Kevin Clash
Clash with Elmo at the 2010 National Book Festival
Born	(1960-09-17) September 17, 1960 (age 51) Turners Station, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Occupation	Puppeteer Producer

Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer and voice actor whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl. He currently serves as Sesame Street Muppet Captain and co-executive producer.

In the fall of 2006, Clash released an autobiography titled My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud. He is the subject of the 2011 documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.

Biography[link]

Kevin Clash was born on September 17, 1960 in Baltimore, Maryland. Clash's interest in animation in general, began with watching Disney on television. Clash had a strong interest in being a puppeteer since early age. His parents were very supportive of his ideas. One day Kevin saw his father's nice church coat and decided to use it to make a puppet. When his father got home Kevin hid. His father confronted him and asked what was the puppet's name, then told him to ask permission next time. In his neighborhood growing up, Clash would put on puppet shows for the children that his mother babysat.

Coming to the Muppets[link]

Clash met puppet-builder Kermit Love in 1978 who was able to arrange for Clash to visit the set of Sesame Street. In 1979, the main Muppet performers were performing in the bus scene in Muppet Movie the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and extra puppeteers were needed for the Sesame Street float, so Clash got to perform Cookie Monster in the parade.^[1]

Later, in 1983, he was officially hired to perform in ten episodes of Sesame Street. However, at the time Clash was performing full-time on two other shows, and the producers of both shows refused to work around his schedule, so he was forced to tear up his contract to appear on Sesame Street.^[1]

Clash was also given the opportunity to perform in The Dark Crystal, but Love talked him out of being involved in the movie, saying that he should concentrate on his work in the series with which he was currently involved.

Clash officially became a puppeteer on Sesame Street in 1984. Some of his earliest characters included Hoots the Owl, Baby Natasha, and Dr. Nobel Price, but it was Elmo who became his main character. Clash has also sung in voice-over in a variety of film and animation songs on Sesame Street, including "In My Animal Book" and "Take Care of That Smile". During the late 1980s, Clash was involved with a variety of Henson productions. He performed P.J. in the Play-Along videos, and Father Bunny and Be-Bop in Tale of the Bunny Picnic. He would also perform Eliott Shag on Dog City, various characters in Muppet Time insertials, and he performed a number of characters—most notably Baby Sinclair, but also Howard Handupme—on Dinosaurs. He also performed the title character in the Muppet Sing-Along video Billy Bunny's Animal Songs.

The Jim Henson Hour[link]

Clash became one of the main Muppet performers on The Jim Henson Hour. His two main characters on that show were the lizard-like Leon and the bass player Clifford. Of these two, only Clifford has remained a major character, having also appeared in The Muppets at Walt Disney World; The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson; an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show; the albums Muppet Beach Party and Kermit Unpigged; and the feature films Muppets from Space and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. However, Clifford became a star when he hosted the short-lived Muppets Tonight. On that show, Clash also performed Mulch and Craniac.

Television appearances[link]

His first television work was for the then-CBS affiliate in Baltimore, WMAR, on a show called Caboose. He also performed a pelican character for Zep, a local Washington, D.C. show airing on WTOP-TV.

In the early '80s, he performed regularly, with Jim Martin, on Bob Keeshan's long-running Captain Kangaroo series, as well as building puppets and occasionally appearing on-camera.

From 1981 to 1986, he appeared in The Great Space Coaster, as Goriddle Gorilla and Huggle Scuffy. On that show, he attracted the attention of Muppet designer Kermit Love, who invited him to work on various Henson projects.^{[citation needed]}

Film credits[link]

Clash's film credits include Jim Henson's fantasy film Labyrinth; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze; The Muppet movies Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz; and the Sesame Street films Follow That Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.

Additional work[link]

Clash was co-executive producer for Elmopalooza, co-producer for The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and co-executive producer for CinderElmo and Elmo's World. He has also served as either puppet coordinator, assistant puppet coordinator, or puppet captain on many productions, including Labyrinth, Muppet Treasure Island, The Puzzle Place, Big Bag and Dog City.

