Matsuzaka and the Mystery Pitch

The Boston Red Sox made an expensive and historic acquisition this winter when they spent over one hundred million dollars to sign Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke (pronounced Dice-K) Matsuzaka to a multi-year deal. Along with the price tag comes a young pitcher with the poise of a seasoned veteran and an alarming arsenal of pitches at his disposal. He throws fastballs, sliders, curveballs, change ups and as if that wasn't enough he may throw a pitch no other major leaguer possesses called the gyroball.

The lore that surrounds the gyroball is both mystifying and scientific. It is the only new pitch to be invented since the split finger fastball in the 70's and although there are those who claim it doesn't exist, it is a VERY real pitch. America's favorite pastime was given it's only modern era invention by a Japanese physicist named Ryutaro Himeno. Himeno san was fascinated by the physics of baseball, specifically pitching. He came up with the idea to invent a new pitch while creating physics models of existing pitches on his super computer. The computer simulations worked but Himeno san had no idea if it was possible for a human being to duplicate the simultaneous hip and shoulder movement required to throw the pitch successfully. To put to rest this query once and for all, Himeno san partnered with renowned Japanese baseball trainer and instructor at the Beta Endorphin baseball dojo in Tokyo, Japan, Kazushi Tezuka. Tezuka san deemed the necessary mechanics plausible, began teaching the pitch to select Japanese pitchers and the legend was born.

The mechanics of the pitch are rooted in the legs and instead of the pitcher's arm moving in towards his body it moves away creating a bullet-like spin on the ball. The rotation of the ball is more like a football spiral than that of any other pitch in baseball. Fastballs have backspin, curveballs and sliders have more top spin and knuckleballs have little to no spin. So what does this unique rotation, employing what physicists call "double spin mechanics" cause a baseball to do? This is where the legend gets mysterious. Some say the gyroball breaks like a curveball only drastically farther. The arm action is just like a fastball but the gyroball is a bit slower and with a break of up to three feet (as reported by Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus) can get even the most patient hitter flailing wildly at the ball with not a snow man's chance in hell of making contact. Another hitter reported that the ball appeared to break twice. Supposedly it started to break in (from a right handed pitcher to a right handed batter) and then dove violently away just before it crossed home plate. Either way, this pitch is a knee buckler.

Major League baseball has garnered an immense amount of international attention in recent years and the Boston Red Sox have never been afraid to test the international market. The landmark signing of Matsuzaka may be the biggest international acquisition by any baseball team in history. The media frenzy that swarms Matsuzaka daily is nothing short of astounding yet the twenty six year old right hander goes about his business with a calm and collected manner that displays maturity well beyond his years.

Daisuke Matsuzaka attended Yokohama high school in Japan and graduated in 1998. He captured the country's attention that very same year when he pitched his team into the Koshien tournament. In the Koshien National High School Baseball Quarterfinals he threw 250 pitches over 17 innings against PL Gakuken. The very next day he played in the outfield for eight innings and then took the mound for the ninth inning to record the save. The icing on the championship cake came in the finals when Matsuzaka threw a no-hitter, only the second ever to be thrown in the finals. Needless to say, there were baseball talent scouts all over Japan with drool on their chins and dollar signs behind their eyes. The Seibu Lions selected Matsuzaka with the first pick of the 1998 draft. He was voted Rookie of the Year in 1999 (his first professional season) and finished with a record of 16 and 5. In 2003 he notched 16 wins, took only seven losses and won the Pacific League ERA title with a 2.83. In the inaugural World Baseball Classic Matsuzaka honorably represented Japan by going 3 - 0 and being named the tournament MVP after a decisive win over Cuba in the championship game. It is very clear that the Red Sox have landed Japan's finest pitcher as he is entering his prime. Barring any serious injuries, Matsuzaka appears in line to be the future ace of baseball's most formidable starting rotation.