Dice-K: The First Season of the Red Sox $100 Million Man (Paperback)

by Ian Browne (Author), TERRY FRANCONA (Foreword)
Key Phrases: spring training, rivalry initiation, bullpen session, Red Sox, Major League, World Series (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A candid look into the new American life of $100 million pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka.

From the Back Cover

On August 17 the Red Sox were 1.5 games behind the Yankees. Two weeks later they were 8 games behind. By September the Sox were 6.5 games out of the wild card playoff spot, and for Red Sox fans, the season was over. The powerbrokers in the Red Sox organization knew this poor performance could not be repeated and vowed to do something bold. They offered a record-setting bid of $51.1 million to gain the rights to negotiate with international pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka. 

Veteran Red Sox beatwriter Ian Browne tells the story of the unprecidented quest by Boston to land Matsuzaka. With less than 48 hours remaining until the deadline, Red Sox executives boarded a private jet in Southern California, and asked the Japanese right-hander to return to Boston with them to close the deal. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when “Dice-K” stepped on board and unleashed his trademark smile. In total, the Red Sox invested $103.1 million in the young Japanese star.

Browne gives viewers a front-row seat to every step of Matsuzaka’s first Major League season. Though there were bumps in the road, Matsuzaka ended 2007 with a clutch performance in Game 3 of the World Series against the Rockies. And Year One ended with Matsuzaka soaking in the euphoria of a World Series parade

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599213478
• ISBN-13: 978-1599213477
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #638,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Browne: Dice-K, Boston's 2007 title, a very compelling read, March 22, 2009

By	David C. Horne (Norman, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ian Browne is a well-respected beat writer for MLB.com who has covered the Boston Red Sox for a number of years. A Boston native who graduated from Northeastern with a degree in journalism, he now has one of the coolest jobs in the world--he sits in the press box at Fenway, he walks down to the field during BP, he heads over to the clubhouse, he chats it up with the players, coaches, management, and he writes daily all the stories that members of Red Sox Nation need to know.

And he does it exceptionally well, which is why his book has been such a huge success with fans of the Boston Red Sox.

This book should not be confined to readers identifying with Red Sox fandom, however, because what Browne does is truly remarkable and compelling--he takes the readers to Japan, to the very beginning of Matsuzaka's baseball journey, to a chance meeting he had with the star long before Boston's management began its pursuit of the pitcher who became a legend in his home country, and then he gives inside information on the remarkable chain of events that brought Dice-K to Boston.

No one else could have told this story, not without intimate knowledge of the inner-workings of the Red Sox organization and the unique all-access pass afforded Browne. And yes, the story culminates with a world championship, and no, this isn't Hollywood. It is a true baseball story, one that chronicles Boston's quest for a title in 2007, but it is also a compelling examination of two cultures and the role baseball plays in bridging their differences.

The price tag Boston paid to land Dice-K: $103.1 million.

This inside story on why Boston sought him out, price tag and all, how the team pursued, persuaded, and signed him, and a compelling examination of the highs, lows, and ultimately, celebrations that followed make this a book well worth reading for any baseball fan.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Browne Hits a Home Run, March 28, 2008

By	srf (Boston) - See all my reviews

Ian Browne, who so ably chronicles the Red Sox for mlb.com, has provided us with a wonderful inside look at one of the most compelling stories from the team's 2007 season. In describing the acquisition and first season of Japanese pitching star Daisuke Matsuzaka, he gives us a clear picture of the business decision making process that brought Dice-K to the team and then thoughtfully interweaves vignettes focusing on cultural diversity, team-building, and the road to a World Series championship. The book is far more than an expanded internet column. Even for those of us who follow the Red Sox all season, this book is a nail-biter. It should provide reading pleasure to both baseball lovers and others interested in the interfaces among business, sports, and intercultural challenges.

5.0 out of 5 stars What you didn't know about Daisuke, March 28, 2008

By	Jennifer Bradford - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are some players who produce seasons that transcend mere success or failure, and Daisuke Matsuzaka was one of them in 2007. Fortunately, Ian Browne was able to expertly chronicle what became a rivoting story within a story. The book is thorough, insightful and entertaining, more than doing justice to a year-long drama no baseball fan will soon forget.