He occasionally played Miss Piggy and Statler in Muppets Tonight.

Other appearances[link]

Food Network[link]

Clash was also a featured guest on the Food Network series Grill It! with Bobby Flay, where he shared his "Killer Ribeye Steak" recipe.^[2]

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey[link]

Clash is the subject of an award-winning documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey^[3], released in 2011 and screened at American film festivals. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney, Dick Cavett and others, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

Puppeteer credits[link]

• Muppet Characters: Black Dog, Carter, Clifford, Leon, Mulch, Polly Lobster, Real Old Tom, Spa'am, Sam the Eagle (in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie)
• Sesame Street Characters: Elmo, Baby Tooth, Benny Rabbit, Hoots the Owl, Kingston Livingston III, Mel, Natasha, Wolfgang the Seal, Ferlinghetti Donizetti, The Big Bad Wolf (several '80s Sesame Street News Flash skits), The Duck
• Sesame Beginnings: Baby Elmo
• Dinosaurs: Baby Sinclair, Howlin' Jay, Dinosaur Chief (face), Ethyl (sometimes, puppetry only), Howard Handupme, Monster (face), Mr. Ashland (face), Pterodactyl (puppetry only)
• Dog City (special): Ace Yu
• Dog City (series): Eliot Shag
• Labyrinth: Fiery 1, Ambrosius (puppetry only), One of The Four Guards (puppetry only)
• Nickelodeon Promo: "NickBot Takes All": NickBot 2000, Pikachu
• Muppet Sing-A-Long: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs: Billy Bunny
• The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: Be-Bop, Father
• The Great Space Coaster: Goriddle Gorilla
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splinter
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Grouch Jailer and Pestie
• A Sesame Street Christmas Carol: Sam the Super Automated Ghost of Christmas Future (voice only)
• Follow That Bird: Additional Muppet Performer

Awards & honors[link]

• Clash won Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series for his work as Elmo and Hoots the Owl on Sesame Street in 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.
• He was the first recipient of the 'Miss Jean' Worthley Award for Service to Families and Children given by Maryland Public Television on June 9, 2007.
• On May 19th, 2012, Kevin Clash was presented with an honorary degree from Washington & Jefferson College.^[4]

References and footnotes[link]

1. ^ ^{a b} What Elmo Has taught You About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud
2. ^ TV : Grill It! with Bobby Flay : Rib Eye Steaks : Food Network (Accessed 2008-08-09)
3. ^ [1] (Accessed 2011-06-25)
4. ^ "Commencement Ceremony Celebrates Washington & Jefferson College’s Class of 2012". Washington & Jefferson College. http://www.washjeff.edu/news/commencement-ceremony-celebrates-washington-jefferson-college’s-class-2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012. 

External links[link]

• Kevin Clash at the Internet Movie Database
• Downloadable 15-minute interview with Kevin Clash from Wisconsin Public Television Kevin Clash talks about the development of his love of puppetry, how he became Elmo and what it's like to voice the most popular toy ever.
• CNN profile an in-depth interview with photos for Black History Month^{[dead link]}
• 'Sesame Street' Turns 35: Kevin Clash and Elmo audio interview on National Public Radio
• 2011 interview^{[dead link]}
• "Being Elmo : A Puppeteer's Journey" documentary film about Kevin Clash
• Muppet wiki: Kevin Clash
• Let's Rock Elmo Elmo Toy with Kevin Clash Voice
• Archive of American Television: 2hr interview Discusses his early career, the history of Elmo and how he got to be Elmo. July 20, 2004

