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

by Ian Browne

This first-ever biography covers Daisuke Matsuzaka's first season with the Red Sox, and also his early career and childhood in Japan. The author recounts the high school tournament nine years ago in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599213478
• ISBN13: 9781599213477
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

DICE K ROLLS LUCKY 7

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.

Ian Browne: Dice-K, Boston's 2007 title, a very compelling read

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.

Browne Hits a Home Run

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.

What you didn't know about Daisuke

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.