Daisuke Matsuzaka facts for kids

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Daisuke Matsuzaka
松坂大輔

Matsuzaka with the New York Mets in 2014

Pitcher

Born: September 13, 1980 (age 44)
Koto Ward, Tokyo, Japan

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

Professional debut

NPB: April 7, 1999, for the Seibu Lions

MLB: April 5, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox

Last appearance

MLB: September 25, 2014, for the New York Mets

NPB: October 19, 2021, for the Saitama Seibu Lions

NPB statistics

Win–loss record

114–65

Earned run average

3.04

Strikeouts

1,410

MLB statistics

Win-loss record

56–43

Earned run average

4.45

Strikeouts

720

Teams

Seibu Lions (1999–2006)
Boston Red Sox (2007–2012)
New York Mets (2013–2014)
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2015–2016)
Chunichi Dragons (2018–2019)
Saitama Seibu Lions (2021)

Career highlights and awards

NPB

7× All-Star (1999–2001, 2004–2006, 2018)
2× Japan Series champion (2004, 2017)
Eiji Sawamura Award (2001)
Pacific League Rookie of the Year (1999)
7× Mitsui Golden Glove Award (1999–2001, 2003–2006)
3× Best Nine Award (1999–2001)
Comeback Player of the Year (2018)
3× NPB wins leader (1999–2001)
2× NPB ERA leader (2003, 2004)
4× NPB strikeout leader (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005)

MLB

World Series champion (2007)

Medals

Men's baseball

Representing Japan
World Baseball Classic
Gold	2006 San Diego	Team
Gold	2009 Los Angeles	Team
Olympic Games
Bronze	2004 Athens	Team
Asian Baseball Championship
Silver	1999 Seoul	Team
Gold	2003 Sapporo	Team

Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂大輔, Matsuzaka Daisuke, [matsɯꜜzaka daꜜisɯ̥ke]; born September 13, 1980) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played baseball for 23 seasons, with 16 seasons in Japan (NPB) and 7 seasons in the United States (MLB).

Today, Daisuke works as a baseball color commentator, critic, reporter, and YouTuber. In Japan, he is known as "the Monster of the Heisei Era" (平成の怪物, heisei no kaibutsu). In the United States, he is often called "Dice-K" by sports newspapers.

He played for famous teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). In Japan, he played for the Saitama Seibu Lions, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Daisuke Matsuzaka also proudly represented Japan in international competitions. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the first two World Baseball Classic tournaments in 2006 and 2009. He also won an Olympic bronze medal for baseball.

He is the first baseball player to win both a World Series (with the Red Sox in 2007) and a World Baseball Classic (with Team Japan in 2006).

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Daisuke Matsuzaka was born on September 13, 1980, in Koto Ward, Tokyo, Japan. He was named after another famous Japanese high school pitcher, Daisuke Araki.

Growing up, he practiced kendo, a Japanese martial art, from age five to nine. He started playing organized baseball when he was in third grade.

High School Baseball Star

Daisuke Matsuzaka became a standout player in Little League and junior high baseball. In 1996, he joined Yokohama High School, which was known for its strong baseball team. By his second year, he was the team's best pitcher.

He faced a tough moment in the summer of 1997. He threw a wild pitch that cost his team the semi-final game of a big tournament.

After that, his fastballs started reaching speeds of about 87 miles per hour (140 km/h). In 1998, he led his school to win the Spring Koshien championship. He then aimed for the 1998 Summer Koshien and led his team to win that championship too.

In one amazing game during the 1998 Summer Koshien, Matsuzaka threw 250 pitches over 17 innings! This was a huge number of pitches for one game. The next day, he helped his team win another game by coming in as a reliever. In the final game, he pitched a no-hitter, which means no opposing player got a hit. This was only the second no-hitter ever in a Koshien final. His incredible performances caught the eye of many baseball scouts.

Many talented baseball players born around 1980 in Japan went on to become successful professionals. Because of Daisuke Matsuzaka's fame, this group of players is often called the "Matsuzaka Generation" in Japan.

