Now comes Matsuzaka with a story that appeared in the Japanese magazine Friday and was translated by Daigo Fujiwara of the Boston Globe, in which Matsuzaka claims to have sustained a leg injury while training last winter for the World Baseball Classic.
"Early on in January 2009, I hurt my right inner thigh,'' Matsuzaka said in the translation by Fujiwara and published by the Globe. "I consider movement around my hip joint a crucial part of my pitching motion. It happened during my exercise to strengthen my hip joint that I incorporated into training since 2008. I may have pushed myself just a little too hard. It wasn't the pain that killed me, but it was the regrets and guilt that filled my mind. It was the time to start building up for the season, but I hurt myself because of my own doing.
"I had to make a decision whether this injury was serious enough to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic. But my body was functioning well, and by taking anti-inflammatory medicine I can tolerate the pain. So I continued training, but actually it was even hard just to jog.''
Matsuzaka said he deliberately kept the injury secret, both from Japanese trainers and later the Red Sox, because he didn't want to be perceived an excuse-maker.
"I didn't want to show my weaknesses,'' he said. "I didn't want them to think I was making excuses. I would rather be criticized than ridiculed for making excuses. I repeat, I really didn't want to be the center of concern for people. I believe when you say you are sick, you become sick. Sure I appreciate that you are concerned about me, but I don't even like to be wished good luck about my health.''
Matsuzaka said he deliberately kept the injury secret, both from Japanese trainers and later the Red Sox, because he didn't want to be perceived an excuse-maker.
he should have faced them with the zeal of a challenger
It explains why he had 8.23 ERA before the all-star break. When he came back he was relatively effective (4 GS, 24.1 ip, 20 SO, 2.22 ERA)
"I do not think baseball of today is any better than it was 30 years ago... I still think Radbourne is the greatest of the pitchers." John Sullivan 1914-Old athletes never change.
So he didn't want to reveal he was hurt because he feared being labeled an excuse maker, but now reveals to a Japanese newspaper he played injured last year which would make for a good "excuse," as to why he pitched poorly
His leg was hurt in 08, too, which probably resulted in the 100 BB
B-Chad wrote:Pedroia's LD rate of 20% is reason to believe he'll maintain a higher BA then Cano. It should also be noted he hits more FB's then Cano, which means that even if he posts a lower HR/FB then Cano, he should come in reasonably close to Cano in HR's
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by StlSluggers » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:16 pm 
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