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Daisuke Matsuzaka 松坂 大輔
Matsuzaka pitching for Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
Boston Red Sox — No. 18
Pitcher
Born: (1980-09-13) September 13, 1980 (age 31) Kanita, Aomori Prefecture
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 7, 1999 for the Seibu Lions
MLB: April 5, 2007 for the Boston Red Sox
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	108–60
Earned run average	2.95
Strikeouts	1,355
MLB statistics (through 2011 season)
Win-Loss	49-30
Earned run average	4.25
Strikeouts	568
Teams
Seibu Lions (NPB) (1999–2006) Boston Red Sox (MLB) (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
NPB Pacific League Rookie of the Year (1999) 3x NPB Win Champion (1999–2001) 4x NPB Strikeout Champion (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005) 2x NPB ERA Champion (2003, 2004) Eiji Sawamura Award (2001) 3x NPB Best Nine Award (1999–2001) 7x Mitsui Golden Glove Award (1999–2001, 2003–2006) 7x NPB All-Star selection (1999–2001, 2004–2006) Japan Series Champion (2004) MLB 2007 World Series champion Japan National Team 2x World Baseball Classic champion (2006, 2009) 2x World Baseball Classic MVP (2006, 2009) Other Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize (1999)

Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂 大輔, Matsuzaka Daisuke^?, born September 13, 1980) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist.^[1]

Early life[link]

Matsuzaka was born on September 13, 1980, in Kanita, Aomori Prefecture.^[2] He was named after Japanese high school star pitcher Daisuke Araki.^[3] Growing up in Koto, Tokyo, he studied kendo from the age of five to nine and began playing organized baseball when he was in 3rd grade.

High school career[link]

After excelling at the Little League and junior high level, Daisuke Matsuzaka was admitted into Yokohama High School, a baseball powerhouse, in the spring of 1996. By his second of three years, he had developed into the school's ace pitcher. Despite his early success, he would experience a setback that summer when he allowed a go-ahead wild pitch in the semi-final game of the Kanagawa Prefecture preliminary round of the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien).

During that offseason, his fastballs first began to regularly sit around 87 miles per hour (140 km/h). After pitching his school to the championship of the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament (Spring Koshien), Matsuzaka set his aim on the 1998 Summer Koshien and eventually led his school to the championship.

In the quarterfinal of the 1998 Summer Koshien, Matsuzaka threw 250 pitches in 17 innings in a win over PL Gakuen.^[4] (The previous day he had thrown a 148-pitch complete game shutout.) The next day, despite trailing 6–0 in the top of the eighth inning, the team miraculously won the game after scoring 7 runs in the final two innings (four in the eighth and three in the ninth). He started the game in left field, but came in as a reliever in the ninth inning to record the win in 15 pitches. In the final, he threw a no-hitter,^[5] the second ever in a final. This performance garnered him the attention of many scouts.

Nippon Professional Baseball career[link]

1998 draft[link]

After graduating from high school, he was taken by the Seibu Lions with the first pick of the 1998 draft, although both the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks of the American Major Leagues also recruited him.^[6] At first, Matsuzaka stated that he wanted to play for the Yokohama BayStars, and, if he could not, he would then go to work for a company and after which choose the team of his choice through the reverse-draft (gyaku-shimei) system.^[7] That changed however, when the manager of the Lions, Osamu Higashio, an accomplished pitcher in his own right, met with Matsuzaka for dinner and gave him his (Higashio's) winning ball for career win number 200. Matsuzaka accepted it and allowed himself to be drafted by the Lions.^[8]

Seibu Lions (1999–2006)[link]

Awards in Japan

Awards		1999	2000	2001	2002	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 official pro game in his first start of the 1999 season against the Nippon Ham Fighters at the Tokyo Dome. His first career strikeout came against Atsushi Kataoka in the first inning on a high fastball clocked at 155 km/h (96 mph). He won the game, but he also gave up the first home run in the game to Michihiro Ogasawara of the Nippon Ham Fighters.^[9]

On May 16, 1999, when Matsuzaka was in his rookie season at age 18, he first faced Ichiro Suzuki, a player for the Orix Bluewave at the time, and recorded 3 strikeouts in 3 at bats with a walk:^[10] the first on a fast-ball looking, the next on a high slider swinging, then last on a high fastball swinging. Matsuzaka states that this game was the moment he started to believe that he "belonged" in pro baseball. However, Ichiro would get a bit of revenge on Matsuzaka by hitting his 100th career home run off him in July of that year (footage below).

