daisuke-matsuzaka Page index.xml - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Japanese pitching sensation that refuses to let hitters reach base
One of the biggest stories in Major League Baseball right now is the dominance of 27-year-old Japanese rookie Seiya Suzuki. In 10 games Suzuki is slashing .429/.564/.929 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in. With Suzuki’s early success and Ohtani’s 2021 MVP campaign fresh in everybody’s minds, ...

Clock ticking on Big Ben
The news that Ben Roethlisberger “expects this to be his final season playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” as Adam Schefter reported, is some big-time “duh” stuff....

Dice-K To Return To Japan, Take His Mythical Gyroball With Him
After six seasons with the Red Sox and two with the Mets, Daisuke Matsuzaka is apparently returning to Japan, considering a contract with the defending champion Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. He'll always be remembered for the hype, and for his unhittable pitch that in reality is all but unthrowable....

Unspinning The Mythical Gyroball, The Demon Miracle Pitch That Wasn't
Once feared, now largely forgotten, the gyroball retains a stubborn hold on the baseball imagination. Perhaps Red Sox closer Koji Uehara can put the pitch to rest:...

It's Fight Night In The Bronx
Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and the blogosphere to bring you everything you need to know to start your day....

Warm Your Butt In The Dice-K Memorial Bathrooms
The Boston Red Sox paid the Seibu Lions $51.1 million for the right to take Daisuke Matsuzaka off their hands. So what did they do with the money? New toilet seats for everyone!...


Red Sox Wonder Where All That Free Yen Went
When the Red Sox bid that ridiculous amount just for the right to offer Daisuke Matsuzaka a contract, one of the ancillary benefits was supposed to be all the Japanese endorsements he would bring in. (And take away from the Yankees.) But it looks like that hasn't happened at all....

Dice-K Has Expensive Balls (Sorry)
How much would you pay for a baseball signed by Daisuke Matsuzaka? We ask this not as theoretical. There's an actual, concrete price, and ... well, uh, it seems like a lot....

The Gyroball Rock
A little late on this, but if you were wondering whether Daisuke Matsuzaka was blessed with musical talent, rest assured, folks, the guy has mad vocal skillz. And by "mad vocal skills," we mean, he warbles songs to warm your heart and soul. He's like the Japanese Oprah....

Mnookin: Another Crazed Night At Fenway
Last night, Fenway Park came alive once again, in that weird, psychotic way that only Fenway Park can come alive. Even though it turned out to be the King Felix show, it still had the feel of a historic night ... well, for April, anyway....

Ichiro Vs. Dice-K, Round One
Because we grew up in the middle of a cornfield surrounded by nothing but grain silos and chubby cows, the whole Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees madness sometimes escapes us. But even we can't ignore the inherent excitement of a Dice-K vs. Ichiro matchup tonight at Fenway Park....

Which One Is Mothra Again?
On Wednesday, Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his Fenway Park debut ... and it's not just a big day for him and the Red Sox, it's also huge for the Japanese baseball fans. Because it's not only Dice-K out there; he's going to face Ichiro Suzuki. If only they could pull Hideki Matsui off the DL for a day...

The Daily Closer: Just Call Him A Good Pitcher And Leave It At That, OK?
Notes from a day in baseball:...

Aei! It's The Gyroball! Run For Your Lives!
What is the gyroball? New pitch from outer space? Nothing but the Japanese version of a slider? A type of hamster wheel that runs our servers? A pitch that's contractually obligated to be the subject of an in-depth piece on every major sports Web site? The answers are shrouded in mystery. But Texas ...

Dice-K Has Some Spring Training Work To Do
Red Sox Monster brings up something that has to give Red Sox fans considerable pause: When he showed up at spring training this week, new Boston pitching savior Daisuke Matsuzaka appeared to be, oh, a little chubbier than one might have expected....

Prepare Thyself For Dice K
Red Sox fans, take heart: You can now see Dice K himself, Daisuke Matsuzaka, pitching in a Red Sox uniform, kind of. In this ad for Asahi beer — we love that people can physically drink the beer in Japanese commercials — Dice K dons the duds and even throws a pitch, albeit with some less-than-convin...

Meet The Ms. Dice-K
As we begin to learn a bit more about Daisuke Matsuzaka, the newest sliver of heroin to the junkies of Red Sox Nation, we, as we all tend to do, take a look at his homelife. Specifically, his wife, Tomoyo Shibata, who, according to the outstanding research of UmpBump, has caused a stir in Japan for ...

The Matsuzaka Has Landed
Well, the world of Red Sox fans can breathe a sliver easier this morning; Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed his (reasonable, really) deal and is now officially a target of the Boston faithful. We find it amusing that one of the first things he had to do when his plane landed was undergo a physical; tur...