Daisuke Matsuzaka Says Junior High Loss to Taiwan Fueled His Drive, Points Out Challenge for Taiwanese Baseball

(CNA, Hsieh Ching-wen, New Taipei, 8th) The regret from a junior high school loss to Taiwan fueled Daisuke "Heisei Monster" Matsuzaka's drive to become stronger. He never lost to them again in subsequent international matchups. He stated frankly that playing against the Taiwanese team in his junior and senior high school days was shocking, but that sense of impact wasn't as strong after turning professional, which he suggests is a challenge for Taiwan to contemplate.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the E.Sun Cup high school baseball tournament, Daisuke "Heisei Monster" Matsuzaka came to Taiwan to attend the opening ceremony. Matsuzaka, who has faced Taiwan many times on the international stage, frankly admitted that a loss during his junior high years left a huge impression on him.

Matsuzaka recalled seeing that the Taiwanese players were physically similar to the Japanese players at the time, but were far superior in terms of explosiveness, speed, and skill. After that game, he began to think about what it would take to win, holding onto the feeling of never wanting to lose again. He smiled, saying that thanks to that defeat, he never lost to Taiwan again.

The loss to Taiwan in the 1995 World Youth Baseball Championship ignited Matsuzaka's fighting spirit to never lose again. During his high school career, Matsuzaka pitched two complete-game victories against Taiwan in international tournaments, and in his professional career, he won all three games he played against them.

Matsuzaka also mentioned that while he felt a strong shock when facing Taiwanese teams in junior and senior high school, that feeling wasn't as intense when they met again at the adult and professional levels. He suggested this might be a topic for Taiwan to consider and an area for growth—how to ensure opponents feel a strong sense of impact at every stage. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150608