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

Ian Browne (Author), TERRY FRANCONA (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2008

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

Editorial Reviews

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

About the Author

Ian Browne is “beatwriter” for the official Major League Baseball website, www.mlb.com . He has chronicled the inner workings of the Boston Red Sox on a daily basis since the start of the 2002 season.

 

 

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: 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 Best Sellers Rank: #1,891,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

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)   

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

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.

4 of 5 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

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

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 DICE K ROLLS LUCKY 7, October 4, 2009

By 

COOL JEWEL (MACEDONIA, OHIO USA) - See all my reviews

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

IAN BROWNE DOES A NICE JOB TELLING US ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF RED SOX PITCHER DICE K FROM JAPAN. THE BOOK COVERS HIS LIFE AND CAREER IN JAPAN. THEN IT REALLY TAKES OFF WHEN COVERING THE DRAMA AND TWISTS AND TURNS WHEN THE RED SOX WENT THRU THE BIDDING WARS AND THEN THE NEGOTIATING WITH SUPER AGENT SCOTT BORAS. THEN WE GET TO FOLLOW THE FIRST SEASON OF DICE K AS A RED SOX. ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS I LIKED WAS THE CULTURE SHOCK AND THE MANY ADJUSTMENTS DICE K MADE IN HIS FIRST YEAR IN AMERICA. WE GOT TO SEE A BIT OF HIS PERSONALITY AND PERSONAL LIFE. ALL IN ALL THIS BOOK HAS MANY HIGHLIGHTS AS WE GO THRU THE THRILLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON AND THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF DICE K. I ALSO FOUND THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES FASCINATING AND WAS ANOTHER BONUS IN THIS MUST READ BOOK FOR ALL RED SOX FANS.