Daisuke Matsuzaka Was Supposed to Break Baseball

Use registration code "STORM" for $10 off your first purchase!
www.pristineauction.com/register
Pristine Auction Social Links:
Instagram: / pristineauction
Facebook: / pristineauctions
Website: www.pristineauction.com
App: apps.apple.com/us/app/pristin...
Marketplace: www.pristinemarketplace.com
Hey everyone!
Every year a select group of prospects are hyped more than others. However, there's always 1 player who's projected to be a game-breaking talent. Back in 2007, that player was Daisuke Matsuzaka and it was due to the mystique behind a supposed pitcher he threw: the gyroball. Unfortunately, the hype behind this pitch did more harm than good.
Follow me on Twitter: / sportstorm23
All sources (Articles/Media): pastebin.com/m4iX8v0e
Music:
1. • Top Secret - Docume... (prod. CO.AG Music)
2. • Retro Horror Synthwave... (prod. Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio)
3. • Yuzzy - Debunking | J... (prod. Yuzzy)
4. • Retrowave Theme - Mant... (prod. Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio)
5. • Synthwave / Spacewave ... (prod. Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio)
6. • Nostalgic Synthwave *N... (prod. Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio)
7. • [FREE FOR PROFIT] Melo... (prod. Vorni)
Business: [e-mail]
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[@ShrexyGuy]

Goes to show how much more we need to appreciate the Ichiro's, Hideki's, and Shohei's

[@jamesesterline]

Dice-K was the cover star of MLB Power Pros and had the best pitching stats of anyone in that game, he was absolutely being hyped up as the pitching Ichiro

[@Il_Exile_lI]

As a Red Sox fan, his 2008 season was the most nerve wracking and uncomfortable season I've ever experienced from a pitcher with a record and ERA as good as his was. It felt like every start he'd be at 100 pitches by the 5th inning with tons of traffic on the bases, but would somehow fight his way through without giving up too much damage.

[@SconnerStudios]

This was probably the most hyped athlete of my childhood for me. I thought he was going to be the pitching version of Ichiro. Turns out he had a couple of meh seasons and went MIA. However, we got Dustin Pedroia that year, someone we never expected would be as good as he was. I really hope Pedey stays on the ballot and eventually makes it in the hall. He deserves it.

[@ryangrand9010]

250 pitches in a 17 inning game is absurd

[@drbryant23]

It's true that he only lasted two years before his arm blew out, but in those two years - he was 33-15, he started 7 playoff games and the Sox won 6 of them, and he helped win the 08 World Series. You know something? Today I'd pay $51 million for that.

[@jimmyplenderleith9471]

I never understand the crazy hype for a player that has already played 8+ years of pro ball before they come to US for MLB. ESPECIALLY A PITCHER. Those guys are all past their prime at that point, and have a TON of mileage on them. They are NEVER going to be as good as they were for more than a season or two. I get the idea of making a lot of money from Japanese fans and all, but it's never worth it in the end, on the field anyway.

[@yousjiveturkey]

I've been saying it all year. The Rays are NOT one of the best teams. They just got hot at a very noticeable time (opening of the season). They've been consistently falling back to earth and their true talent level ever since then. Just look at their record. Each month this season they have lost considerably more games than the month before it. And now they're a wild card team if they can even hold on to that. They're are WAY overhyped.

[@cobbs]

When Dice K had his surgery, i remember all the discussions about how Japan's high school tournament shortened his career. It's just crazy to me how many pitches these kids throw in these games. Many of these kids say that they don't care if they blow out their arm. They just want to win the tournament. It's admirable, but how many great careers has this tournament shortened or even ruined?

[@frozen8672]

He was definitely a big-game pitcher! Sure Cy Young awards are great but do we really care how they pitched during the season?

[@jimroberts9327]

I saw one of his first starts at Fenway. The place was electric.

[@anewt72690]

Glad the video conclusion was positive. As a teenage Sox fan, I was stoked for his arrival, and ultimately remember him for helping win the World Series. Same way we still love Bronson Arroyo and Shane Victorino even though they only had a couple good years -- they did it when it mattered most.

[@MrRJC1991]

He pitched way too much back in Japan. His arm was dead

[@litojonny]

Dice-K would walk the bases loaded and somehow ALWAYS get out of it

[@bmac4]

I'm glad you mentioned his postseason. Yeah he wasnt having a Bumgarner or Morris like postseason, but a team needs performance from the whole lineup and Matsuzaka did admirably.

[@SaltoDaKid]

Dice K is legend in Boston his 10k game were amazing and seeing fan his name with the strike out board, show how much Boston loved him. He’s still baseball legend.

[@PpP-dr1od]

The 2 baseball games I played the most as a kid both used 07 rosters (Backyard Baseball and The Bigs), so this dude will always be a GOAT to me with that awesome gyro ball

[@anthonyemerson2965]

Being a New Englander and a Red Sox fan at age 12 in 2007, the hype surrounding Daisuke was immense. Everyone was talking about him, even people who weren’t baseball. He was on newspaper and magazine covers, his jerseys were everywhere. The only thing I can compare it to is Tom Brady in terms of his presence in the region.

[@DipreG]

He was better than Kei Igawa, that's for sure.

[@jacobs7424]

A gyro ball is 100% a slider that “backs up.” You’ll hear announcers say that term every now and then. If a pitcher has a sharp slider with high spin rate, it dives away from hitters. But release it slightly earlier? The ball spins like it’s going to break, but doesn’t. Good hitters recognize the “shape” of the pitch in the seams of the ball coming in, and if you’re guessing for a pitch to break away and it stays straight, it “backs up” on you as you’re diving out over the plate. This, when executed on command, would be a lethal pitch in an arsenal because it would be indistinguishable from a slider, making both the slider and gyro more effective. I’ve never seen a player able to intentionally throw a gyro though. The nastiest ones happen completely by accident when the pitcher lets the slider go too early and it slips out of the hand. This is why Dice-K’s gyro videos looked like sliders and why he said he rarely threw it in games or only did by accident.