Professional Baseball Career

Playing for the Saitama Seibu Lions (1999–2006)

Joining the Lions

After high school, Daisuke Matsuzaka was the first player picked in the 1998 draft by the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team, the Saitama Seibu Lions. Even though some Major League Baseball teams in North America were interested, he chose to stay in Japan.

He initially wanted to play for the Yokohama BayStars. But the Lions' manager, Osamu Higashio, who was also a great pitcher, met with Matsuzaka. Higashio gave Matsuzaka the ball from his 200th career win. Matsuzaka accepted it and decided to join the Lions.

**Awards in Japan**
Awards	1999	2000	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006
Rookie of the Year Award	Y
Eiji Sawamura Award			Y
Best Nine Award	Y	Y	Y
Gold Glove	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Led League in Strikeouts		Y	Y	Y		Y
Led League in Wins	Y	Y	Y
Led League in ERA				Y(2.83)	Y(2.90)

Matsuzaka won his first professional game in his very first start in 1999. He struck out his first batter with a fastball clocked at 96 mph (155 km/h).

In May 1999, as an 18-year-old rookie, Matsuzaka faced Ichiro Suzuki, a famous player. Matsuzaka struck out Ichiro three times. This game made Matsuzaka feel like he truly belonged in professional baseball.

In his first season in 1999, Matsuzaka had 16 wins and 5 losses. He was named the Rookie of the Year. He continued to be a dominant pitcher for the Lions. In 2001, he won the prestigious Eiji Sawamura Award, given to the best pitcher in Japan.

Matsuzaka was selected for the NPB All-Star Game many times during his time with the Lions. He was even voted MVP of the 2004 All-Star game.

Moving to the Boston Red Sox (2007–2012)

On October 25, 2006, Matsuzaka hired Scott Boras to be his agent for a move to Major League Baseball. The Lions officially allowed him to pursue a career in MLB through a special system called the posting system.

On November 14, the Boston Red Sox won the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. They made a huge bid of over $51 million, which surprised many people. The Red Sox had 30 days to sign him to a contract.

After intense negotiations, Matsuzaka signed a six-year contract worth $52 million with the Red Sox on December 13, 2006. This deal could have been worth up to $60 million with bonuses. He chose to wear number 18, a number traditionally worn by ace pitchers in Japan.

Matsuzaka in 2007 spring training

2007 Season Highlights

Matsuzaka made his first Major League start on April 5, 2007, against the Kansas City Royals. He pitched very well, striking out ten batters and allowing only one home run. He earned his first MLB win as the Red Sox won 4–1.

He pitched his first complete game in the Major Leagues on May 14, 2007. He had pitched 72 complete games in Japan, showing his incredible endurance.

On September 28, 2007, Matsuzaka finished his first MLB season with a record of 15 wins and 12 losses.

In the playoffs, Matsuzaka helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series. He started Game 3 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched well and also got his first Major League hit, a two-run single! This made him only the third Red Sox pitcher in history to get two RBIs in a World Series game. The Red Sox won the World Series the next day. Matsuzaka set a new Red Sox rookie record with 201 strikeouts that season.

2008 Season Success

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching for the Red Sox in 2008

Matsuzaka started the 2008 season with eight straight wins. On September 15, he won his 17th game of the season, setting a new record for Japanese MLB pitchers.

He finished the 2008 season with an impressive 18 wins and 3 losses, and a low 2.90 ERA. He also held opposing batters to a very low batting average. These numbers placed him fourth in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher. One challenge for him was controlling his pitches, as he walked many batters. However, he was often able to get out of tough situations.

2009 Season and Injuries

Matsuzaka pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox, triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox, in 2009

Matsuzaka decided to play in the 2009 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. The Red Sox were concerned because this meant he would miss a lot of spring training. Matsuzaka led Team Japan to win the tournament again and earned his second MVP award for the World Baseball Classic.

However, after the tournament, Matsuzaka struggled with injuries during the 2009 season. He was placed on the DL multiple times due to arm weakness and a hip injury. He later explained that he had injured his hip while training for the World Baseball Classic but had kept it a secret. He apologized to Red Sox fans and promised to do his best in 2010.

