Valentine backs "Dice-K" in World Series

TOKYO (Reuters) - Boston rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka could add to Colorado's troubles in the World Series, says former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

Matsuzaka will mark a first for Japan when he starts Saturday's Game Three for the Red Sox at the Rockies' Coors Field with Boston already 2-0 ahead in the best-of-seven series.

"Pressure -- he's okay," the Chiba Lotte Marines manager, who coached against Matsuzaka until this season, told Reuters.

"It will probably be a lot colder than he's used to and the altitude will be the highest place he's probably ever pitched in.

"But he's a first. He's a savant. He wants to be the first, he wants to be the guy to pitch in Game Seven. That's why he is who he is and does what he does."

Game Seven may not be necessary after Boston won 2-1 on Thursday to take a healthy advantage to Colorado.

Matsuzaka got the win in last weekend's American League Championship Series Game Seven victory over the Cleveland Indians and Valentine backed Boston's $100 million pitcher to make an impact against Colorado.

"The ball will take some adjusting to but he's proven he's a world-class pitcher. He's made adjustments all his life," he said.

Valentine predicted that a strong showing for Matsuzaka, immediately christened "Dice-K" on his arrival in Boston, would trigger an improvement on his rookie season record of 15-12.

"He did what I expected him to do," Valentine said.

"I said he'd win 15 games and he'd give up some home runs. I said he'd be competitive every time he goes out on the mound.

"He has just about done that. It's not an easy thing to do what he's doing. People should be proud of what he's done. But I know they're not."

Valentine added: "People want him to lead his team in victories and lead the league in ERA. It takes a lot of adjusting before that happens but I think it could happen in the future."

JAPANESE INTEREST

With Matsuzaka and Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima on one side and Kazuo Matsui among Colorado's ranks, Japanese interest in Major League Baseball is at an all-time high.

Japan's 12 professional teams are lucky to attract half as much attention while waning interest in the domestic game has not been helped by scouting scandals involving several top clubs.

"Major League Baseball has done a wonderful job of promoting their product here in Japan," said Valentine, who led the Marines to the Japan Series title in 2005.

"With three players playing in the World Series, that's wonderful for Japan and the global game of baseball but we need to promote our product here in Japan properly."

Valentine called on Japanese officials to step up to the plate to help reduce the damage done to the domestic game by the exodus of its top talent.

"When you lose your natural resources to MLB it's really difficult to replace," he shrugged.

"NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) suffers from that.

"It needs to stand up and fight back -- put more games on television and promote them, just like MLB. Take the lead, take the power."