Daisuke Is Getting Ready For 2008...His Sophomore Season

This blurb was in the Friday Boston Herald, and it concerns our Japanese starting pitcher. His name? Daisuke Matsuzaka. Remember him? Of course you do. Boy, it's been a long time since I've even typed his name! Here it is, in its entirety, and then a couple comments from yours truly will follow...

"Daisuke Matsuzaka began preparing for his 2008 season Sunday with a five-hour workout at his former team’s Seibu Lions stadium in Tokorozawa, Japan.
Matsuzaka told reporters he planned to work out in Japan for about a month and that unlike last year, he would not be conducting his January workouts in Southern California. A year ago, Matsuzaka spent much of this month throwing and exercising near his agent Scott Boras’ home office in Newport Beach, Calif., before reporting to Fort Myers for his first season with the Red Sox."

Peter here, and we all expect great things from the talented pitcher who enthralled all of us last year, his first season in the United States' baseball system. When he was good, he was great. When he was mediocre, he was just plain old average, with plate location and pitch counts the major culprits. But now that he has a year under his belt and a good dose of major league experience, he will undoubtably be a better pitcher in 2008. Nothing will be new, the language barrier will be less immense, as will the culture shock, and things new to him last year will NOT be this year. And if he's more comfortable, not only with the hitters he will face but in every other facet of life here in America, it should add up to a more confident and consistant Boston Red Sox pitcher. And that's just what we need. Our starting rotation looks so good right now, and that's without the elusive Johan Santana included in the mix. In fact, I would be ecstatic if Jacoby Ellsbury AND Jon Lester are on our 2008 squad. Lester will also be better...he showed what he was made of in the fourth game of the World Series. And Ellsbury? All I can say is WOW when I think of what he can and hopefully will accomplish in the years to come.

I didn't link anything to the title of this post. The entire article is pasted above. But I did want to add one more thing. "Sox Fan" left me two comments about my last post, entitled "Believe It Or Not (Not)." And I responded to them. Please check out his smart words, and my humble ones, for my writing did not firmly reflect my true feelings. I explained those feelings in a comment all my own. It's the previous post, dated Friday, January 11, 2008. SOX FAN, again, I thank you for your spot-on comments. And to all my readers, few as you are right now, I wish you a happy and safe weekend to come. There's a chance of a Nor'easter type of snowstorm Sunday night and Monday, and I'll keep you posted right here. There's too much grass showing right now, especially for the second week of January. BE WELL.