Dice-K is far from OK

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Is Daisuke Matsuzaka breaking down?

Don’t look at your monitor like that, it’s a legitimate question.

The phenom, who once threw an 18-inning complete game in his high school title game, can barely make it out of the fifth inning in his starts now.

In 2006 — after pitching Japan to the World Baseball Classic title over Cuba — Matsuzaka went 17-5 with an 2.13 ERA for the Seibu Lions. He threw 186-1/3 innings, striking out 200 and walking 34. Dice-K started 25 games and threw 13 complete games.

Matsuzaka threw 215 innings in 2005 for the Lions, and was 14-13 in 28 starts with an ERA of 2.30.

This year, Dice-K has been, well, less than stellar. He’s 1-4 with a 7.33 ERA in six starts. He’s only averaging four-plus innings a start, but finally got past the five-inning barrier Sunday against the Rangers.

Last year Matsuzaka was a sparkling 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA last year. Remember, though, he only threw 167-2/3 innings compared to 204-2/3 in his rookie campaign. Somehow, that gets lost in translation with some. In fact, if he had similar winning numbers and a solid ERA with more innings, he probably would’ve won the Cy Young Award.

Through 66 career MLB starts, Dice-K has only one complete game. It’s not his fault, he’s a nibbler. Oh. Wait.

In Sunday’s game against the Rangers, he showed something else, though. There was life on his fastball and he seemed to pound the strike zone early in the game. Matsuzaka finally threw more than five innings this season (5-2/3 to be exact), but was pounded for 10 hits and five earned runs. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter.

Maybe that’s why he nibbles?

In his MLB rookie season (2007), Dice-K threw fewer than six innings only 7 times in 32 starts. In fact, in his final five starts he only went six or more innings twice. His worst start of the year was 2-2/3 innings on Sept. 8 at Baltimore — he was shelled for eight runs on six hits and three walks.

Though he had a successful season last year, Matsuzaka failed to throw six innings in 14 of his 29 starts.

And there’s the problem. His pitch counts are near- to over-100 pitches by the fifth inning and Red Sox manager Terry Francona is forced to call his bullpen earlier when Dice-K is on the mound.

If you think I am crazy by asking that question in my lead, then ponder this little Jeopardy portion of the column. 

Answer: He was a Japanese pitcher who had successful outings for the Red Sox but ultimately turned out to be worthless and unable to pitch in the majors anymore. 

Question: Who is Hideo Nomo?

That’s right. I am comparing Matsuzaka to Nomo.

Can you say nasty?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You can say filthy, nasty or sick. 

Any way you want to describe it, it all means the same thing: Boston left-hander Jon Lester is just dealing right now.

For all those in Red Sox Nation and everywhere else that wanted to write Lester off when he was struggling, shame on you. While Lester had issues with his consistency early this year, he had shown that he still had power stuff but was just allowing too many base runners and giving up hits with men on base. Apparently, now he has regained the form that let him win 16 game last year.

Tonight's game against Texas was vintage Lester, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh before Michael Young stroked a clean double into the left-center field gap.

Lester was just outstanding. He fired a complete-game two-hitter, allowing one earned run, two walks and 11 strikeouts.

His stuff was virtually unhittable. It's like the guy in Wiffle Ball that throws the nasty deuce that no one can hit. That's how good Lester's stuff was.

Did you see the bite on that Uncle Charlie (AKA curveball)? His cut fastball kept fooling hitters and add in that changeup and Lester's stuff just wasn't fair.

This is a Texas lineup that flat out rakes, too, and Lester made them look foolish.

I know everybody is back to being a Lester fan, but if you jumped off that bandwagon early this year, you're looking pretty foolish now. Again, shame on you!

Lester might only be 5-5 with a 5.09 ERA, which obviously isn't impressive enough for a pitcher with his talent, but he's beginning to sizzle on the mound. That high ERA should just tell you how bad he was early on.

Make that two sparkling starts for Lester, who beat Toronto on May 31. In that game, he went six innings, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and 12 Ks. 

Yes, that's 23 punchouts in two games -- and opposing teams are taking notice. 

Besides giving up five runs in six innings against Minnesota on May 26, Lester has only yielded three runs combined (one run in each start) in three of his last four outings.

He's back, no question.

Go ahead and call Lester an ace once again, he's earned that label back.

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

After a week off of the fantasy beat, I am back to bring you the Friday fantasy article known as Frozen Ropes. As always, we'll cover the best and worst of fantasy hitters over the past week and let you know what's on the horizon.

