73 Facts About Daisuke Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, who pitched professionally for 23 seasons, 16 of them in NPB, 7 in MLB.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is currently a baseball color commentator, critic, reporter, and YouTuber.

Daisuke Matsuzaka played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets of Major League Baseball and the Saitama Seibu Lions, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is the first player to have won both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka was born on September 13,1980, in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was named after Japanese high school star pitcher Daisuke Araki.

Daisuke Matsuzaka started the game in left field, but came in as a reliever in the ninth inning to record the win in 15 pitches.

At first, Daisuke Matsuzaka stated that he wanted to play for the Yokohama BayStars, and, if he could not, he would then go to work for a company and after which choose the team of his choice through the reverse-draft system.

Daisuke Matsuzaka accepted it and allowed himself to be drafted by the Lions.

Daisuke Matsuzaka won his first official pro game in his first start of the 1999 season against the Nippon Ham Fighters at the Tokyo Dome.

Daisuke Matsuzaka won the game, but he gave up the first home run in the game to Michihiro Ogasawara of the Nippon Ham Fighters.

On May 16,1999, when Daisuke Matsuzaka was in his rookie season at age 18, he first faced Ichiro Suzuki, a player for the Orix Bluewave at the time, and recorded three strikeouts in three at-bats with a walk.

Daisuke Matsuzaka struck out Takuro Ishii and Takanori Suzuki of the Bay Stars before number three hitter Yoshinobu Takahashi of the Giants managed to make contact and fly out to left field.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had 15 wins and 15 losses in his 2001 season and won the Eiji Sawamura Award.

Daisuke Matsuzaka spent a considerable portion of his 2002 season on the disabled list, which did not count toward his service time.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was not able to regain his pitching form in the 2002 Japan Series, when the Lions faced the Yomiuri Giants.

In Game 1 at Tokyo Dome, where the designated hitter rule is not allowed, Daisuke Matsuzaka batted 7th in the lineup to take advantage of his above-average hitting for a pitcher.

Daisuke Matsuzaka would give up another key RBI to Kiyohara in game 4 in relief, as the Lions were meekly swept by the Giants in the series.

Daisuke Matsuzaka used to play for Japan's National Baseball Team, and pitched against South Korea.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was selected for the NPB All-Star Game in 1999,2000,2001,2004,2005,2006.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had a no-trade clause, specially constructed by the Red Sox to fit Matsuzaka's contract.

About the only clear statement relayed by the interpreter was when Daisuke Matsuzaka said, 'I'm very happy and excited to be a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Daisuke Matsuzaka wears number 18 because Masumi Kuwata wears number 18.

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first major league regular season start for the Red Sox on April 5,2007, in an afternoon game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka walked one, recorded 10 strikeouts, and at one point retired 10 consecutive batters.

Daisuke Matsuzaka still became the only pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in two of his first three big-league starts since Fernando Valenzuela did so in 1981.

Daisuke Matsuzaka signed a multimillion-dollar exclusive deal with trading card company Upper Deck.

Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed six hits and two runs while striking out eight.

On October 6,2007, Daisuke Matsuzaka made his Major League playoff debut in the 2007 ALDS, in front of his home crowd in Boston against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

On October 15,2007, Daisuke Matsuzaka started in his second playoff game, in Game 3 of the 2007 ALCS against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland.

Again, Daisuke Matsuzaka was not able to make it past five innings, lasting 4.

Daisuke Matsuzaka fared better in Game 7 of the series, on October 21,2007, retiring the first eight batters he faced.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is the first Japanese pitcher to win an MLB playoff game and only the fifth rookie to start a Game 7 in the playoffs.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is the first Japanese pitcher in World Series history to start and win a game.

However, a major problem for Daisuke Matsuzaka was the control of his pitches, which, combined with his lack of innings pitched due to his injury, factored into his Cy Young voting.

Eight times in the 2008 season, Daisuke Matsuzaka surrendered walks to five or more batters in a game, and 12 times he walked three or more in a game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka started Game 2 of the 2008 American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and fared well over five-plus innings, handing the ball over to fellow countryman Hideki Okajima.

When Daisuke Matsuzaka decided to pitch in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the Red Sox were concerned with his decision being that it would cause him to miss a majority of spring training.

On March 27,2009, Daisuke Matsuzaka reported to Red Sox spring training only twelve days before opening day.

In Daisuke Matsuzaka's first start of the regular season, he gave up three home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays, ultimately losing the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was quickly placed on the DL, while reliever Justin Masterson took his spot in the rotation.

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his next start on May 22,2009, against the New York Mets after being activated off the DL.

Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up five runs over five innings, receiving another loss.

Daisuke Matsuzaka gained his first win of the season against the Detroit Tigers on June 2,2009, but failed to produce any quality starts.

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Red Sox manager Terry Francona stated that Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the DL due to "weakness" in his throwing arm possibly caused by the extensive pitching he did in the World Baseball Classic.

Daisuke Matsuzaka came and pitched his best outing of the season, pitching six plus shut out innings, striking out five, walking three, and giving up three hits.

In October 2009, Daisuke Matsuzaka revealed that he had in fact injured his hip joint but did not reveal when he got the injury.

Daisuke Matsuzaka missed the first month of the season due to a neck strain.

On May 5,2011, Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first relief appearance of his MLB career picking up the loss in 1 inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after a 2 and a half-hour rain delay.

Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up a home run in each of his first two innings, and gave up three earned runs in four innings against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

On February 10,2013, Daisuke Matsuzaka agreed to a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians, reuniting him with former Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Daisuke Matsuzaka agreed to a one-year minor league contract to stay with the Mets for the 2014 season on January 24,2014.

Daisuke Matsuzaka signed a contract with the SoftBank Hawks on December 5,2014, rejoining Nippon Professional Baseball after eight years in Major League Baseball.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched one inning for the Hawks and allowed two earned runs.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was able to pitch only one game in three years for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

On October 4,2019, Daisuke Matsuzaka left the Dragons after failing to agree to a new deal.

Daisuke Matsuzaka did not play in a game in 2020 after undergoing cervical spine surgery.

In December 2020, Daisuke Matsuzaka re-signed with the Lions on a one-year deal for the 2021 season.

On July 6,2021, Daisuke Matsuzaka announced that he would retire at the end of the season.

On December 3,2021, Daisuke Matsuzaka formally announced his retirement in a ceremony; the ceremony included a surprise appearance by Ichiro Suzuki.

Daisuke Matsuzaka participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

In 2006, Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched for Japan in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was a member of the Japanese team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, playing a key role as they successfully defended their title.

Daisuke Matsuzaka chose not to play for the Japanese team at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka is a right-handed pitcher who throws from a three-quarter arm slot in a drop-and-drive motion.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was an accomplished hitter in high school and he got his first hit in his first career at-bat, a single to center, in a game against the Orix BlueWave when the Lions ran out of bench players and had to allow him to hit for himself.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had his first hit with the Red Sox on May 23,2010, in Philadelphia.

Daisuke Matsuzaka drove in two runs with a single in Game 3 of the 2007 World Series, during a six-run third inning, powering the Red Sox to a victory.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is married to television journalist Tomoyo Shibata, formerly of Nippon TV in Japan, and in 2005 she gave birth to the couple's daughter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has a son, born on March 15,2008.

Daisuke Matsuzaka became involved in a scandal when he began dating Shibata.

Daisuke Matsuzaka joined with the 3 other Red Sox pitchers, team captain Jason Varitek, and other members of the Red Sox staff to collect fan donations at the gates of two spring training games at City of Palms Park, where they collected more than $4,600 in fan donations.