MLB: Francona OK with 'selfish' Dice-K

Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka told reporters he protested when Boston manager Terry Francona lifted him after five innings in Tuesday's 2008 MLB season-opener against the Oakland A's.

On Wednesday, Francona said he wouldn't want it any other way.

"I don't expect (our pitchers) to just turn the button off every time I pop out of the dugout," said the Red Sox skipper, "I want them to compete."

Matsuzaka, who got the Opening Day start after Josh Beckett sustained a back injury in spring training, was rocked early, giving up a solo homer to Mark Ellis, the second batter he faced. He also loaded the bases in the first two innings on four walks, a hit batter and a single.

But he settled down after that, allowing two runs on two hits--including the home run--while striking out six and walking five in five innings. True to his pre-game vow, however, with Dice-K at 95 pitches Francona went to his bullpen to start the sixth.

"Of course I wanted to go deeper into the game but I ended up leaving rather early so I'd like to apologize to the fans," said Matsuzaka, who went 15-12 in his rookie MLB season last year after starring for the Seibu Lions for eight seasons.

"After the fifth inning, when I was told it was the end of my night, I tried arguing a little with Terry but ultimately the result was my responsibility and I immediately apologized for my selfishness."

Matsuzaka said Francona told him it was still early in the season and there were a lot of games left to play, echoing his earlier statement that the club did not want to do something on March 25 that could come back to haunt them on Aug. 25.

Still, lobbying your manager to stay in a game is not common in Japanese baseball.

"He's got that part of the American style down," said Francona. "Everybody wants to stay in, anybody who competes doesn't want to come out. I have no problem with the way he approached me during the game. He wants to keep pitching, but I have a responsibility to him, to the organization, and I explained that to him. But he wants to keep pitching, and I'm glad he does."

Francona also said he appreciates the way Matsuzaka carries himself and his commitment to the club and his teammates.

"He's a very respectful young man," said Francona. "He feels a huge responsibility to do his job every time he goes out there, and I understand that. He's a great kid."

Matsuzaka's countryman, reliever Hideki Okajima, ended up getting the win Tuesday after pitching a hitless ninth inning.

The game eventually ended in dramatic fashion, with Manny Ramirez banging a 10th-inning, two-run double off the wall in center field to give the defending World Series champion Red Sox a 6-5 win. Ramirez, who also hit a two-run double down the left-field line to tie it 2-2 in the sixth, stood at home plate and admired his extra-innings blast, thinking he had just hit a three-run homer. When it bounced off the wall, he had to hustle in to second to beat the throw.

Just another example of Manny being Manny.(IHT/Asahi: March 27,2008)