Clay Harbor

I think the jury is still out on the starting rotation.

Well, what I would like to see in looking ahead, you know, occasionally I'm able to look ahead, I'd like to see Mizoroski actually go ball one, ball two, so that Murakami can look in the strike zone and

for something that he can certainly handle.

But what's going to be interesting, if you watch the hands of Murakami, and I know that he had a conversation with Otani about the hand position, I don't think he's changed it all that much by using his hands and keeping them away from his body like he does.

I'm sure he has a reason for that because, you know, when you're a two-time MVP in Japan and you've hit 56 home runs, you're obviously getting it done.

The question will be, and some of the harder throwers here, can he catch up to the inside pitch with his hands like that?

Because when you put your hands out, you have to bring them back in order to swing.

And that's part of the deal.

And the question is then becomes timing.

Can he catch up to that 96 to 98 to 99 mile an hour fastball that's in on your hands?

So you have to bring your hands in.

If he can do that, well, then you can hit the guys who have the high 90s fastball.

He's going to see it tomorrow, and we'll see how successful he is.

But that's the first place they like to test guys, especially with a hand position like that.

They'll test him inside anyway, but especially when they start like that, and we'll see if he can catch up to it.

He has to be able to adapt to new surroundings as well as new pitchers that he's going to see, but I think he has the ability to do it.

Those numbers in Japan just jump out at you.

Okay, guys, take care, and have a great year.

I think the Sox are going to give you some good days to talk about things.

I think we're going to be substantially better.