Matsuzaka vs. Ichiro Video From 1999

Although this video is all in Japanese, you really can see baseball as a universal and global language when Matsuzaka is pitching to Ichiro. And you can definitely see why that  even at the age of 18 Daisuke still had filthy pitches. Looking at his slide and fastball in these video's is pretty crazy, and to think he was only 18 here. Hopefully we'll see more of the same today, but Beckett struck out Ichiro three times yesterday, and I'd be very surprised to see it happen again.

Either way, this is going to be another fun first for Matsuzaka as he again faces off against his countrymate Ichiro. A note to anyone lucky enough to be there tonight (I'm still on the fence about trying to scalp a ticket) don't get the spicy tuna...sushi and Fenway Park just can't be a good idea! Have some post-victory rolls at Fugakyu in Brookline instead :-)

Comments

[Damon]

Hey, LOVE this blog, just wanted to mention tht the video your showing is from 1999, not 1995, otherwise, Dice-k would have been 15!! HAHA. now THAT would have been some cheddah! keep up the good work,
PCE
-Damon

[Derek Hixon]

Yeah I realized while @ work and never got around to it, my bust, thanks for pointing-out though it's changed now.

After innings like the last one (bottom of the 5th) it looks like this kid could actually throw a no-no.

And yes, that is my lame attempt at trying to Hex & jinx Felix Hernandez!

[Travis]

Looks like Felix really showed who the best pitcher in the AL not named Johan is.

All you Red Sox fans can shut up about Dice-K now

[Derek Hixon]

Yeah, well I don't see us "shutting up" about Dice-K any time soon, he didn't exactly pitch a bad game here.

I totally tip my hat to young Felix though, he's going to be good & maybe great, just like Dice-K, and I can live with that.

Don't hate on Matsuzaka just because of the media attention, homeboy's good.