Daisuke Matsuzaka Dialing It Down?

DAISUKE'S RECENT FACE OFF with Red Sox management might be one of the pivotal baseball stories of the year, particularly how it potentially impacts future pitchers from Japan. With Matsuzaka's firm belief that MLB's dialed down approach to pitcher workouts on off days is the reason for the quick decline of Japanese pitchers in the league and the Red Sox firmly entrenched in the belief that such training is a recipe for injury, this debate extends beyond the realm of mere selfishness as a player. Conventional wisdom says that Matsuzaka ought to fall in line with his employer's decision at the risk of continued poor performance. But what if Matsuzaka is in fact right? Would MLB be doing a disservice to Japanese pitchers?

Matsuzaka's argument holds some weight if you examine the records of Hideo Nomo (whose ERA inflated also in his third MLB season) and Shingo Takatsu (whose ERA doubled in his second season).