On the Yankees beat

First off,if the Yankees had spent $51 million to just negotiate with Dice K as the Red Sox did, the media, all other fans, MLB, and all Yanee haters would kill us and say the baseball world was coming to an end. So, in that regard I'm glad we didn't get him...yes he looks like a great pitcher but just imagine if we beat the Sox when they have him..not just tonight but for the division...now if there comes another can't miss prospect and we sign him I feel like no one can say anything because of what the Red Sox did...by the way Red Sox Fans welcome to the dark side, a place you entered for only $51 million..the cost of winning and maintaining a winning playoff team is very costly and you are now on the dark side with us...it wasn't fun last October was it?? Hey we win alot its a great place to be...but you'll never win 3 in a row...or 14 World Series game in a row!!

(spelling correction) First off,if the Yankees had spent $51 million to just negotiate with Dice K as the Red Sox did, the media, all other fans, MLB, and all Yankee haters would kill us and say the baseball world was coming to an end. So, in that regard I'm glad we didn't get him...yes he looks like a great pitcher but just imagine if we beat the Sox when they have him..not just tonight but for the division...now if there comes another can't miss prospect and we sign him I feel like no one can say anything because of what the Red Sox did...by the way Red Sox Fans welcome to the dark side, a place you entered for only $51 million..the cost of winning and maintaining a winning playoff team is very costly and you are now on the dark side with us...it wasn't fun last October was it?? Hey we win alot its a great place to be...but you'll never win 3 in a row...or 14 World Series game in a row!!

Hey kat, I think Cashman should be fired for signing and going after Igawa instead rather than Matzuzaka's . It seems like Cashman going after mediocre pitchers like Igawa's compare to Matsuzaka's talent.

I agree with Keith's comment about the hostile criticism inherent in spending $51 million just to talk to the guy's team. If he bombs, the backlash will be 51 million times greater. I have no regrets about not signing him for that absurdly ridiculous price.

As great as he is, Dice-K comes with expectations that are too lofty; the degree of attention he's receiving is outlandish (unlike any I've seen before with any other pitcher, including Matsui). He is practically being worshiped by Boston and the Japanese media, and I find this whole scenario way too over the top for my taste. It detracts from pure baseball and appears to be more of a media-devised entertainment spectacle.

CORRECTION: Change that to "any other PLAYER," including Matsui."

Kat-
"who has gotten off to quite a strong start to his major league career"?

I did not realize a 1-2 record with a 2.70 era is a strong start.Considering he faced the Royals,M's and Blue Jays he should be 3-0. As we stand Chase Wright has a winning record in the majors. If you think D-Mat is so impressive what do you think of Joe Saunders 2-0 with a 1.96 era?

I really have a hard time believing that any Yankee fan wouldnt jump at the chance to have Dice-K. The price the Sox paid for the right to negotiate with him, and his subsequent contract is really a lame excuse as far as some sort of justification for not getting him. The Yanks have certainly had a mulitiude of lofty contracts of their own which has created as much of a buzz. That list is pretty lengthy, and there is no need to list the players that would fall into that catagory.

The media frenzy surrounding Dice-K is unrelenting and like nothing most fans of the Sox have ever seen....but Dice-K himself seems quite oblivious to it. He is used to it.

Sorta like the media frenzy surrounding Arod....minus the Japanese contingent.

So far at least, it hasnt seemed to be much of a distraction for them, or their teammates.

Dice-K's win loss record is fairly irrelevent considering he has gotten literally no run support thus far. His strikeout rate has been fantastic, however, i would consider that his opponents have not been impressive, a Jay's lineup ravaged by injuries and last place M's and D-rays is not saying much. I would have said tonight would be a real test of his skill... except that Jorge, Damon and Matsui might be MIA for this game. Regardless he will have a challange in the yankees lineup. Especially since his OBP allowed is a whopping 350+ with runners on...and the Yanks are VERY patient.

Boston staff exposed

You know, the Yanks had no problems vs. Schilling and Beckett. Seems to me like when we have our full staff back, you're going to see the usual second-half collapse by the Red Sox starters. I'm far more confident in Pettitte-Mussina-Wang-Igawa-Pavano than I am in the Sox starters

CO i would agree that the $$ shelled out is not really a reason not to have a player of his caliber [or want], but you must admit had the Yankees put up a $55 million bid to win his rights...and lets say signed him for $110 overall there would be an uproar about the Yankee's Evil Empire striking again.

5 Man Rotation...By Tuesday

Wang

Pettitte

Igawa

Karstens

Wright

But that won't last for long because Mike Mussina will be back very soon

Go Yankees....