Matsuzaka started in the All-Star game as a rookie in 1999. He struck out Takuro Ishii and Takanori Suzuki of the Bay Stars before number three hitter Yoshinobu Takahashi of the Giants managed to make contact and fly out to left field.

In his first professional season in 1999, Matsuzaka had 16 wins and 5 losses as the team ace, and was voted Rookie of the Year. Another rookie pitcher in the rival Central League, Koji Uehara, also won the same honor with a 20-win season. Together, they would come to represent their respective leagues as dominant starting pitchers for seasons to come.

In 2000, Matsuzaka had 14 wins and 7 losses. He had 15 wins and 15 losses in his 2001 season and won the Eiji Sawamura Award.

Matsuzaka spent a considerable portion of his 2002 season on the disabled list, which did not count toward his service time. He was not able to regain his pitching form in the 2002 Japan Series, when the Lions faced the Yomiuri Giants. In Game 1 at Tokyo Dome, where the designated hitter rule is not allowed, Matsuzaka batted 7th in the lineup to take advantage of his above-average hitting for a pitcher. However, not only did Matsuzaka not fare well at the plate in this game, but he also helped the Giants to a rout by giving up two key home runs. One was to extremely popular Giants first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who hit a middle-of-the-plate Matsuzaka fastball off one of the billboards at the back of the left field stands (That footage can be seen in the external links section). Matsuzaka would give up another key RBI to Kiyohara in game 4 in relief, as the Lions were meekly swept by the Giants in the series.

In 2003, Matsuzaka logged 16 wins and 7 losses. He easily won the Pacific League ERA title with a 2.83 mark. Matsuzaka used to play for Japan's National Baseball Team, and pitched against South Korea.

He was selected for the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006. He was voted MVP of the 2004 game.

Major League Baseball career[link]

On October 25, 2006, Scott Boras was announced as Matsuzaka's agent to represent him in any contract dealings in the Major Leagues. On November 2, Matsuzaka was officially granted permission by the Lions to pursue a career in Major League Baseball via the posting system.

On November 14, the Boston Red Sox won the bidding rights to Matsuzaka with a bid of $51,111,111.11, outbidding the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees.^[11][12][13] The enormous figure — two^[14][15] to three^[16] times the Lions' payroll — astounded both Japanese and American baseball executives.^[16] The Red Sox had 30 days to sign Matsuzaka to a contract. If a deal could not be reached, Matsuzaka would have returned to the Lions, nullifying the bid. Scott Boras refused to consider the posting fee as part of the contract negotiations, while Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein recalled, "We tried to come up with a total number, for the post and contract, that made sense."^[17]

On December 11, Epstein, Red Sox owner John W. Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino boarded a plane to "[take] the fight directly to [Boras]".^[18] Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe asserted that Boras, by refusing to negotiate, was using Matsuzaka as a protest or "test case of the posting system."^[18]

On December 13, Matsuzaka and Boras joined Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, CEO Larry Lucchino, and Chairman Tom Werner on a private plane owned by Red Sox owner John Henry headed for Boston. During the flight—which was followed by both the Boston and the Japanese media^[19]—the group agreed to terms on a contract. Journalist Nobuhiro Chiba characterized Japanese reaction to the signing: "I think the people are relieved to send Daisuke to the Boston Red Sox."^[19] In Boston, Matsuzaka passed his physical and signed a six-year, $52 million contract, which could be worth as much as $60 million if he fulfills incentives. The details of the contract include a $2 million signing bonus with a $6 million salary in 2007, $8 million in each of the following three seasons (2008–2010), and $10 million in each of the final two years (2011–2012).^[20] He also has a no-trade clause, specially constructed by the Red Sox to fit Matsuzaka's contract.^[21]

