Japanese pitcher to the Sox?

[CuseFan10]

$38 million for his negotiation rights Buster Olney reporting they "MAY HAVE" bid.

Wont know for sure til Tuesday maybe.

WOW!

[matthew1811]

I guess they ended up paying over $40 million for the rights! Just another one in the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is that this guy has apparently talked about wanting to play only for the Yankees for the past couple of years. We'll see if a boat load of $$$ will change his opinion.

[CuseFan10]

Originally posted by matthew1811
I guess they ended up paying over $40 million for the rights! Just another one in the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is that this guy has apparently talked about wanting to play only for the Yankees for the past couple of years. We'll see if a boat load of $$$ will change his opinion.

He doesnt get the $40 million the team does. The $40 million gives the Sox 1 month to negotiate a contract with him and his agent, superdouceh Scott Boras.

I heard he does NOT want to play for the Yankees, but wanted to play for the Dodgers, but who knows what gets lost in translation, haha... He's not walking awa yfro mthe 4 year $60 million contract Boston will give him, that's for sure.

[NittanyLions94]

This guy throws something called a "gyro ball" and is one of only about 3 people in the world that throw it I believe. Japanese scientists developed it using computers and formulas. I've been reading up on it for about a year now, it is supposively unhittable if thrown correctly but is very hard to master.

[vazman05]

i have a feeling he will be a bum just like most other pitchers from japan...aka hideo nomo, hideki irabu, kaz ishii...

[Bobo66]

Originally posted by NittanyLions94
This guy throws something called a "gyro ball" and is one of only about 3 people in the world that throw it I believe.

Holy Shit!!! I've got to develope that pitch and be number 4. Actually very interesting, I'm going to look in to that.

[Bobo66]

Check this out........http://www.robneyer.com/book_04_gyroball.html

[Bobo66]

Originally posted by vazman05
i have a feeling he will be a bum just like most other pitchers from japan...aka hideo nomo...

Rookie of the Year, No-hitter in the National (Coors Field) and American League......Yeah a real bum....:pud:

[Underdog88]

BoBo search for the video.....some ridiculous movement on that pitch.....

[benrik]

Their are three videos on youtube. The two of Matsuzaka throwing the pitch in japan sort of look like he's just throwing a split finger. Apparently though, the batter is Iguchi so that means the video is a few years old. The other video of the kid from behind the fence is pretty cool though. That one looks like it has about eight feet of movement.

Maybe there are more videos out there that I haven't found.

Oh, one from the WBC. The first two strikeouts they show are pretty nasty.

[coreyschucky]

Originally posted by CuseFan10
He doesnt get the $40 million the team does. The $40 million gives the Sox 1 month to negotiate a contract with him and his agent, superdouceh Scott Boras.

I heard he does NOT want to play for the Yankees, but wanted to play for the Dodgers, but who knows what gets lost in translation, haha... He's not walking awa yfro mthe 4 year $60 million contract Boston will give him, that's for sure.

The bid fee probably about $42 million will go to Seibu Lions. Red Soz have to offer the pitcher a deal at least equivalent to the bidding fee. So the deal will have to be at least $42 million.

[coreyschucky]

Cost the Red Sox $51.1 million just to talk to him. WOW!

[NittanyLions94]

The gyro ball is apparently thrown with the grip of a fastball but with the hand motion of a football throw, if you can picture it. Your hand turns in as the ball spins off your index finger. It is said you need perfect hip and shoulder turn for it to work correctly.

[Bobo66]

Underdog and Benrik........Thanks for the heads up to google some video on that pitch. Matsuzaka old video definetly looks like split finger pitch action.......The kid Niever pitch looks more like a 11 to 5 slow curve ball. But the newest video of Matsuzaka really is amazing to me......Holding the ball like a 4-seam fastball and then rotating on 2-seams is crazy! I can't wait to see this pitch thrown live..........Hopefully in Dodger Blue!!!!!

[CuseFan10]

Corey - Are you sure they have to offer him the equivalent to the negotiation rights? I never heard that anywhere and have heard that they bid so high (1) to block the Yankees from getting him (knowing if he doesn't sign then they don't have to pay the $51.1 million, and (2) because he is out of options in Japan and they know he wont go back (because he's said he won't) so they are going to offer him 4 years $40 million.

Interesting, either way he's an almost $100 million pitcher which is ludicrous (although we'd be naive to think the Sox dont have a plan to recuperate that $50 million quickly through marketing and things in Japan).

[NittanyLions94]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-gyro031306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


That is a Yahoo Sports article from during the WBC about it.

[coreyschucky]

Originally posted by CuseFan10
Corey - Are you sure they have to offer him the equivalent to the negotiation rights? I never heard that anywhere and have heard that they bid so high (1) to block the Yankees from getting him (knowing if he doesn't sign then they don't have to pay the $51.1 million, and (2) because he is out of options in Japan and they know he wont go back (because he's said he won't) so they are going to offer him 4 years $40 million.

Interesting, either way he's an almost $100 million pitcher which is ludicrous (although we'd be naive to think the Sox dont have a plan to recuperate that $50 million quickly through marketing and things in Japan).

Cuse - Yes the deal has to be at least 51.1 million. They can give him 10 years for 51.1 million but the contract has to be at least equivalent to the bidding rights.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Originally posted by coreyschucky
Cuse - Yes the deal has to be at least 51.1 million. They can give him 10 years for 51.1 million but the contract has to be at least equivalent to the bidding rights.

Hmmm, I haven't read that either, because I keep hearing/reading they're offering him 4 years at 7/8 per

[CuseFan10]

Originally posted by coreyschucky
Cuse - Yes the deal has to be at least 51.1 million. They can give him 10 years for 51.1 million but the contract has to be at least equivalent to the bidding rights.

Can I ask where you got that info from? Interesting Corey, thanks!

[NittanyLions94]

Here's another article with pretty much everything that people knew already, but a quote towards the bottom from a Japanese catcher on the Mariners about the "gyro ball":


http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2669791