Complete Game

There isn't a single Red Sox post on my first page of postings, so I figure it is about time. All of you non-baseball fans can skip this one if you want.

I just finished watching the Sox beat the Tigers 7-1. The big story here (besides the bottom of the 8th)? Daisuke Matsuzaka, the $100 million+ man just pitched his first complete game. According to the Boston.com Extra Bases blog, this is the first complete game by a rookie since Tim VanEgmond did it in 1994. While I commend Dice-K on a wonderful outing, I cannot help but feel that it was showing off a little. He pitched 124 pitches, much more than the typical 100 or so for a starter. I guess it adds to his legend though, sort of like the gyroball and running for a long time before a start, making him a more formidable presence. Even if I feel the complete game was unnecessary, it was fun to watch. I do not usually yell at the TV unless someone does something particularly stupid, or we are playing the Yankees, but I did my fair share of yelling in the 8th and 9th, plus a bunch of chuckling after the game.

Part of what made the game so fun (and funny) to watch was what happened after the Sox won. Of course everyone wanted to congratulate Dice-K. This is where the cultural differences got a little confused. It was hilarious to watch the mix of congratulatory bows, tentative high fives, hugs, and fists. I think every player hit their head at least once. Dice-K looks like he still does not quite understand the concept of the high five. He does it like a four year old would. If he keeps pitching the way he has in his last couple of starts though, he will have plenty of opportunities to practice.