The final agreement was announced Thursday, December 14 at a 5 p.m. EST news conference at Fenway Park.^[22] Afterwards some members of the press noted the confusion created by Matsuzaka's translator at that announcement. Art Martone of the Providence Journal commented, "Matsuzaka’s interpreter’s command of the English language was shaky, and thus the pitcher’s translated comments were brief and, occasionally, unintelligible. About the only clear statement relayed by the interpreter was when Matsuzaka said, 'I’m very happy and excited to be a member of the Boston Red Sox.'"^[23]

Boston Red Sox (2007–present)[link]

2007 season[link]

Matsuzaka's first major league spring training took place in Fort Myers, Florida, with the Red Sox during February and March 2007, wearing number 18.^[24] Matsuzaka pitched well in most of his exhibition starts. He wears number 18 because Masumi Kuwata also wears number 18.^[25] The number is traditionally worn by the ace of a pitching staff in Japan.

Matsuzaka made his first major league regular season start for the Red Sox on April 5, 2007 in an afternoon game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. He walked one, recorded 10 strikeouts, and at one point retired 10 consecutive batters. He allowed only a solo home run on 6 hits while throwing 108 pitches (74 for strikes) over 7 innings and recorded the win as the Red Sox triumphed by a score of 4–1. He was, however, beaten 3–0 by Félix Hernández (who pitched a one hitter), Ichiro Suzuki, Kenji Johjima, and their Seattle Mariners in his Fenway Park debut on April 11, 2007 and defeated again, 2–1, by the Toronto Blue Jays in his third major league start despite striking out 10 Toronto hitters in only 6 innings. Matsuzaka still became the only pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in 2 of his first 3 big-league starts since Fernando Valenzuela did so in 1981.

In the official press conference after the Toronto start, Matsuzaka stated through his interpreter that gripping the American baseball—which is slightly larger than the Japanese pro ball, with higher seams—had presented some challenges, but that he had begun making adjustments and felt they were successful.

Matsuzaka pitched his first complete game in the major leagues on May 14, 2007, a 7–1 victory over the Detroit Tigers; he had pitched well over 60 complete games in Japan.

Matsuzaka signed a multi-million dollar exclusive deal with trading card company Upper Deck. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.^{[citation needed]}

On September 28, 2007 Matsuzaka went eight innings and threw 119 pitches. He allowed six hits and two runs while striking out eight. With the win against the Minnesota Twins to secure the Red Sox's place as the winner of the Division, he closed out his first Major League season with a record of 15–12 and an ERA of 4.40.

On October 6, 2007, Matsuzaka made his Major League playoff debut in the 2007 ALDS, in front of his home crowd in Boston against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Matsuzaka started the game but lasted just 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 7 hits before being pulled. Although Matsuzaka did not get the decision, the Red Sox eventually beat the Angels 6–3.

On October 15, 2007, Matsuzaka started in his second playoff game, in game 3 of the 2007 ALCS against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. Much like his playoff debut, Matsuzaka delivered another mediocre outing. Again, Matsuzaka was not able to make it past 5 innings, lasting 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 6 hits. Matsuzaka was pulled after going over the 100-pitch mark. Matsuzaka suffered his first career playoff loss as the Indians beat the Red Sox 4–2. Matsuzaka fared better in Game 7 of the series, on October 21, 2007, retiring the first eight batters he faced. Matsuzaka pitched well for 5 innings, allowing 2 runs. The Red Sox won 11–2, to advance to the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Matsuzaka is the first Japanese pitcher to win an MLB playoff game and only the fifth rookie to start a game seven in the playoffs.

On October 27, 2007, he started and led the Red Sox to a 10–5 win in Game 3 of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies, his first World Series appearance, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, with 5 strikeouts. In the game, he also recorded his first major league hit: a two-out 2-run single off Josh Fogg, making Matsuzaka the third pitcher in Red Sox history to record two RBIs in a World Series game; the others were Babe Ruth (in Game 4 of the 1918 World Series) and Cy Young. Matsuzaka is also the first Japanese pitcher in World Series history to start and win a game.^[26] The next day, the Red Sox won the Series in Game 4.