Yes Drew...I would agree. The Yanks would have heard it from every direction if they had signed Dice-K to such a lucrative contract....ironically, they are hearing it because they didnt....sometimes you just cant win eh?

I aldo agree with facing the Yankee line-up tonight and down the road....the Yanks are in a stratoshpere of their own offensively. Let's see how this young phenom does against them.

Let me ask you....what would you consider a performance that lives up to his hype? A no hitter? A shut-out? 3 runs or less? or, if he wins no matter the score...he has done his job?

Dice-K hasn't proven himself yet. If he has a phenomenal year, but the Red Sox don't at least make the playoffs, they are going to look like fools and be criticized. If this guy doesn't produce as expected, they will look like fools and be criticized. I know the same can be said for A-Rod as far as his huge contract, but Texas is the team that created that monster and they are the ones that looked foolish when they finished in last place and traded him to the Yankees. Dice-K's true worth still remains to be seen and won't be evident until the postseason.

It's become pretty evident to me Lucy, that the Sox will not be citicized for signing Dice-K...at least by most of baseball and RSN. Unless he suffers an debilitating injury, this kid is going to be a force for years to come. There is little question of it.

Casual Observer, your optimism is commendable, but if he doesn't produce for any reason, I can't imagine the Red Sox not taking the heat for making a bad transaction. The Yankees have had plenty of those, and so have the Red Sox, so I'm always cautiously optimistic when it comes to superstar players in general.

You are right to be optimistic. If he were on the Yankees, I'd be just as optimistic, wishing for the best. Since he's on the Red Sox and has potential to do some serious damage to the Yankees, I have to look at the bright side for us, and that's why I say Dice-K hasn't proven himself and will only be worth his weight in gold if he can help bring the Sox another World Series ring.

True.

By the way...would you guys like to have Clement...if you kinda imagine the "t" being an "s"...he could be Clemens....really.

Its funny that Clement is rarely mention where Pavano is often thrown around as an example of one of the worst contracts... when his stats said he should be Pedro's replacement way back when he was signed.

As for Dice-K i wouldnt say he's lived up to the hype until his second go around the majors... until teams have seen what he's got to offer you really don't know how he will do long term. Granted he's got a good asortment of plus pitches, which speaks to his potential... but it will remain that potential until later in the season. [of course there is also always the question of durability considering how much ware and tear has been put on his arm at a very young age... the sox just hope his strong lower body can counter balance the enormous number of innings]

I'd be happy with the interest off the combined contracts of Pavano and Clement...and I've done as much as they have to earn it.

Agreed... i could use some of that free $$ 40k a year for medschool hurts.... a lot... i'm sure i can pretend to have a bruised buttock.

Clement is still with the Red Sox? I completely forgot about him, and now I know why.

med school?...I'm impressed sir. My advice is to never confuse your pen with your thermometer.

Quick update...evidently Coco Crisp has been scratched from tonights game with "minor tightness in the area of his left oblique," , Wily-Mo Pena will play CF for the Sox tonight.

hmm pen for thermometer... that could make for an uncomfortable situation. Wily-Mo in CF...um i haven't seen him much, but isn't he an awful fielder? [why wouldn't they put Drew in center and Pena in right?]

He is a decent fielder IF the ball is hit straight on...he gets bad breaks and cant seem to judge balls that are hit with any sort of "english" on them...so he acutrally plays CF better than RF..especially in Fenway.

He cant hit a curveball...and will likely K 4 times tonight. He is a brute and hits the ball harder than anyone I've ever seen, IF he hits the ball.

I've watched Dice-k in 2 of his 3 starts this season as well as some Spring Training. From what I've seen so far, I'd have to rank him as a potential Top 20 starter in MLB today. I read an assessment (on this Blog)that Mike Plugh, an expert in Japanese BB, wrote ranking Dice-k as one of the Top 5 starters in the World.
That said, the verdict on how great (or how disappointing) Matsuzaka is/will be - may not come for a few years. The best Japanese starter to date was Hideo Nomo, who had 2 really good seasons with the Dodgers, then faded, and only showed flashes of his former self. However, the Dodgers didn't invest a $101 Million in their pitcher,either.
One thing is for certain, the Red Sawx and many of their "wannabe NY Yankee Fans" (my apologies, Casual Observer) can never again whine about the Yankees "buying their way to a pennant"!

I agree Joe....it was never anything but a very lame whine anyway.

Hey, I drive a chevy 4x4...if I were rich, I'd drive a hummer. What's more American that that?.If the money is there to spend....buy the best.

Yankees made a reasonable bid based on all the information they had at the time. It isn't as if the Red Sox beat out the Yankee bid by ten bucks - it was more than double the next highest bid. Hindsight is 20 x 20.