ope:
Jake, I always value your input on most anything, but the next MLB pitch Dice throws will be his first MLB pitch, and you are already putting him about Roy Oswalt, Chris Carpenter, etc. etc. etc.
Can we see at least one year from Dice before we call him the second best pitcher in baseball.
I remember listening to people telling me in the winter of 2005 how Jhony Peralta is the best SS in the game, off of one rookie season.
How's that working out for them?
Dice-K goes 15-7 in 30 starts with an ERA of 3.81 WHIP of 1.29 160 strike outs in 185 Innings.
I probably think Dice-K is better than anyone else thinks he is and I'm okay with that. Looking at tapes of him pitching in Japan and in the WBC, I am 100% confident he's the real deal. The guy has been the best pitcher in Japan since he was 17 and is constantly working on new pitches when he already has 5 that are plus or even plus-plus from some scouts. He has handled a heavy workload in Japan and that is the only thing that scares me, but his arm really hasn't seen any major injuries yet. I hate the Red Sox but firmly believe this guy is going to dominate.
http://news-herald.com/articles/2013/02/10/sports/nh6540514.txt
[h=1]Indians sign ex-Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka[/h][h=2][/h]Sunday, February 10, 2013
By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @JITribeinsider
With spring training officially underway, the Indians have returned to familiar turf by looking for baseball bargains.
On Saturday, the Tribe signed 42-year-old designated hitter candidate Jason Giambi to a minor-league contract. On Sunday, they did the same thing with 32-year-old pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Matsuzaka has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tribe, pending the passing of his physical. Assuming he passes the physical, Matsuzaka has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contact if he is added to the Indians' 40-man roster. He also could earn $2.5 million in performance bonuses, based on games started and innings pitched.
Matsuzaka is the seventh player signed by the Indians who played for Tribe manager Terry Francona while he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox.
Matsuzaka pitched for Boston from 2007 to 2012. Francona was his manager from 2007 to 2011. Matsuzaka signed a six-year, $52 million contract with the Red Sox, for whom he had a record of 50-37 with a 4.52 ERA.
He will compete for a spot in the Indians' flimsy starting rotation, which was one of the worst in the majors last year. The only certainties in the rotation are Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Brett Myers.
The last two spots in the rotation will go to the winners of a spring training competition. Matsuzaka would join a group of candidates that includes Zach McAllister, Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Scott Kazmir and David Huff.
Matsuzaka's best year in Boston was 2008, when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2011, and hasn't been the same pitcher since. He was 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA in 2011 before his surgery.
In 11 starts last year for the Red Sox, Matsuzaka was 1-7 with an 8.28 ERA.
[h=1]Indians sign ex-Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka[/h][h=2][/h]Sunday, February 10, 2013
By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @JITribeinsider
With spring training officially underway, the Indians have returned to familiar turf by looking for baseball bargains.
On Saturday, the Tribe signed 42-year-old designated hitter candidate Jason Giambi to a minor-league contract. On Sunday, they did the same thing with 32-year-old pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Matsuzaka has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tribe, pending the passing of his physical. Assuming he passes the physical, Matsuzaka has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contact if he is added to the Indians' 40-man roster. He also could earn $2.5 million in performance bonuses, based on games started and innings pitched.
Matsuzaka is the seventh player signed by the Indians who played for Tribe manager Terry Francona while he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox.
Matsuzaka pitched for Boston from 2007 to 2012. Francona was his manager from 2007 to 2011. Matsuzaka signed a six-year, $52 million contract with the Red Sox, for whom he had a record of 50-37 with a 4.52 ERA.
He will compete for a spot in the Indians' flimsy starting rotation, which was one of the worst in the majors last year. The only certainties in the rotation are Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Brett Myers.
The last two spots in the rotation will go to the winners of a spring training competition. Matsuzaka would join a group of candidates that includes Zach McAllister, Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Scott Kazmir and David Huff.
Matsuzaka's best year in Boston was 2008, when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2011, and hasn't been the same pitcher since. He was 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA in 2011 before his surgery.
In 11 starts last year for the Red Sox, Matsuzaka was 1-7 with an 8.28 ERA.
