Dice-K Should Have Better Control By Now

Daisuke Matsuzaka is pitching in his third year on the Red Sox, and, why is it that no one can really explain how he pitches and why he runs into recurring problems? I have been a strong defender of Dice-K and argued to others that his performance last season was outstanding even though he walked many players and pitched out of trouble a lot.

Tonight, against the Twins, Daisuke gave up 9 hits, 3 walks and 4 runs in five innings -throwing 102 pitches and forced out of the game. He threw FOUR wild pitches.

Now, I must admit I'm growing less patient with some of Matsuzaka's act -- his poor control, his "nibbling" on the corners, and, apparent related fear of challenging teams' best hitters. You just get a repeated sense with Dice-K that he has the talent to take far more chances. Further, by choosing to avoid risks in one-on-one battles against good hitters, he ends up walking guys, getting in hitters' counts and giving up extra base hits and home runs.
I'm tired of this same approach - over and over. Why can't John Farrell or Terry Francona of Jason Varitek get thru to Daisuke and tell him to change his ways? Enough is enough. He's got to knock off the nibbing and try throwing the ball differently in different counts.

I've long believed that Dice-K had to make a HUGE adjustment from pitching in Japan and it has negatively impacted his pitching far more than Boston's baseball writers have suggested. Peter Gammons is one of the only writers to report that Matsuzaka, after pitching here a full season or more, decided - in consultation with John Farrell - to give up a few of the pitches he used to throw in Japan simply because they weren't as effective AND there were advanatages to focusing on less pitches to make effective. I don't think Matsuzaka has EVER grown completely comfortable throwing the slightly larger baseballs used in the US compared to the smaller balls used in Japan.

What makes Dice'K's performances more frustrating is that sometimes, when he's got control and is a bit more aggressive, he's looked terrific against the Yankees and other teams in big games. It's time, Dice-K. If it weren't for his ridicolously high contract, I'd consider trading Dice-K given the surplus of pitchers we have now.