As Advertised

Yes, Daisuke Matsuzaka was just as good as the hype demanded him to be yesterday. He went seven very strong innings, allowing six hits, only one run, with a resounding ten strikeouts, one away from the Red Sox rookie debut record. And he was fun to watch. The man with the best vantage point of them all? Coco Crisp. This is from the Courant.

"Taking his defensive stance in center field, Crisp could look directly in at the mound and the plate at Kauffman Stadium. From that vantage point, he saw every one of Daisuke Matsuzaka's 108 pitches Thursday in the Japanese righthander's first major league start.
Matsuzaka's debut proved a smashing success. The pitcher for whom the Red Sox spent $103.1 million allowed one run on six hits over seven innings while striking out 10 in a 4-1 victory over the Royals.
For the Red Sox, seeing was believing. Matsuzaka came within one strikeout of tying Don Aase in 1977 for most by a Red Sox pitcher in his major league debut.
"He definitely lived up to the Dice-KKKKK today," Crisp said. "He looked really good. He had control of all of his pitches. He was getting ahead with off-speed pitches, fastballs and changeups. That's what you want to do, is get ahead with everything in your arsenal. It's pretty tough to hit against someone like that.
"Hopefully there's more to come. He's a star already."

Peter here, and he is a star in my book. None of his too many to count pitches were straight, and as Tek said after the game, he could throw any one of them in any situation. FOR STRIKES! Now that is star material. This, from the KC manager Buddy Bell, who knows his baseball. Again, more praise....read this, from the Herald....

“He was pretty much as advertised,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “He has great stuff and threw just about everything over for strikes. He had an understanding how to pitch and he had good velocity. He’s really good. For a kid, in his first outing in this league, to pitch like that, that’s really impressive.”

Peter here, and truer words have never been said, not after watching our young pitcher do what he did for seven innings yesterday. If he's a kid, he's OUR kid! And for 5 more years to come for the Red Sox. OUR Red Sox. My goodness! And we all will have so much fun watching him as he piles up the wins this season. And the Sox batters know this....they will do what they can to put runs on the board. Early and often. All those wins, those possible wins for Daisuke? Something tells me the Sox will need every one of them. The team left KC for Arlington late yesterday after having won 2 of 3, something they were unable to do last year. A good sign? I think so. It's early, but the bullpen looks good. Our hitters and our defense will be just fine, thank you. And I think, or I'll put it this way, I HOPE that the Red Sox ace Curt Schilling will look at the game tapes, see his sporadic, and often mistakes in his first start, and correct them. A great seven inning effort by him on Sunday would do so much for the club, and the fans that love them. Hey, that's us! Always and forever. The naysayers have said Curt is finished, caput, well done and on his way out, when medium rare is the rule. My opinion? The exact opposite. I think he'll look at his opening day four inning start and correct what needs to be corrected. Against Texas. On Sunday, before our team comes home to cheers, tears and love. Go Timmy...today. 2PM. Go Red Sox in 2007. And we, me, and my readers, will do it together. That I PROMISE. 2007..a season to remember

Great news about Jon Lester's start yesterday. Pitching for class A Greenville, he pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits. His fastball was said to have reached 96MPH. Way to go Jon!

The Sox start a 3 game set in warm Texas, with Timmy Wakefield going against Robinson Tejada. We need a quality start, Timmy. And this is from Yahoo sports, and then I'll say goodbye......

"Robinson Tejeda will try to build on a strong finish to last season and help the Rangers into the win column for the first time.
The right-hander, who went 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA in his last nine starts in 2006, will be pitching in front of a sellout crowd at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Tejeda, though, was 0-3 with a 7.17 ERA in five home starts last season. He has never faced the Red Sox."

Peter here, and I hope after his start this afternoon, he'll never want to again! I want a win. Everyone, enjoy the game, and the Courant article is linked when you click on this post's title. A nice wrap-up. To a very nice game. More to come! Starting in about 90 minutes! Happy Easter....

AND right now on Friday afternoon...2-0 Texas...I'm just in and about to go out, but IT IS TIME that our Friday bats came alive....and we all agree!!!!!!!! To be continued, on this Red Sox station, blog, my place, where I write, or...or...whatever...it's all me! Th-th-that's all folks, on this early too cold April spring day. I want our Sox to be 3-1 going into Saturday. One day at a time, starting with this moment. Everyone, I wish you all a Good Friday holiday afternoon. And a healthy and happy Easter. And this.....GO SOX! Happy holiday weekend.