I said earlier that fatigue likely hindered Matsuzaka's performance last year. He was putting up very strong numbers until the last month of the season when it appeared that he tired. Today, Matsuzaka confirmed that fatigue was a factor last year. From the Red Sox Spring Training facility, Matsuzaka had the following to say:
"I think last season I went into it only knowing the pace of the season in Japan so it was certainly a big difference to face a different pace of a season here in the U.S. I think what happened last year was that the peak of my fatigue arrived at a time when I wasn't exactly expecting it to arrive, not at the time that it usually arrives and I think that was part of the difficulty last year."
An increased workload was just one of the numerous difficulties that Matsuzaka faced in his rookie season. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in 2008.
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