Yeah I want you to pitch against the Red Sox too. They're gonna need all the help they can get.

“I want to pitch against Boston,”

Awesome. As a Sox fan, I look forward to watching you work for 5 innings, whilst throwing 113 pitches, 58 of which will be strikes, issuing 5BB, striking out 6 whilst giving up 4 runs. Hopefully it will be the first game of a 3 game set, that way you can burn your pen for that game and then the Sox can beat up on the pen for the next 2 games. Yes, I look forward to this.

See, Buff understands it, while Martone doesn't. Diced-K is very grateful to the BoSox, so he wants to repay them by pitching "against" them.

Think "Glavine pitching for the Mets 'against' the Braves".

Now I hate him more

If he really really thinks that the medical and pitching staffs in Boston put him in a bad spot, he might be motivated to show them what he can do, if the Indians use him the way he thinks he should be used.

I wonder what Francona thought when they signed him.

Just for grins, here's how baseball's two greatest "bargain at any price" contracts have worked out...

A-Rod's Salary total, 2008-2012: $155M
A-Rod's WAR total, 2008 - 2012: 20.0
A-Rod's cost per WAR: $7,750,000

Dice-K's Salary + "right to negotiate" $$$, 2007-2012: $103M
Dice-K's WAR total, 2007-2012: 8.3
Dice-K's cost per WAR: $12,409,638.55

"Well, so far, so good", sez Hank, as A-Rod passes the 50th floor in front of the Empire State Building on his way to the sidewalk. But in the meantime, that Dice-K guy made one hell of a sidewalk omelette.

Least favorite player ever.

I fully expect Dice-K to go 17-8 with a 2.88 ERA. His explanation? "Boston tried to change me, the Indians let me be me."

They had him pitching with his arm hanging off his elbow in 2011 and barely touching 87 mph, and then rushed him back way too early from TJ surgery. He was also reported to have been unhappy with them tinkering over his preparations between starts, ST, offseason, etc.

So maybe he feels they messed him up and then abused him a bit. I don't know, just guessing.

Of course, maybe he just loves Boston, Fenway and the fans and wants a chance to come back again, even on another team.

Needs to make the Indians team first.

w

One reason Dice-K picked the Indians? They’re in the AL. “I want to pitch against Boston,” he said through interpreter Jeff Cutler.

Well, he'll probably pitch against Pawtucket. I hope that's good enough.

Just for grins, here's how baseball's two greatest "bargain at any price" contracts have worked out...

Huh? I don't remember anyone thinking ARod's second contract was a "bargain at any price."

They had him pitching with his arm hanging off his elbow in 2011 and barely touching 87 mph, and then rushed him back way too early from TJ surgery. He was also reported to have been unhappy with them tinkering over his preparations between starts, ST, offseason, etc.

Which makes the Indians (and Terry Francona) such an odd choice. Maybe it was the only option but it never seemed like he and Tito had a great relationship.

I'm rooting for Daisuke though. I like him and when he was on I thought he was fun to watch pitch. When he first came over he had a pretty good mix of pitches, reminiscent of Pedro though not nearly as good. Maybe Oil Can Boyd would be a better comp. For some reason he got away from that very quickly and seemed to throw 99% fastballs/cutters to his detriment.

I also have no problems with the comment here. I imagine most players when they leave one team want to show that team that they made a mistake. In his final start as a Red Sox he got pounded in the Bronx and he became visibly emotional leaving the mound. I think he genuinely wanted to succeed in Boston.

Dice-K's cost per WAR: $12,409,638.55

Some dude on here around a year ago actually said that he thought he was worth the money. I just about fell out of my chair.

Some dude on here around a year ago actually said that he thought he was worth the money. I just about fell out of my chair.

Well that statement was slightly less ridiculous because at that time his putrid 2012 performance hadn't yet happened.

I suppose if the Red Sox were located in a coastal town filled with nothing but wealthy Japanese retirees who only got interested in going to games that featured teams with Japanese superstars, the added attendance might have made the contract worth it. Or maybe if the Red Sox didn't have to share the money they made in Japan from selling Dice-K jerseys.

Some dude on here around a year ago actually said that he thought he was worth the money. I just about fell out of my chair.

Well that statement was slightly less ridiculous because at that time his putrid 2012 performance hadn't yet happened.

You're right. Taking out 2012 would have reduced Dice-K's cost per WAR to a mere $9,489,795.92.

Matsuzaka isn't the first Japanese star to fall victim to the Green Monster.

Just for grins, here's how baseball's two greatest "bargain at any price" contracts have worked out...
A-Rod's cost per WAR: $7,750,000
Dice-K's cost per WAR: $12,409,638.55

Don't forget the luxury taxes incurred on both those contracts too. So A-Rod was comparably worse for the Yankees.

The 2 contracts were identically valuable according to the most sacred of baseball measurements: Count Da Ringz

Don't forget the luxury taxes incurred on both those contracts too. So A-Rod was comparably worse for the Yankees.

Ouch! How much did that add to the total? But I'd appreciate it if you could wait till I crawl under my bed before you tell me.

------------------------------------------------

The 2 contracts were identically valuable according to the most sacred of baseball measurements: Count Da Ringz

CURSES, ZUGZWANGED AGAIN!

I feel like this is reading a lot of hostility into a pretty tame and context-less remark. I remember when I used to pitch in Little League and Babe Ruth always thinking that I wish I had the chance to pitch a game against my teammates, but that was never going to happen. Daisuke is admittedly not a Little Leaguer [INSERT JOKE], but that could be all that he's really thinking here.

Then again I haven't RTFA so maybe he says more that I didn't see.