Baseball was Daisuke Matsuzaka's destiny from the beginning. According to his Wikipedia profile, his parents named him after Daisuke Araki, a high-school baseball star pitcher who would play for the Yakult Swallows and the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), contributing to the 1993 and 1995 Swallows Japan Series titles and earning one trip to the All-Star Game.
Araki joined the Seibu Lions's coaching staff when Matsuzaka, who pitched for the Lions from 1999 to 2008, was already a three-time All-Star. They celebrated the 2004 Japan Series title together.
At the time, Matsuzaka was dominating NPB. He topped the two leagues in wins from 1999 to 2001 and was the earned run average (ERA) leader in 2003 and 2004. His nickname, The Monster of the Heisei Era, says it all. The Heisei Era corresponds to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito (1989-2019).
He would earn another nickname, Dice-K, during his time with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Matsuzaka was instrumental in the 2007 World Series title.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, now 44, has been a baseball colour commentator for Asahi Television for three years. He sat down with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) during the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS Super Round in Tokyo.
"I represented Japan for the first time in junior high school," he said through a translator. "That experience really taught me to work harder and train harder. That would eventually lead to being in the Olympics and playing professional baseball in Japan and the US. That experience made me look forward to representing Japan internationally again.
"I always aimed to be selected for the National Team because I realised that playing internationally, I would experience something I would not have the possibility to see playing in Japanese baseball," he added. "Playing internationally has helped me adjust to the different styles of baseball."
Matsuzaka would not be considered a power pitcher today. In his prime, his fastball was in the low 90s, and he was best known for his repertoire, which included a curveball, slider, changeup, cutter and split-finger mix.
Most scouts believe Japanese pitchers show too much of their arsenal early in the game. What's your opinion?
"Well, I think the approach depends on the individual and his attitude. I would have never been able to match the speed of some of the pitchers, particularly MLB pitchers. So, I had to rely on my repertoire, the mix of pitches, and my skills. I couldn't hide anything. I had to show everything I had to win.
"These days we have a lot of Japanese pitchers who have top level speed. In my days, it was different," he added.
Before signing a six-year contract worth US$52 million with the Boston Red Sox, Matsuzaka impressed the world by leading Japan to the first World Baseball Classic title. He earned MVP honours.
The Red Sox had to outbid the New York Yankees to earn negotiating rights with Matsuzaka's agent, Scott Boras, and paid US$51 million; thus, the whole operation exceeded US$100 million.
"Winning the World Baseball Classic in the US with Samurai Japan is much more relevant than being named the MVP. I started the championship game, but it was a team win. I believe that is significant."
Dice-K and Samurai Japan would repeat the win in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Matsuzaka returned to Japan in 2015. He signed for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks but couldn't contribute to the 2017 Japan Series title due to injuries. He would be the Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 with the Chunichi Dragons and retired after playing for the Seibu Lions in 2020 and 2021, returning to where it all started.
Matsuzaka's final thought was for the WBSC Premier12.
"Japan is the No. 1 in the WBSC rankings. I want them to show that they are the No. 1 programme when they play. As a commentator, I sometimes justify players who make mistakes because I have been in those situations. But of course, I know people expect my comments to be fair and informative. I am a big Samurai Japan fan, but, as a commentator, I understand I'm expected to be neutral."
