Red Sox Fire Back At Dice-K

We reported earlier today that Dice-K has come out publicly and stated that he doesn't like the way the Red Sox get their pitcher ready for the season, and doesn't like the rehab he has been put on. He wants to throw more, and blah blah blah (If you want to read the rest CLICK HERE. Well this seemed to have pissed off John Farrell...

"We know that there was a pretty substantial amount of fatigue in the second half of '07 that we had to give him a breather at the time, largely in part because of the differences in travel, differences in competition, differences in strike zone, a number of the on-field challenges that he faced. So any of the adjustments that we've encountered have been in response to how he's adapted to the rigors of the schedule and the competition here."

Farrell further defended the Red Sox program, saying it was the best way to protect their investment in Matsuzaka.

"We've got a $103 million investment in a guy that we've got to not only protect, but put him in a best situation to have that success we just outlined," Farrell said.

In perhaps his strongest statement, Farrell also questioned whether Matsuzaka put in the offseason work that was necessary to both prepare him for the rigors of a major league season.

"In hindsight, there might not have been the work that he needed to put in on his own time during the offseason to build the foundation that every pitcher requires to withstand the workloads that a major league starting pitcher is going to go through here in the States," Matsuzaka said (Boston.com)."


So here is what it all boils down to..

1. The Sox are still pissed that Dice-K refused to train with them in the offseason, and feel that he didn't do a good enough job getting ready.

2. Dice-K is pissed because he has a hard-on for Japan and doesn't want to listen to people who say he needs to protect his arm.

3. The Sox are getting angry because they have over $100 million invested in a player that plays for other teams in the offseason and won't follow their workouts.

4. The Sox hate the WBC.


My Take:

If it works for Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, Penny, ect then it's good enough for Dice-K. Dice-K has a lot of national pride, but when you sign a contract you need to follow whatever the team is telling you, especially when it is that much money. He Obviously was not ready for this season, or pushed himself too hard in the WBC and now is paying the price. So in the end he needs to shut the fuck up, do what he is told, so that he can go back to being the pitcher he was last year.

My concern is that this feud is growing and that it is going to end ugly....