Kuzul

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been an enigma for the Boston Red Sox since he came to the team in 2007.That year he went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and helped the Sox win Game 3 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies. The following season, he was a Cy Young contender, having gone 18-3 with a sparkling 2.90 ERA. His strikeouts went down in year two, but he gave up almost half as many runs, and seemed to settle into his role with the team.Since 2009, Daisuke has yet to win more than nine games, and his ERA was under five once in 2010 when he logged 153.2 innings. Injuries have certainly played a major role in his downswing, but it has become increasingly difficult to predict what he will do during any given fifth day.His career ERA of 4.29 does not scream of a guy who is downright terrible, ...

At last, the Boston Red Sox finally made a decision on struggling starting pitcher Daniel Bard.They sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket to try and figure things out without hurting the major league club. A move had to be made after he was taken out of the game in the second inning in his most recent start. The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham didn't seem surprised by the move, as he didn't even comment when tweeting it. Daniel Bard to AAA. #RedSox — Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) June 5, 2012 I'm glad they finally addressed the situation, but now the Red Sox have to worry about who's going to start against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. This would've been Bard's next start if he wasn't optioned to the minors.The first replacement who comes to mind is Daisuke Matsuzaka, who I made a case for just the other day.Well, things happen and I’ve changed my mind.Why, you ask? ...

Daisuke Matsuzaka is making good progress as he works to return to the Boston Red Sox after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. Matsuzaka's first start was not particularly impressive, but he rebounded nicely Saturday afternoon.In his first rehab game last week with High-A Salem, he allowed three runs in four innings and threw 57 pitches. On Saturday he took the mound for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and looked dominant.Matsuzaka threw 74 pitches in 4.2 innings. He allowed three hits, one earned run and struck out seven, while only walking two.His only run was on a long fly ball that was misplayed and resulted in a triple. He responded by striking out the next batter, but was pulled when he walked the following.The only negative of the outing was that 30 of his 74 pitches were balls. In his first outing he threw 57 pitches and 17 balls.It was another step in ...

In Boston the weather has been a tease this week.  Two days ago the temps were in the mid 50's. Yesterday, it snowed. The Fenway Faithful are starting to salivate for the start of the 2012 season. The team was disgraced last year. Hopefully that means there is a chip on the shoulder of many men on this roster.Most of all, the pitchers.With a lot to prove and a fanbase anxious for baseball, here is a look at what we can expect from the starting pitchers in 2012.Begin Slideshow

The Boston Red Sox pounded the Chicago Cubs into submission, 15-5, yesterday to win their seventh straight ball game. The Sox have now won 10 of 12, 13 of 18 and 22 of their last 32. They have the best record in baseball since April 16 and, more importantly, they sit just a half game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East.How did this happen?It was just two weeks ago that Red Sox Nation was ready to call it a year and go back to rooting for the Celtics and Bruins in the playoffs. But much has happened in those two short weeks, including Rajon Rondo almost single-handedly beating the Miami Heat with one arm (try getting your kids to believe that one in about 20 years).The Red Sox, meanwhile, have come together as a team and started playing like the club that everyone and their ...

To make life easier, let’s just say that Dice-K cost a clean $100 million. I mean, that extra $3,111,111.11 really isn’t anything to write home about anyway. I can easily make that much money in three, maybe four lifetimes. With that absurd amount of Benjamin’s, I’d buy Roy Halladay. Halladay was signed through 2013 with a 3year/$60 million contract. I’d rather have spent my money on three years of Halladay instead of six years of Daisuke Matsuzaka. With the remaining (approximately) $40 million, I’d have taken the Boston Red Sox, the entire AL East, the rest of the American League and their counterparts in the National League out to Sizzler for an all-you-can-eat steak dinner. And if anything is left over, maybe some Pink (read: crack) Berry afterward. If anyone has too much to drink, Dice-K will be available as the designated driver to ferry people home free of charge. ...

I am proud to announce that the Boston Red Sox have decided to open a brand new Institute for Advanced Science! The venerable Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will surely become the most expensive physics professor in the history of the world, will be the first tenured faculty member. He will draw upon his vast knowledge in the area of streamlined, aerodynamic flight to raise a whole new generation of power-hitting, RBI-producing, pocket-protecting nerds. You can still rest easy, however; this alternate career will not distract the man from his primary duty of raising the collective batting average of the rest of the league. Okay, perhaps I am being a wee bit harsh, but the guy did manage to give up eight hits and seven earned runs in just two innings to the Tampa Bay Rays! This is a team that, going into the now-abbreviated three game series with the Red Sox at Fenway, ...

Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't won a game for the Boston Red Sox in a long time. In his first start of the 2011 season, the Red Sox were defeated Wednesday night by the Cleveland Indians, 8-4. Matsuzaka pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs. His last winning start was on September 2, 2010, against the Baltimore Orioles. Matsuzaka's struggles are consistent with those of his team, as the Red Sox are winless in their first five games of the 2011 season. Coming into the 2011 season the Red Sox made headlines with the signings of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. It was suggested the team would've made the postseason last year if not for the multitude of injuries they suffered. Boston's lineup looked poised to make a deep run into the postseason this season, and the Red Sox were considered the favorites by many to win the ...

It's time we all take a breather from worrying about the sports themselves and focus on the players involved. This article is written with the intent of recognizing that there are bigger things that we should be focusing on at this time in the world rather than sports. On 3/11/2011 an unprecedented 8.9 earthquake rocked the country of Japan. It brought devastation, injuries, life loss and widespread panic but that was only the beginning.After the earthquake hit, a gigantic 23 foot tsunami tore throw the coastal areas of Northeastern Japan. The waves pushed inland as much as six miles in certain spots devouring everything and anything in their way. We are reminded how strong the forces of nature that are out of our control truly are. If you are reading this article now, then please take a moment of silence to meditate on this tragic event and to pray to ...

Spring training is a great opportunity to get a sense of how a player's offseason went, and what to expect in terms of improvement or regression. How a player performs during spring training often helps scouts see how players are recovering from injury or whether or not to expect a player who disappointed the previous season to bounce back.An example of a player's spring training being indicative of a player's regular season performance is Chris Johnson. In 2010, his spring training stat line was: .323/8/22 in just 63 at-bats. While he did not continue this 65-75 home run pace, he did have a strong season. The same idea goes for Jose Bautista, who had a phenomenal spring training.Spring training is not always accurate, however, it is the best way to get an idea of a player before the season starts. So, in this article, I will examine the 15 most ...