Daisuke Matsuzaka

Former Major League pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka signed a contract with Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League in Japan.

At last, the Boston Red Sox finally made a decision on struggling starting pitcher Daniel Bard.

They sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket to try and figure things out without hurting the major league club.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is making good progress as he works to return to the Boston Red Sox after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. 

Matsuzaka's first start was not particularly impressive, but he rebounded nicely Saturday afternoon.

They say good starting pitching is contagious. After starting the year with a record of 2-5 and a cumulative ERA of 7.24 in the first 10 games, the members of the rotation have gone 6-2, with an extraordinary ERA of 1.65, in the last 10 games.

Their performance has been even more extraordinary over the last eight games, compiling a mark of 6-1, with a 1.01 ERA.

After an 0-6 start to the 2011 Major League Season, the Boston Red Sox have finally come around and are starting to play like the team most people thought they'd be: unstoppable.

Just 12 days ago, Daisuke Matsuzaka was booed off the mound by the hometown Boston crowd after allowing seven runs in just two innings of work, on Saturday night, Dice-K threw his second consecutive one hitter as the Red Sox blanked the Los Angeles Angeles 5-0.

The trials and tribulations of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Matsuzaka and the Red Sox should have seen it coming.  The answer was right there in front of them.  It was obvious to me. 

How did I know something that all of them didn’t?

Well, I saw the movie Mr. Baseball.

Am I joking? 

Maybe a little bit, but not entirely.

Daisuke Matsuzaka’s outing last night against the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, can be summed up in one word: baffling.

Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't won a game for the Boston Red Sox in a long time.

In his first start of the 2011 season, the Red Sox were defeated Wednesday night by the Cleveland Indians, 8-4. Matsuzaka pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs.

His last winning start was on September 2, 2010, against the Baltimore Orioles.

It's time we all take a breather from worrying about the sports themselves and focus on the players involved. This article is written with the intent of recognizing that there are bigger things that we should be focusing on at this time in the world rather than sports. On 3/11/2011 an unprecedented 8.9 earthquake rocked the country of Japan. It brought devastation, injuries, life loss and widespread panic but that was only the beginning.

It's been a horrific spring training so far for Daisuke (Dice-K) Matsuzaka. 

He's pitched just one clean inning in nine chances this spring. Matsuzaka was hit hard again on Thursday by the Florida Marlins, giving up five hits, five earned runs and two walks in 3.2 innings. 

In his three spring training starts, he's allowed 11 earned runs on 12 hits, five base on balls and three home runs in 8.2 innings.