The Good

For the 2nd time this season, Carl Crawford has been the most productive fantasy hitter in the land. A .429 average, 3 homers, 4 RBI, 7 runs, 4 SB's and a 1.377 OPS will often do that. He's back to his old self this season as he already has 34 stolen bases and we still weeks away from the All Star break. As long as his legs are healthy, I expect him to keep this up all season. I doubt he'll reach the 100 stolen bases plateau, but should reach 80. Have you forgotten about Prince Fielder? Well, he's been somewhat quiet this year, but burst back on the scene this week. He hit .407 with 3 homers and 9 RBI this week. That brings him to a season total of 13 home runs and 52 RBI. I didn't even realize he was having that good of a season. It's always nice to see a young prospect start to fulfill his potential. That is exactly what Nelson Cruz has been doing in the hot sun of Arlington, Texas. He's hitting .295 with 16 home runs and 41 RBI on the season. 4 of those home runs have come this week. Throw in a .967 OPS on the season and this guy is legit. Like most Rangers, don't be surprised if you see him tail off during the 2nd half. It's extremely hard to play an entire season down in Texas. He should get fatigued at some point during the season. Ryan Howard just hits bombs. He also strikes out a lot, and will never hit for average, but I couldn't care less as long as he continues to hit 40+ home runs and 120+ RBI every year. He will be a very, very rich man soon enough. He added 4 homers and 12 RBI this week. He's just a machine. To round out the top 5 fantasy performers of the week, we'll take a look at Brandon Phillips. After a terrible start to the season, he's really turned things around. He's hit .348 this week with 3 HR's and 6 RBI. He has hit average up to .285, with 10 HR and 40 RBI on the season. Both Chad and I love the way he plays and what he brings to the table offensively for a second basemen. It also helps that he plays 81 games and a small little bandbox of a field.

The Bad: (a.k.a. The David Ortiz portion of Frozen Ropes)

I never actually put Big Papi in this portion of the article. He's just an honorary member each week. After the great hitting streak, Ryan Zimmerman has been brought back down to earth. He's hitting just .190 with 1 HR this week. He should bounce back. He's been far more productive this season than I've ever thought. Troy Tulowitzki continues his struggles. He hit just .133, going 2 for 15 this week. His average is down to .218 on the season. Stay as far away from him as possible. Adam Dunn is having a pretty good year in the Nation's Capitol so far, but he's had a tough time of it this week. A .091 average with 0 HR's, 0 RBI and just 2 Runs is a horrid week. Don't worry though, he does have 16 HR so you'll still get plenty of pop out of him. It might be a good time to bench him for a few days though. Ryan Ludwick has really struggled since coming off the DL. That is to be expected, so don't fret too much. He's 2 for his last 23 (.087), but should start to turn things around with a few more at bats. In my opinion, Vernon Wells is one of the most overrated players in the game. A .257 average, 5 HR & 25 RBI is not good enough for a clean up hitter in the bigs. He's been even worse this week with .111 average and a .190 OBP. Ouch.

Under the Radar:

With the trade of Nate McClouth, Andrew McCutchen is now the starting centerfielder for the Pirates. He's a dynamic prospect who finally gets a shot with plenty of playing time. I've already picked him up in two of my leagues and I suggest you take a flyer on him as well. He'll steal some bases, hit a few homers and has already been slotted in as the leadoff hitter. If you're in a deep league, or NL only league, you might want to take a look at the Red's Lance Nix. He's been on fire this week and now has 7 homers, 18 RBI and a .288 average in just 104 at bats. He's been playing pretty much every day as well. Could this be the time to pick up Jose Lopez? He's been struggling all year until this week. He's hit .348, with 2 homers & 8 RBI this week. If you need additional help at 2B, he could be a big pickup if he continues turning his season around. He's only owned in 43% of leagues. Does anyone outside of Minnesota realize Jason Kubel is having a fine season? He's hitting .322 with 7 HR & 31 RBI. Peter Gammons was all over Kubel about 5-6 years ago, and maybe he's finally going to hit like Gammons said he would. Well, that's all I have for now. Until next week

(Don't forget about Chin Music by Chad Garner on Monday)

Nelson Theory 101

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Before you get it twisted, let's not: Stan Van Gundy is a good coach.

Alright, he's a bit arrogant, and a bit brash. I know guys that played from him at UMass-Lowell who would agree with both sentiments.

But so is Geno Auriemma, and both guys can flat-out coach. This is a guy who, with the Heat coming off a 25-win season, put the ball in the hands of a rookie -- Dwyane Wade -- and let him take off (they won 42 games, a first-round series and nearly knocked off the Pacers). He is not a system guy; this is a guy who scans his team's strengths and gives them a style that gives them the best chance of winning. Better yet, this is a guy who doesn't try to hide the fact that he's a prick.

