Well, I gave myself the day to digest the Dice-K news in order to avoid rushing out an "I hate Dice-K" post. Turns out, I should have just ran with it. My thoughts on this topic remain the same....stop being an uncoachable talent or you'll never live up to the hype. Seems like Red Sox management agree...
Not only has pissed off Red Sox Nation with his terrible performances this year, Dice-K recently expressed his frustration with Red Sox management and claimed his current shoulder issues are a result of training adjustments forced upon him by Boston. The Red Sox and John Farrell refute that claim saying the only adjustments made to the Japanese pitcher's regiment were just recently implemented as a result of his deteriorating shoulder strength.
Clearly it's a war of words. Based on the media reports over the few years he's been here, and the exceptionally high regard in which Boston's shoulder strengthening/management program is referred to by every other pitcher, my money is on the Sox here. I mean it was just this past off season that Dice-K frustrated the Sox by refusing to stay and train in the US. Instead he trained in Japan and provided minimal updates to Red Sox management who had little visibility to his off season workouts.
It's time for Dice-K to grow up, listen to what the people who pay him millions tell him to do, and realize it's less about culture and more about his personal stubborn nature. Sure, you were a king in Japan,but this isn't Japanese baseball, players here exceed 5 ft 9 inches and 160lbs. I don't question his desire to succeed, I question his coachability, and there tends to be a high correlation between that and overall success.
So as the rumors continue to swirl about Roy Halladay coming to the Sox for Buchholz, Bowden, and others, without child-like outbursts like this from Dice-K, it's hard to consider him an eventual factor on this team. Maybe that's why he's stomping his feet and crying, he's just not getting the attention he's used to.
I still think John Farrell summed it up perfectly on WEEI today, "There has to be accountability and responsibility on the part of the player"
1 comment:
Amazing how quickly the tide of RSN has turned against this man. There is a lot of anger and frustration to be shared, but he'll still be a contributing factor for this team's success down the road this year.
Post a Comment