News, Views, Links and more from the Red Sox Wire.


SURVIVING GRADY
Coming to America: It's official, the Red Sox are the highest bidder in the Matsuzaka sweepstakes. Theo and crew now have 30 days to ink the deal that brings a top-notch starter to Boston. In addition, the deal would bring an entire culture change to Red Sox Nation, along with endless marketing opportunities that would more than pay back the the 51.1 million-dollar bid. Here are just a few...

Wally-san Dolls: The Japanese answer to the ever-popular Wally The Green Monster. The Sox walk a marketing tightrope with this one. Typically "green monsters" are not endeared by the Japanese culture since so many of them have destroyed their cities over the years. Perhaps the plan to have a Geisha companion for Wally-san will work out. Read More Here.


THE JOY OF SOX
Matsuzaka departs for U.S.: Matsuzaka, at the Narita Airport:

First of all, I was very relieved. I haven't been able to sleep soundly for the past four or five days. I feel like I've just crossed the starting line. It has been difficult waiting. ...

I was shocked at first to hear the amount of the accepted offer. I never thought that the amount would be over $30 million. I'm happy that I've been valued so highly, but I also feel pressure to perform now. ...

I want to perform well in the majors, so I can be booed by our opponents' home field fans.

The batter I really look forward to facing is Ichiro-saRead More Here.


UP ON THE MONSTER
Obstructed View: By now, Red Sox Nation, our Yankee rivals, all of America, all of Japan, and the micro-organisms of Rigel VII have heard about the Red Sox front office (official motto: You want to see serious? Weíll show you serious! Fifty-one million examples of serious, pal!!!î) submitting the top bid for negotiating rights to Japanese superstar pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The winning Sox bid has surprised Daisuke, delighted and amazed Red Sox fans, and sent Yankees fans frantically scrambling to find rationalizations as to why it was a bad move. Read More Here.


ERIC WILBUR
Scout’s honor: Be assured, the marketing angle in the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes has already begun in earnest, what with merchandising and television deals to be worked out, probably even before the Japanese import puts pen to paper on a multi-year deal with the Red Sox. A necessary carriage before the horse, if you will. Read More Here.


BOSTON GLOBE
Green light: What did the Red Sox accomplish in outbidding the Yankees and Mets, among others, for the rights to negotiate with Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka? Read More Here.

Dollars and hopes sky-high already: Start with this: Investing in a pitcher is like putting your hard-earned money into a Broadway show. Read More Here.

Sox to pay $51.1m in quest to sign pitcher: In a high-stakes gambit that could change the face of Boston baseball, the Red Sox are poised to spend as much as $90 million to land Japan's greatest contemporary pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, a 26-year-old phenom whose value might be measured more in the anguish he could cause the archrival Yankees than in the Sox' chances to otherwise profit from their ... Read More Here.

Fact plus fiction, it's a great story: First of all, let's drop all talk of the "gyroball," the wonder pitch Daisuke Matsuzaka is said to throw. Read More Here.


BOSTON HERALD
Sox win bidding war -- $51.11M to talk to pitcher Matsuzaka: The battle to spring Daisuke Matsuzaka free from Japan was won by the Red Sox last night for a cool 6 billion yen. Now, they have until Dec. 15 to forge a long-term contract with super-agent Scott Boras on a rich, multiyear deal that will make. Read More Here.

At last, the fire returns: The Red Sox opened up their wallets and threw their money on the table, and you could hear the thud clear across the Pacific. It has been quite some time since the... Read More Here.

A relief effort: The Red Sox met with the Houston Astros yesterday, and it was believed that obtaining relief help via a trade was high on their...Read More Here.


PROJO
Matsuzaka gives Sox' rotation new life: The Red Sox' shaky rotation may become spectacular. Read More Here.

What should the Sox do about Manny Ramirez?Read More Here.

Matsuzaka 'surprised' at Red Sox bid: Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was "surprised" to hear the Boston Red Sox bid $51.1 million for the rights to negotiate a contract with him.

"I was very surprised when I heard the figure," the 26-year-old said Wednesday before flying to the United States. "It shows that they really appreciate my ability. I know there will be a lot of pressure, but that's something I'm used to and something I enjoy."

The right-hander has a 108-60 career record with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 strikeouts in 204 games. Read More Here.


HARTFORD COURANT
Sox's Monster Bid: Godzilla vs. The Monster?

The Red Sox are hoping this becomes the latest summer blockbuster in their rivalry with the Yankees - one that plays big on two continents. The Daisuke Matsuzaka watch finally came to an end Tuesday night and the weekend speculation proved correct: The Red Sox made the highest bid to the Seibu Lions for the negotiating rights to the Japanese pitching sensation. After making their bid last Wednesday - reported by the Lions to be $51.1 million - the Red Sox were informed by Major League Baseball Tuesday night that they had emerged victorious in the bidding process.

Next up, a 30-day window of negotiations with hardball agent Scott Boras. If the Red Sox and Matsuzaka, 26, can't agree on a deal, he returns to Seibu for the 2007 season and the Red Sox don't pay the $51.1 million. Read More Here.


RED SOX.com
Red Sox win Matsuzaka bid: The Boston Red Sox have won the U.S. rights to negotiate with star Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Seibu Lions and it could cost them plenty.

The annoucement was made jointly on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Japan) by Major League Baseball and the Nippon Professional Baseball commissioners' offices. In Tokyo, Lions officials said Boston's winning bid was $51.1 million, far and away the highest ever for an Asian player and dwarfing the $13.1 million Seattle paid the Orix BlueWave six years ago for the right to sign Ichiro Suzuki.Read More Here.


RED SOX TIMES
Home Opener Just Got Interesting: The Seattle Mariners are going to be in town for the Red Sox 2007 home opener.  Normally that wouldn’t be too exciting, but the prospect of Matsuzaka pitching the home opener with the first batter that he would face being fellow country mate Ichiro Suzuki would certainly set the bar for electric Matsuzaka moments.  Apparently Matsuzaka is already thinking about the prospects of facing Ichiro;

“I am most looking forward to facing Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners.” - Daisuke Matsuzaka

If the Red Sox were to slot Matsuzaka in the number two spot in the rotation behind Curt Schilling (Schilling, Matsuzaka, Beckett, Papelbon, Wakefield), he would be in line for the April 10th start at Fenway Park.  Of course, this only occurs if that little obstacle of agreeing to a contract doesn’t get in the way. Read More Here.