Well since the Yankees saw dice k for the second time last week I don't know about that one, lol. Not sure how seeing dice k the second time around had anything to do with him walking people/having a bad night. The Mariners did not hit the ball well at all. Although k struggled not sure how Julio Lugo making wild throws to first or screwing up routine plays to allow two of the 5 runs is all Dice k's fault. He is adjusting to a totally different league/culture where all the players are much better. A different strike zone, a different rotation, better hitter's,a language barrier, pressure from japan, pressure from red sox nation, a media circus, a new culture, a new team, and pitching in all types of weather instead of just a dome. Your right other then being a rookie he has nothing to adjust to, lol. Lets take Hughes and add in all those factors and see how he does.
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You're taking this as an attack on Matsusaka, which it wasn't. You made a statement that it was not the hitters giving Matsusaka problems, it was that he just had to make adjustments. I was legitimately asking that if it wasn't the hitters, then what these adjustments were that he had to make.
You then contradict yourself in the next post by saying that he's facing better hitters and will need to adjust to them.
Seeing him the second time around can definitely have an impact on his having a bad night. Batters will have more of an idea what to expect and may not be as fooled, which would lead them to not swinging at pitches out of the zone.
Matsusaka is an elite professional ballplayer. The scouting reports praise his mental makeup as well has his physical. I don't think all the factors you stated affect his ability to throw strikes when he needs to. I think it's ALL about the level of hitter he's facing. Maybe his #'s will not translate as well as they were perceived. I don't know why you're even comparing his situation to Hughes - they're not remotely similar. Also, everything is not Yankees/Red Sox, especially this case.
Asking me what Dice K would have to adjust to is not only foolish it shows your true motive. Expecting this kid to be dominant/without ups and downs on his fifth start after just coming over from a totally different country is stupid. Where were you his first three starts where he was awesome?
It's a legitmate question. I never expected him to be dominant every time, nor did I ever post it. You're putting words in my mouth to make an argument.
Are you sure Becket was "the same"? Are you sure he was 6-0 with a 2.72 era? Sure he relied on an array of pitches and not just his fastball? Sure he had a strategy and a method to the madness? Becket threw hard, harder and hardest last year. He did not try to pitch his way out of jams. People waited for his fastball and got it. It is obvious you are sour over the fact he is 6 - 0. Sour over the fact he is showing an array of pitches and has learned how to pitch instead of trying to blow the ball by people all the time. I guess everyone around the majors who is praising this guy for developing the way he has is crazy. I guess Boston has the best pitching staff in the majors on sheer luck. Becket not an ace? I can see where this argument is going. 6 - 0 with a 2.72 era cannot be the 26 year old devleoping into a great pitcher, it has to be some kind of luck.
You can look up the splits in detail if you want, but he was 11-4 in the first three months of the year. The reason he threw more FBs last year was because he couldn't locate his other stuff. He hasn't learned anything new, he's just been the benefactor of having better command so far.
Who said anything about luck? Oh, it was you making up words for me again. What it is is called small sample size. Beckett has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his entire career, it's just that he's never been able to sustain it. See if he can keep his command the way it is and throw over 200 IP. Since he's never done it, I'd say history isn't on his side. It's funny how the numbers have a way dispelling popular baseball generalizions.
Anyway, this was supposed to be a discussion about two sox pitchers, not an argument.
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