Boston Red Sox Should Help Daisuke Matsuzaka Repeat Successful Mental Approach

Daisuke Matsuzaka's outstanding pitching performance on Patriots' Day (Monday, April 18th), attracted much attention and praise from Red Sox fans.  Dice-K was coming off one of the worst outings of his career with the Red Sox, who were in an awful tailspin to start the season.  Boston fans have grown accustomed to the sharp swings in Matsuzaka's consecutive outings, but, there was something amazing about this particular turnaround.

Dice-K had been at perhaps his lowest point in Boston. His previous outing, which followed a fantastic start by Josh Beckett, had disappointed and disgusted many.  In just two innings of work, Dice-K gave up seven earned runs.  Fans were even booing him before he threw his first pitch on Monday, his teammate Kevin Youkilis told reporters.  So, how did he manage to improve his performance so drastically from his stinker on April 11th to his masterpiece on Patriots' Day?

I believe the Red Sox should pay close attention to Matsuzaka's postgame explanation.  Dice-K attributed his success to the mental approach he carried to the mound.

"...The biggest difference from the last outing was changing the way of thinking of pitching, especially mentally," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter, according to an article in CSNNE.com.  "I tended to have a little bit of a negative aspect and I tended to think many thoughts from listening and hearing people.  So the biggest thing is I tried to not think too much about my outings....So the time between the last game and today's game I had time to think more simple and I tried to think simple in practice and as I was getting ready for today's game," the CSNNE article added. 

Without knowing the details, it sounds like Dice-K simply tried harder to focus before and during the game.

"Before the game, I had a chance to talk to (Jason) Varitek and I agreed with what he said," Matsuzaka said.  "He told me to focus and throw right to his mitt," CSNNE reported.

Of course, in his previous outing, when Matsuzaka had no control of his pitches, he left one pitch after another right down the middle and the Tampa Bay Rays scored six runs in the second inning.   

It sounds simple, but, for whatever reason, Matsuzaka has experienced more difficulty being consistent than most other starters and it has made one wonder about his ability to concentrate and bear down on the task at hand.  Often, Dice-K walks too many hitters and throws too many pitches, and this gets him pitching behind in the count to hitters.  This, inevitably, leads to more hits and difficult starts.

Matsuzaka mentioned two other interesting factors that had motivated him on Monday.

"If I pitched badly, I thought there might not be another chance," Matsuzaka said, according to the Boston Globe.

Matsuzaka apparently had a touch of fear or anxiety about his status in the rotation that helped light a fire under him.

Plus, he told reporters he wanted to pitch well in front of his former pitching coach, John Farrell, the manager of the Blue Jays.  

I find it fascinating that Dice-K publicly discussed how his mental approach has been key in helping him pitch so much better.  Dice-K usually says very little to the press following his games or in between outings. For much of his time in Boston since 2007, Matsuzaka has kept his specific thoughts to himself, especially about his pitching performances.

If Dice-K is openly acknowledging now that the mental approach he used before his April 18th game against the Blue Jays helped him significantly, shouldn't pitching coach Curt Young and manager Terry Francona try to help him use the same approach before his upcoming games in 2011?

It seems the Red Sox have often shrugged helplessly in trying to explain Matsuzaka's inconsistency.  Yet, maybe, after this brilliant performance Monday, this is a good time to be more proactive by talking more with Dice-K about anything they can do to help him maintain a good mental approach.

I've heard observers of the Red Sox remark in the media that Matsuzaka has not been able to enjoy as much of the camaraderie or connection with some of his teammates that others do.  I don't know if that's true. I have no idea whether Dice-K likes to keep to himself or the extent to which his teammates have tried to include him.

My guess is it's probably not the easiest thing for a Japanese pitcher who uses an interpreter to grow comfortable in a clubhouse with a bunch of teammates.  I do know that given how long Dice-K has been on the Red Sox, it remains baffling at times to read about the continuing gap in communication between Dice-K and the team.

If it turns out that Matsuzaka would benefit from help in sustaining the mental approach he carried into his April 18th start, then I'd say it's time the Red Sox opened a new dialogue with him. 

Who knows?  Maybe Matsuzaka, with this new mental approach, will win more games in 2011!