I Fear Not Your Gyroball Brave Boston Warrior

Ichiro may be looking for Dice-K to stoke the fires that reside deep in his soul but his teammate Kenji Johjima isn't playing that nationalism game. He's talking about the gyroball in advance of today's monster showdown at Fenway and he's less impressed than we average American Joe salarymen.

Johjima likened the gyroball to what is called a cut fastball in the major leagues, which would hardly make it a mystical new pitch. "If you want to call it gyro, call it gyro, but I see it as a cut fastball," Johjima said. "I think a lot of pitchers throw that pitch. ... It's hard to catch as a catcher, but also hard to hit."

Johjima was 32-for-118 with five home runs against Dice-K on the other side of the Pacific Rim so the Mariners may be better equipped to deal with Matsuzaka than the Royals were last week. Kansas City found their ignorance punished by Matsuzaka's unpredictable pitch choice and location. Each at-bat was like watching a different part of Rashoman - the same result (a Royal out) but a different way of getting there each time. Johjima may be able to lead the team to more prosperous result.

The matchup between Matsuzaka and the two Japanese players for the Mariners is interesting but also of great interest is the matchup between Dice-K and The King, Felix Hernandez. The Mariner ace was nearly perfect on Opening Day and looks to burnish his legend at the expense of Matsuzaka's. Plus he throws a gyroball.

Johjima said that Felix Hernandez, who will oppose Matsuzaka in what should stand up as one of the marquee matchups of the season, throws a similar pitch to Matsuzaka's so-called gyroball.

Asked what Felix's version of the gyro was, Johjima replied in English, "I call it a slider."

If the American gyroball compares to the Japanese one the same way that American cars match up with the Japanese, I think you'll find Hernandez throws a faster, bigger and shinier model while Matsuzaka's is smaller and more efficient. Now if we could just see the Japanese take on the club sandwich.