All that said, I can't believe what I saw tonight. Jameer Nelson played 23 minutes in game one of the NBA Finals, and not surprisingly the Lakers blew them out, 100-75.

Oh, there were other factors that led to their downfall tonight. They shot just 29 percent from the field, including 8 of 23 on three's, and were outrebounded a startling 55-41 (nothing new if you've been watching these guys, but just saying). But Van Gundy deserves some criticism for this move tonight.

Granted, he deserves all the credit for sticking to his guns in the Celtics series and keeping his starting five on the floor at the end, contrary to Dwight Howard's criticism. By standing firm, the team shook up its complacency and reaffirmed Van Gundy's acumen.

That was a turning point in the Magic's playoff run, much like this folly.

I'm a big believer in Bill Simmons' "Ewing Theory". For the uninformed, Simmons asserts that the Knicks often played better when their star center, Patrick Ewing, was in foul trouble, on the bench or injured. There are tons of examples to back this theory up -- this year's Rockets, the 2001 Mariners, the 1997 Flyers, to name the most glaring examples. He'll no doubt add this year's Magic to the list.

Listen, there is no doubt that Jameer Nelson is the alpha dog of that backcourt. This organization wouldn't be where it is without his character, and his commitment. But he's been out for four months; you can't just throw a guy into the lineup with major minutes if he's been out for four months, especially if it's GAME ONE OF THE FINALS.

And besides that, isn't this why you traded for Rafer Alston?

Marc Spears' article last week on Chris Herren has a great quote from Jerry Tarkanian about the difference between Herren and Alston when they played together at Fresno State: "Rafer was the first one in the gym and last one out. Chris had other things going on." Alston is a gamer, no doubt. But when you've cut your teeth on the famed New York City playgrounds, and you're THE Skip To My Lou, you're going to have an ego that needs to be soothed. Just ask Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair, Kenny Anderson and any other point guard from the Big Apple. Alston is a guy that needs to play 35 to 40 minutes a night to stay happy, and stay productive. When you give him just a minute more than Nelson, he's no use to you. He gives you a 2 for 9, 1 assist 6 point night.

If you really want to make this Nelson experiment work, stick him at the end of the bench.

-- One other minor note...attention Orlando Sentinel subscribers, please ignore your columnist Mike Bianchi's musing that "a win for Van Gundy is a win for the blue collars". You live in a tourist trap. Mickey Mouse. Sea World. That dinky Back to the Future ride. International Drive. Go-Karts.

Don't ever forget that for one second. Your city has no culture. That is all.

Pats' Harrison played with chip on his shoulder

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Passion. You either have it or you don't.

And no one could ever question whether Rodney Harrison played the game of football with passion.

Well, apparently the passion to play is gone for New England Patriots safety Harrison, who officially announced his retirement from the National Football League this afternoon.

So long Rodney, Patriots fans will miss you.

It's refreshing to know that a player like Harrison played the game because he loved it, and he played to win and didn't settle for anything less.

Boy, the Pats and coach Bill Belichick got a real gem when Harrison jumped aboard with the Pats for the 2003 season. 

Didn't the San Diego Chargers think he was washed up after 9 years? Wrong!

He was far from done. With Harrison in the secondary, the Pats won two Super Bowls and the veteran brought accountability to his fellow teammates, a tough guy mentality and became a great leader and a guy who took younger players under his wing.

What more could you ask for from a player? 

Harrison was all about team. While his skills did diminish over the years -- he had a hard time in pass coverage with age -- he never stopped being aggressive and physical.

That was Harrison's trademark -- dishing out bone-crushing hits to the opposition whether in the passing or running game. Harrison, who battled serious injures late in his career, never backed down. He was tough as nails and opposing teams had to always account for him or they might be taken off the field on a stretcher after Harrison unloaded a vicious hit.

Some say his physical play teetered on the side of cheap or dirty. Yes, Harrison was cheap at times with some late and unnecessary hits after the whistle, but he was a guy that you wanted on your side, not across the field.

Unfortunately, Harrison admitted to using a banned substance in 2007 and was suspended for four games and that's another black mark to his name. While I don't condone what he did, he came clean and admitted what he did was wrong. I quickly forgave him, but credibility wise, that's a devastating blow to a character of a player.

Make no mistake, Harrison wasn't a popular guy outside of his own locker room, but he didn't care. He played for his team, his coaches and the fans. He just wanted to win, nothing more and nothing less.

And the fans appreciate all you did as a member of the New England Patriots. We'll see you on TV on NBC this fall.

