If you watched Daisuke Matsuzaka start for the Red Sox you saw a guy throwing dying quails, holding his hand on his hip. Obviously not fit to pitch.
He’s since been placed on the DL with arm fatigue, and even though most sports writers have the attention spans of gnats, they haven’t forgotten Dice K featured prominently in the WBC, and was even (wrongly in the opinion of, well, everyone) named MVP of the tournament. Suddenly I’m seeing stories with headlines like WBC a sore spot for Daisuke, Let Japan Pay His Salary, Daisuke To The DL. But Hey, At Least He Was The WBC MVP, Right?, and World Baseball Classic Has Lasting Effect On Daisuke Matsuzaka.
I’m not about to dispute the fact that his 14.2 innings in the WBC has something to do with his arm fatigue. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. People are quick to jump on the WBC because, well, they can and it makes a better story than Red Sox place Dice-K on DL after another bad start.
But what I thought I would do is look at three players who threw more innings than Matsuzaka did at the WBC and how they’ve fared. Not all pitchers are the same. Maybe Matsuzaka’s arm endures more stress when he pitches in international games than, say, Yoon Suk-min’s does. Who knows? Not me. And not anyone writing stories like those linked above.
Hisashi Iwakuma, 20 innings pitched at the WBC
The guy who was without question the MVP of the World Baseball Classic started off his 2009 campaign with a six inning, one run victory over Yu Darvish and the Nippon Ham Fighters. He took a loss in his second start, going five innings and surrendering three runs to the Lions. He threw 92 pitches.
Bong Jung-keun, 17.2 innings pitched at the WBC
Team Korea’s best arm made his third start last night, throwing 111 pitches over eight innings and holding the KBO Champion SK Wyvrens to three runs, striking out eight. It was already Bong’s third start of the season. He’s thrown 112 and 102 pitches in his other two starts, has an overall ERA of 2.25 and has 15 strikeouts in 20 innings.
Yoon Suk-min, 16 innings thrown at the WBC
The Kia Tigers ace had a first rough start to the season, going five innings and giving up six runs to Doosan en route to a loss. However, Yoon rebounded in his next start, going the distance and throwing 137 pitches in an April 11 victory versus Samsung. He gave up one run and will probably make his next start Friday.
Bong is off to a fantastic start and, save injury, will be one of the KBO’s top pitcher this season. Ditto with Yoon. There’s nothing to suggest that Yoon’s loss versus Doosan was due to any residual effect from throwing a number of innings at the WBC. Doosan’s offense is arguably the best in the league. I also suspect Iwakuma will again be one of the NPB’s top pitchers this season.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Jackson // Apr 16, 2009 at 10:59 am
Volquez seems to be doing poorly out the gate too. Is that WBC related?
2 DJ // Apr 16, 2009 at 11:27 am
And Jake Peavy is doing great! WBC related?
3 Patrick // Apr 16, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Iwakuma threw only 59 pitches in his opening day start. I actually think the Eagles are a little worried about his workload given his injury history.
4 Shinsano // Apr 16, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Maybe, but 92 pitches is pretty much back to normal. I hardly blame teams for taking precautions. SK held Kim Kwang-hyun out of what would normally be his opening day start, but he’s been pretty much back to normal over his past two starts as well.
Personally I think Volquez was due for a regression anyway.
At any rate, it’s not fair to blindly blame the WBC for Dice-K’s poor start. Unless people can show me some other examples that suggest a trend.
5 Fred Knows Best // Apr 16, 2009 at 9:20 pm
On the contrary, did the WBC help some pitchers. One comes to mind.
He was terrible in the WBC, but has seemingly gotten on track in his first few starts.
Yes, Mr. Guthrie.
6 Dan // Apr 16, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I hate how the WBC is always blamed for players slow starts…getting injured etc. In 2006, the WBC participants were on the DL for less average days than non-WBC members. As for training as a professional hitter, wouldn’t you want real game situations to practice and warm-up? Sure it’s no split-squad game versus Miami Community College, but it’s a real game.
Sox fans are just pissed Dice-K and Pedroria are hurt and need fingers to point…so the WBC is the winner. What about Dice-K getting tubby ever since he’s come to the States? Could that play into it? Cold ass weather in Boston etc. Lots of absurd things could be blamed…looks like the WBC is the lucky winner.
7 DJ // Apr 17, 2009 at 1:35 am
Wait, Aaron, I’m confused now. I thought you were pointing out an obvious fact that the clowns in Red Sox Nation can’t seem to grasp: There doesn’t seem to be any real evidence that the WBC set participating pitchers back on average. But in Dice-K’s case, the Sox are saying he has arm fatigue that likely stems from all the inning he put in in March. And who can say they’re wrong? It’s not just a “poor start” for Dice-K. The dude is hurt.
I’m ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone who claims that the WBC negatively affects starters. So far, the evidence I’ve seen says that’s not so. But that’s not the same thing as saying that a player’s participation in the Classic could have caused an injury which set that player back. I think Matsuzaka is an example of that.
8 Chady // Apr 17, 2009 at 8:53 am
Tracy Ringolsby doesn’t think the WBC has anything to do with it.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9462684/Quit-using-the-WBC-as-an-excuse-
9 yakamashii // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Iwakuma’s 59 on Opening Day got him through six innings. Nothing wrong with him at all, and I rather like this more conservative approach from Manager Nomura, who has a reputation, deserved or not, for abusing young arms.
10 Shinsano // Apr 17, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Yeah, DJ I was just saying I don’t object to the careful approach. Although, when you think about it, not many teams are ready to turn a guy loose during his first start of the year. Although the Red Sox did let him throw 100 pitches in his first start.
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