2008 season[link]

In the beginning of 2008 season, Matsuzaka led the Red Sox pitching staff with eight consecutive wins without suffering a single loss. However, on May 27, he left the game against the Seattle Mariners in the bottom of the fifth inning due to a "tired shoulder".^[27] The game resulted in a 4–3 loss. The Red Sox placed Matsuzaka on the disabled list May 30, 2008 with a mild right rotator cuff strain. He returned on June 21 but was the losing pitcher after giving up 7 earned runs in just one inning of work against the St. Louis Cardinals.^[28][29] Despite a record of 9–1 and a 3.12 ERA at the break, Matsuzaka was not selected to the 2008 American League All-Star team. On September 15 he won his 17th game of the season, setting a new single-season record for Japanese MLB pitchers, passing previous record holder Hideo Nomo.

Matsuzaka ended the season with an 18–3 record, 2.90 ERA and held opponents to a .211 AVG (and 6.9 hits-per-9-innings), the lowest in the majors.^[30] He also led the AL by leaving 80.6 percent of the baserunners he allowed stranded.^[31] These numbers were enough to place him 4th in the American League Cy Young Award race. However, a major problem for Matsuzaka was the control of his pitches, which, combined with his lack of innings pitched due to his injury, factored into his Cy Young voting. He walked 94 batters in 167 and 2/3 innings (a major-league-leading 13.1% of all batters he faced), even walking an eye-popping eight in one game against the Detroit Tigers on May 5.^[32] Eight times in the 2008 season, Matsuzaka surrendered walks to five or more batters in a game, and 12 times he walked three or more in a game. The interesting statistic is that Matsuzaka was 11–1 in the 16 starts he walked three or more batters, which was a testament to his ability to wiggle out of whatever trouble he got himself into.

Matsuzaka started Game 2 of the American League Divisional Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and fared well over five-plus innings, handing the ball over to fellow countryman Hideki Okajima. However, Game 1 of the 2008 American League Championship Series was where Matsuzaka had his first solid postseason start. In 7-plus innings, he no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays before giving up a hit to Carl Crawford to start the 7th and got the win. However, at home in Game 5, Matsuzaka was rocked in four-plus innings for five runs on five hits, walking two, striking out two, and giving up three home runs to B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena, and Evan Longoria. Boston however staged a miracle comeback to win 8–7. The Tampa Bay Rays went on to win the 2008 American League Division.

2009 season[link]

When Matsuzaka decided to pitch in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the Red Sox were concerned with his decision being that it would cause him to miss a majority of spring training. Red Sox manager Terry Francona asked Team Japan manager Tatsunori Hara to keep him updated on Matsuzaka's condition along with limiting Matsuzaka's pitch count. Throughout the WBC, the Red Sox had limited access to Matsuzaka and decided not press the issue more with Hara. Matsuzaka went on to lead Team Japan to victory earning the MVP award with a 3–0 record and 2.45 ERA.

On March 27, 2009, Matsuzaka reported to Red Sox spring training only twelve days before opening day. In Matsuzaka's first start of the regular season, he gave up three home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays, ultimately losing the game.^[33] In his next game against the Oakland Athletics, Matsuzaka only lasted one inning, giving up five hits, five runs, two walks, and striking out none.^[34] Matsuzaka was quickly placed on the DL, while reliever Justin Masterson took his spot in the rotation.