Dice-K Earns First Victory Of 2009, Continues To Be Infuriating To Watch

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


Getting a paper cut and pouring lemon juice on it. Scraping my knuckles on a cheese grater. Cleaning my ears with an ice pick. What do these things have in common? These are all things I'd rather do than watch Daisuke Matsuzaka pitch a baseball game. There's the seemingly never ending string of three-ball counts, not to mention going full on one out of every three batters, and constantly throwing a ball in the dirt with runners on base. He walks around the mound after every pitch, rubbing his neck or wrist and then the ball. He refuses to throw strikes and challenge hitters he should be blowing away. These are all things that make the Dice-K experience positively maddening. He constantly dances through the rain drops, and I can't stand it. I just wish he would have a clean inning once in a while. You know, perhaps save a few of those bullets so he might be able to pitch into the sixth just once? This is NOT Japan anymore. He needs to stop acting like Francona is going to allow him to stay out there to throw 140 pitches. Throw strikes and let the defense make plays. You just might save the sanity of viewers everywhere.

Yes, he got the win, and his line looked half-way decent. I know he allowed just the one run. But to paraphrase what Eckersley said when Dice-K departed after five frustrating innings, "I watched, and it wasn't pretty". He was the beneficiary of three double plays, one of which was a base running blunder by Curtis Granderson; another was a line drive out in which the runner got stuck in no-man's land and doubled off of first. They weren't exactly text book. He allowed a ton of base runners, didn't have a single 1-2-3 inning, and walked the number eight and nine hitters to LEAD OFF the fifth. Are you kidding me? This tight-rope act is getting old, and it's going to come back to bite the Sox. In fact, it has already started, as evidenced by Matsuzaka's balloon-like 7.17 ERA.

Jason Bay broke a 1-1 tie in the third with his 16th homer of the year, a line drive into the left field seats that scored J.D. Drew and gave the Sox a 3-1 lead. Detroit's bullpen fell apart in the sixth, as Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis drove in runs for the Sox, with a walk and hit by pitch, respectively. That made the score 5-1, the way it would remain for duration of the contest. Drew, Jason Varitek, and Jacoby Ellsbury all had two hits apiece for Boston, with Ellsbury being robbed of a third hit by the official scorer on a grounder that was called an error. David Ortiz was 1-for-5 on the night, with three ugly strikeouts. A decision appears imminent from the Sox brass on just what to do with Ortiz. One thing is certain: they cannot allow this futility to continue. It is going to cost the Sox ballgames, in a division where little or no margin for error can be afforded. It's tough to say how many games Papi's struggles have cost them already, but you can bet it's a least a handful. Jonathan Papelbon also looked shaky once again, loading the bases but eventually using 35 pitches to strike out the side and preserve the victory.

The middle game of the three-game set takes place tonight. Josh Beckett (5-2, 4.60 ERA) faces Detroit's Armando Galarraga (3-5, 5.50 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 from Comerica Park.

Bruins start the offseason correctly!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It's been a few weeks now since the Bruins' disappointing series loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Luckily for B's fans, the Bruins front office has not been wallowing in misery. They have made the first of two very important signings this off season. It was announced yesterday that David Krejci to a multi-year extension. The agreement terms haven't been announced yet, but rumors have it as a 4 year pact worth around $4 million per season.

This is a fantastic signing for the Bruins. He's only 23, and is arguably the 2nd best play maker on the team behind Mark Savard. Of course, the only other player in their category is Phil Kessel who is also set to hit the free agency market. That 2nd important signing is Phil Kessel. There are rumors that the Canadiens would love to sign away the young budding super star. I would hate to see him in a Habs' uniform for the next 10 seasons.

The questions surrounding Kessel's return to Boston have everything to do with salary cap space. The B's just might not have enough room to bring him back and fill out their roster. I think they have to bring back both Kessel and Krecji for this organization to make a solid run over the next 5 years. If I had to choose between the two players, I would take Krecji. There is more upside to him than Kessel. Not only can he score, but he's also a much better distributor of the puck than Kessel. He also doesn't have the injury history of Phil Kessel. This is just the beginning of the off season for the Bruins. Besides Kessel & Krecji, they also have Bryon Bitz and Matt Hundwick as restricted free agents. The unrestricted free agents are P.J. Axelson, Stephane Yelle, Mark Recchi, Shane Hnidy, Steve Montador & (thank god) Manny Fernandez. Fernandez and Recchi are most likely gone. I would love to see the B's keep Axeslson and Yelle because of the penalty kill proficiency. After that, we'll see how their defensive core shakes out.

Well, I am off for now, but keep checking back for all of your Boston Bruins off season news and analysis.