Hardball Heaven

Hello, Boston. After a whirlwind courtship involving the standard posturing, surprise cross-country trips, and a suitcase full of cold, hard cash, the Red Sox finally landed their man yesterday. As a Nation waited with bated breath - and clicked repeatedly on Boston.com for hourly updates - the news quickly spread that Japanese gunslinger Daisuke Matsuzaka had indeed boarded John Henry's plane with Theo and Larry for the trip back to Boston - essentially meaning that a deal was thisclose. Eager newshounds could even track the friggin' flight as it made its trek home. In the end, the Dice-man agrees to a 6-year, $52 million deal, meaning the Red Sox have ponied up a total of more than $103 million for a man who's never stepped foot on a big league mound.

That said, there is unbridled excitement in the Hub over this deal and count me as being totally on board. D-Mat was immediately indoctrinated in the frenzy that is Red Sox baseball - with news cameras recording his every move - but he seems like a guy who not only can handle the attention, but can thrive in this environment. One other interesting side note - the circus that is sure to follow his every step may take some of the glare off our mercurial left fielder.

In other news, the Sox officially welcomed Julio Lugo to the fold, and just have to work out some last-minute details in J.D. Drew's contract. The rumors about Rocket Roger continue, and Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal suggests today that the Sox wouldn't be averse to trading Josh Beckett for a proven closer. Never a dull minute in the Nation. And we're loving every minute of it.

(Quick NFL note -- The Seahawks are playing the Niners tonight and are favored by 9. I'll go with the 'dog getting the points.)


(Boston Globe/Boston.com photo)