If it wasn't the $51 million posting bid that the Red Sox gave to the Seibu Lions, Matsuzaka's Japanese team until 2006, just to have the opportunity to negotiate a contract, it was the rumors of the dynamic stuff that Daisuke possessed.
Reports even surfaced regarding his ability to throw a legendary pitch known as the gyroball.
Fast forward almost three and a half years, and the general perception of Matsuzaka is very different.
Matsuzaka's time in Boston has been anything but consistent.
Matsuzaka followed a somewhat lackluster 2007 "rookie" campaign with a much better 2008 season, in which he finished 18-3 (fifth overall in wins) with a 2.90 ERA (third), and finished in fourth place in AL cy young voting.
Yet critics accused Matsuzaka of being too complacent on the mound.
They pointed to the fact that he loaded the bases too often, and walked too many batters. ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - MLB By Dan Hartel