Matsuzaka made his next start on May 22, 2009, against the New York Mets after being activated off the DL. He gave up five runs over five innings, receiving another loss.^[35] Matsuzaka gained his first win of the season against the Detroit Tigers on June 2, 2009, but failed to produce any quality starts. After a loss against the Atlanta Braves on June 19, 2009, Matsuzaka was once again placed on the disabled list. Red Sox manager Terry Francona stated that Matsuzaka was placed on the DL due to "weakness" in his throwing arm possibly caused by the extensive pitching he did in the World Baseball Classic. Francona also made it clear that it would not be a "two-week DL" stating "We're going to have to figure this out. We have a lot of work ahead of us trying to get him back to being Daisuke."^[36]

As of his second placement on the DL in the 2009 series, Matsuzaka held a 1–5 record with a 8.23 ERA.^[37] With Matsuzaka's placement on the DL, it left a spot open in the starting rotation for John Smoltz to pitch in after being activated off the DL.

Although it has been suggested that the high number of innings pitched early in his career combined with a vigorous personal training regimen is a possible cause of Matsuzaka's sustained injury problems in 2009, Matsuzaka himself has stated publicly that he feels he cannot maintain arm strength without extensive training.^[38]

As of September 12, 2009, Red Sox pitching management claimed that Matsuzaka successfully completed his strengthening and rehabilitation sessions and is set to return to the team's pitching rotation for a start against the Los Angeles Angels. On September 15, 2009, Matsuzaka made his first start since June, 19. He came and pitched his best outing of the season, pitching six plus shut out innings, striking out five, walking three, and giving up three hits. When taken out of the game, he was greeted with a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd.

In October 2009, Matsuzaka was interviewed by a Japanese TV. During the interview, Matsuzaka revealed that he had in fact injured his hip joint but he did not reveal when he got the injury, being red-faced with shame.^[39]

In early January 2010, Matsuzaka was interviewed by Japanese magazine Friday. During the interview, Matsuzaka revealed that he had in fact injured his right hip while training for the '09 WBC. When asked why he concealed the injury from Team Japan trainers and coaches, Matsuzaka replied, "I didn't want to be the center of concern for people," and also added, "[The Classic] was hard. I relied on my wits and my shoulder strength. I had to be creative. I varied the paces between the pitches; I used the different kind of slider that I usually don't throw."^[40]

Matsuzaka also apologized to Red Sox fans, saying, "I am very sorry for making you worry. I assure you that the [2010] season will be a great season. I am going to redeem what I lost in 2009. With my health back, I am confident and determined to produce this year. I will [try my best to] become a world champion once again."^[41]

2011 season[link]

On May 5, 2011, Matsuzaka made his first relief appearance of his MLB career picking up the loss in 1 inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after a 2 and a half hour rain delay. On May 17, 2011, Matsuzaka was placed on the 15 Day disabled list. On June 2, it was reported that he will be out for the season due to Tommy John surgery.^[42] On June 10, Matsuzaka was scheduled to have the surgery.^[43]

2012 season[link]

On April 23rd, 2012, Matsuzaka made his first rehab start for the Single-A Salem Red Sox. He gave up a home run in each of his first two innings, and ended up giving up three earned runs in four innings against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.^[44]

International career[link]

Matsuzaka was named the MVP of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Medal record
Competitor for  Japan
Men’s Baseball
Olympic Games
Bronze	2004 Athens	Team Competition
World Baseball Classic
Gold	2006 San Diego	Team Competition
Gold	2009 Los Angeles	Team Competition
Asian Baseball Championship
Silver	1999 Seoul	Team Competition
Gold	2003 Sapporo	Team Competition

2004 Olympic Games[link]

He participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. However, he lost the semifinal game to Australia by the score of 1–0. His team later defeated Canada and won the bronze medal.

2006 World Baseball Classic[link]

In 2006, Matsuzaka pitched for Japan in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He was crowned the MVP of the first ever World Baseball Classic after Team Japan defeated Team Cuba 10–6 in the finals. Matsuzaka, the winner of the finale, threw 4 innings of 1 run baseball before exiting. Overall, Matsuzaka pitched a total of 13 innings throughout the tournament while finishing with 3 wins and no losses. There had been talk of Matsuzaka wanting to go to Major League Baseball before the '06 WBC, and the tournament allowed Matsuzaka to show his skills on the worldwide stage. Interest in Matsuzaka from MLB teams boomed after his performance throughout the WBC.

