Quotes by Daisuke Matsuzaka

“I could see my pitch count, so I determined that I would get a strikeout no matter what.”

“That was something Ive never done in my career. When I was getting ready to throw, I had the feeling something was about to go wrong. It wasnt a one-run game, so that made it easier for me to take.”

“It showed all the bad points I have. That was about the worst outcome I could imagine. My delivery was off and the pitches were bad.”

“I want Japan to win so well tomorrow that the Koreans will think it will be a long time before they can ever beat Japan.”

“I was not convinced with the outcome. One day off helped. I was rejuvenated. We know that from now on we cannot lose.”

“My pitches were starting to come along as the innings went by. I was trying to be too accurate on the corners at the beginning but I started not to worry about it too much as my pitches were going really well.”

“I was not convinced with that outcome. The day off helped very much. I was able to rejuvenate. Up until the game, I did have the weight of the flag on me because we could not lose again. Once the game started, I was back to myself.”

“Well, it was my first experience to pitch in the game with the world championship on the line. I was going to feel a lot of pressure, as this is something you wouldnt be able to buy. But I did not feel much of it once I got on the mound.”

“Im excited I had a chance to play on the best team ever. With the world championship on the line, I was really proud I did a good job.”

“This brings a lot of responsibility and a lot of pride. We wanted to show our baseball is at a top level. This makes us very happy.”