Daisuke - The New Hope of Bosox Fans [Addison Quale]

As a die-hard Red Sox fan since the late 1980's, it seems that over the past few years each season that passes manages to pack into it more and more drama. You'd think that after finally winning it all in 2004 Red Sox fans would finally settle down and take a bit less interest in baseball. Think twice. Amazingly enough, somehow John Henry, Theo & Co. have kept New England absolutely abuzz about the Red Sox for nearly 5 years now, ever since they took the team over after the '02 season. First, there was the powerhouse 2003 team which just missed getting to the Series by losing to the Evil Empire in the most hyped Game 7 playoff in perhaps baseball history. Then of course they won it all in unforgettable '04. '05 was no slouch of a year as the Sox got off to a booming start, getting their rings in front of the Yankees and then making the playoffs again thanks to monster years from Manny and Ortiz. In 2006, while the team certainly sputtered down the stretch and endured the second Boston Massacre, New England was captivated once again--by the loss of Johnny Damon and the arrival of Josh Beckett...probably the high point of the season being a 12 game winning streak in June featuring Big Papi walk-off mania. So while the Pats had a pretty awesome 2006 football season. It didn't really matter. New England was still drunk with Sox love and baseball dominated the sports headlines here all fall. And this time around it was all about the newest arrival Daisuke Matsuzaka. Well, the Monster from Japan has finally landed in Major League baseball making a big splash to the tune of 7 innings and 10 K's against the Royals Thursday. (I drove out to my favorite North Shore roast beef joint to catch the beginning of the game on NESN.) You know, it's April and the World Series is too far off to even give it a thought. Also, given Sox tendencies to start strong and fade and the length of the baseball season, we all understand that April really doesn’t matter. And yet, here we all are in New England. At the edge of our seats. Excited as ever. Checking the news. Waiting impatiently for the arrival of our next star and new hope, Daisuke. And in all this you realize, it’s not about winning anymore. It’s not about another Championship. It’s just about the glory of baseball--- a beautiful game that simply gives us joy in such a fallen world.