Later Seasons with Red Sox (2010–2012)

Matsuzaka missed the start of the 2010 season due to a neck strain. He returned and finished the year with 9 wins and 6 losses.

In 2011, Matsuzaka had to undergo Tommy John surgery on his elbow, which meant he missed the rest of that season. He returned in 2012 but struggled to regain his form. After the 2012 season, he became a free agent.

Playing for the New York Mets (2013–2014)

In February 2013, Matsuzaka signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians, reuniting with his former Red Sox manager, Terry Francona. He later asked to be released from the Indians.

On August 22, 2013, Matsuzaka joined the New York Mets. He pitched well in his time with the Mets that year, with 3 wins and 3 losses.

He stayed with the Mets for the 2014 season. He even earned his second career save in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also made his first start as a Met and earned a win.

Return to Japan (2015–2021) and Retirement

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2015–2017)

In December 2014, Matsuzaka returned to Nippon Professional Baseball and signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. However, injuries continued to bother him. He pitched in only one game for the Hawks' minor league team in 2015. In 2016, he made his first NPB appearance in 10 years, but only pitched one inning. He played only one game in three years for the Hawks and was released in 2017.

Chunichi Dragons (2018–2019)

On January 23, 2018, Matsuzaka signed with the Chunichi Dragons. On April 5, he started his first game in Japan in 12 years. He was selected for the 2018 NPB All-Star game. After the season, he won "The Best Comeback Prize" for his 6 wins and 4 losses. He left the Dragons in October 2019.

Second Time with Saitama Seibu Lions (2020–2021) and Retirement

On December 3, 2019, Matsuzaka signed a one-year contract to return to the Lions, the team he started his career with. He did not play in 2020 because he had surgery on his neck.

In December 2020, he signed another one-year deal with the Lions for the 2021 season. On July 6, 2021, Matsuzaka announced that he would retire from baseball at the end of the season. He mentioned that he had lost feeling in the fingers of his right hand. He pitched one last time for the Lions in October 2021.

On December 3, 2021, Daisuke Matsuzaka officially announced his retirement in a special ceremony. His former rival and friend, Ichiro Suzuki, made a surprise appearance at the ceremony.

International Baseball Career

2004 Olympic Games

Daisuke Matsuzaka played for Japan in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. His team won the bronze medal for Japan after defeating Canada.

2006 World Baseball Classic

In 2006, Matsuzaka pitched for Japan in the very first World Baseball Classic. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament after Team Japan defeated Cuba in the finals. Matsuzaka pitched 13 innings in the tournament, winning 3 games and losing none. His great performance in this tournament made many MLB teams very interested in him.

2009 World Baseball Classic

Matsuzaka was also a key player for the Japanese team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. They successfully defended their title and won the championship again. He won his second World Baseball Classic MVP award, finishing with 3 wins and 0 losses.

2013 World Baseball Classic

Daisuke chose not to play for the Japanese team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The team reached the semifinal round but did not win their third straight championship.

Playing Style

Pitching Style

Matsuzaka is a right-handed pitcher. He throws many different types of pitches:

A four-seam fastball that was usually around 90–94 mph (and sometimes reached 97 mph when he first joined the Red Sox).
A two-seam fastball in the low 90s.
A cutter in the high 80s.
A rare gyroball in the low 80s.
A changeup.

Batting Skills

Matsuzaka was also a good hitter in high school. He got his first professional hit in his very first at-bat in Japan. This happened in a game where the Lions needed him to bat because they ran out of other players.

He also got his first hit with the Red Sox in 2010. In the 2007 World Series, he hit a two-run single that helped the Red Sox win Game 3.

Personal Life

Daisuke Matsuzaka is married to television journalist Tomoyo Shibata. They have a daughter, born in 2005, and a son, born in 2008.

In 2000, Matsuzaka faced a personal issue that led to him being fined and put under house arrest by his team for one month.

After the terrible 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Daisuke donated $1 million to the Japanese Red Cross to help those affected. He also joined other Red Sox players and staff to collect donations from fans at games, showing his support for his home country.