than a couple of pitches a foot or more out of the strike zone, usually high.
Matsuzaka has now pitched two bullpen sessions this spring, but compared to his weekend outing against mainly minor leaguers, yesterday’s session that also included Julio Lugo, Wily Mo Pena, Alex Ochoa and Alex Cora had a lot more spice and juice to it.
None of the batters was in a free-swinging mode, and, as a result, few balls were hit hard or well. Ortiz, the first batter, hacked at the first pitch he saw and fouled it off into the batting cage. He did squeeze in what probably would have been a hit between first and second base. Ortiz saw 15 pitches and swung at just three, including a bunt.
Ramirez stared at all three pitches he saw.
“I saw both of them,” Matsuzaka said through an interpretor. “They didn’t have too much intention of hitting my balls, more to see what kind of pitch I throw, so I just concentrated on my own pitching.”
Catcher Doug Mirabelli joked with a thumbs-down appraisal about Matsuzaka’s stuff to a Japanese media member before adding that “he doesn’t have a pitch to get me out with.”
Pena gave the straight-faced scouting report.
“He’s got some good stuff, sneaky, quick, movement,” said Pena, slicing the air with his massive arms to demonstrate the amount of movement on Matsuzaka’s pitches. “Nasty stuff. He’s going to be good. He’s got a split, his changeup is perfect, his slider is quick and down. Ortiz said the same thing. I think he’s going to be good.”
Ochoa, who faced Matsuzaka in Japan, said his fastball is still “explosive.”
Cora also gave a positive report.
“He looked good,” said Cora, who saw four pitches and was one of two hitters - Dustin Pedroia was the other - to have a swing and miss against Matsuzaka. “It seemed like he had control of every pitch.”
Matsuzaka estimated he is throwing at about 70-80 percent of his ability. He probably will have one more bullpen or throwing session before his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against Boston College.
“Personally, every time I pitch, things are getting better,” he said. “That’s how I feel.”
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投手の仕上がりの早い時期は、こんなもの。
Nastyは、野球では最大の誉め言葉。松坂の球は、奥さんの柴田のロケット胸と同様にexplosive。
Worlds truly collided for the first time yesterday morning when Daisuke Matsuzaka faced both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz during batting practice.
Matsuzaka’s 50-pitch effort featured a good number of crisp fastballs, sharply breaking sliders and more than a couple of pitches a foot or more out of the strike zone, usually high.
Matsuzaka has now pitched two bullpen sessions this spring, but compared to his weekend outing against mainly minor leaguers, yesterday’s session that also included Julio Lugo, Wily Mo Pena, Alex Ochoa and Alex Cora had a lot more spice and juice to it.
None of the batters was in a free-swinging mode, and, as a result, few balls were hit hard or well. Ortiz, the first batter, hacked at the first pitch he saw and fouled it off into the batting cage. He did squeeze in what probably would have been a hit between first and second base. Ortiz saw 15 pitches and swung at just three, including a bunt.
Ramirez stared at all three pitches he saw.
“I saw both of them,” Matsuzaka said through an interpretor. “They didn’t have too much intention of hitting my balls, more to see what kind of pitch I throw, so I just concentrated on my own pitching.”
Catcher Doug Mirabelli joked with a thumbs-down appraisal about Matsuzaka’s stuff to a Japanese media member before adding that “he doesn’t have a pitch to get me out with.”
Pena gave the straight-faced scouting report.
“He’s got some good stuff, sneaky, quick, movement,” said Pena, slicing the air with his massive arms to demonstrate the amount of movement on Matsuzaka’s pitches. “Nasty stuff. He’s going to be good. He’s got a split, his changeup is perfect, his slider is quick and down. Ortiz said the same thing. I think he’s going to be good.”
Ochoa, who faced Matsuzaka in Japan, said his fastball is still “explosive.”
Cora also gave a positive report.
“He looked good,” said Cora, who saw four pitches and was one of two hitters - Dustin Pedroia was the other - to have a swing and miss against Matsuzaka. “It seemed like he had control of every pitch.”
Matsuzaka estimated he is throwing at about 70-80 percent of his ability. He probably will have one more bullpen or throwing session before his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against Boston College.
“Personally, every time I pitch, things are getting better,” he said. “That’s how I feel.”
---
投手の仕上がりの早い時期は、こんなもの。
Nastyは、野球では最大の誉め言葉。松坂の球は、奥さんの柴田のロケット胸と同様にexplosive。