Ray Finkle
☠️ Banned ☠️
MikeO said:and this doesn't give BOSTON a foothold in Japan either or do anything for them over there in my opinion.
The kid plays once every 5 days. Thats about 30 games a year if healthy. And he may only go 5 or 6 innings on an average day.
In Japan they can air 162 Yankee games and 162 Mariners games because Ichiro and Matsui play everyday. With a pitcher its different and I don't think Japanesse TV people will spend money to air a full season of Red Sox games for a guy who plays once a week. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think I am. Especially when in Japan they have their own Baseball leagues and what not.
Maybe they will air 1 Red Sox game a week when the kid pitches, but they probably do that now anyway or something similar. I don't see Boston making big money off this overseas. I really don't
Nomo did it for the Dodgers and he wasn't nearly the talent Matsuzaka is according to all reports. I remember watching the Little League World Series back in 1993 or 1994 and EVERY Japanese kid's favorite team was the Dodgers because of Nomo.
Now Matsui and Ichiro are clearly bigger names than Matsuzaka but the Red Sox are probably going to be the 3rd most popular MLB in Japan in the Sox end up signing him. Which will give them a foothold in Japan to get other players to come and sign in Boston.
Just look at how many Japanese pitchers have been in the Dodger system since Nomo, it's not a coincidence.
Bottom line is by signing Matsuzaka it helps the Sox more than hurts them in the Japanese market.