2009 World Baseball Classic[link]

Matsuzaka was a member of the Japanese team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, playing a key role as they successfully defended their title. He also won his second World Baseball Classic MVP award, finishing the tournament with a 3–0 record and a 2.45 ERA. In all, he pitched 14 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 14 hits with 5 walks and 13 strikeouts.

Playing style[link]

Pitching[link]

Matsuzaka possesses numerous pitches in his repertoire: a four-seam fastball that sits in 91-94 mph (tops out at 97 mph), a two-seam fastball in low 90s, a cutter in high 80s, a solid slurve at about 82 mph, and a screwball-like changeup.^{[citation needed]}

His changeup (breaks like a screwball, similar to Pedro Martínez's change) is commonly confused with the gyroball. According to a documentary done by TV Asahi (footage below), the gyroball is a pitch that is thrown with a bullet-like spin and is designed to have little to no movement. When the angle of the axis is slightly altered, it can have a sudden break as it reaches home plate, and, thus, can be devastating for a batter. However, Matsuzaka still has yet to publicly admit that he can throw a gyroball. The same documentary explains this in two ways: that Matsuzaka wants to keep his pitch a secret, or that he has never been able to intentionally throw the gyroball because it is a random result of him pitching a fastball. Along with Matsuzaka, Hideo Nomo, Nobuyuki Hoshino, and several major leaguers have been confirmed to be able to throw this mystical pitch.^{[citation needed]} As of the 2008 season, Daisuke has not incorporated the gyroball into his arsenal.

Batting[link]

Matsuzaka was an accomplished hitter in high school and he got his first hit in his first ever career at-bat, a single to center, in a game against the Orix Blue Wave when the Lions ran out of bench players and had to allow him to hit for himself. The Pacific League employs the designated hitter rule. Matsuzaka's first pro home run came in an interleague game against Hanshin Tigers pitcher Darwin Cubillán at spacious Koshien Stadium on June 9, 2006. That footage can be seen in the external links section.

Matsuzaka had his first hit with the Red Sox on May 23, 2010 in Philadelphia. He also drove in two runs with a single in Game 3 of the 2007 World Series, during a six-run third inning which enabled the Red Sox to win the game.

Personal life[link]

Matsuzaka is married to television journalist Tomoyo Shibata,^[45] formerly of Nippon TV in Japan, and in 2005 she gave birth to the couple's daughter.^[46] He also has a son, born on March 15, 2008.^[47]

Matsuzaka became involved in a scandal when he began dating Shibata. On September 13, 2000, he drove to her apartment without a valid license. He illegally parked his car and it got towed, and then had a team official take the blame in order to avoid a scandal. The truth soon got out and he was fined 195,000 yen by the police and put under house arrest for one month by the Lions.^[48]

Daisuke is nicknamed "The Monster of the Heisei Era" (平成の怪物, heisei no kaibutsu^?)^[49][50] in Japan and "Dice-K" in the United States^[51] by the Boston Globe^[14][52] and USA Today.^[53]

Baseball players who were born in the 1980 academic year (from April 2, 1980 to the following April 1, 1981) have been called the "Matsuzaka Generation" in Japan.^[54]

In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Daisuke gave a charitable donation of $1 million to the Japanese Red Cross via the Red Sox Foundation. "Our efforts on the field are dedicated to all who are suffering from this catastrophe. We are in this together, so we must overcome tragedy together." Matsuzaka said in a video message. He joined with the 3 other Red Sox pitchers, team captain Jason Varitek, and other members of the Red Sox staff to collect fan donations at the gates of two spring training games at City of Palms Park, where they collected more than $4,600 in fan donations.^[55]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• Eiji Sawamura Award
• Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Daisuke Matsuzaka

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from Japanesebaseball.com
• Japanese league stats and info of Daisuke Matsuzaka
• Daisuke Matsuzaka on Twitter