In addition to my usual Yankees Chick posts, I have also begun writing a bit for AOL's FanHouse blog. I will post the beginnings of those articles here on YC, and then you'll have to click the link to jump on over to FH to read the rest... stick with me here, amigos!
--------------------------------------------------------

"Under The Gun" takes a look at one player from each team who will bear all the pressure for the upcoming '08 season.

Three of the most pressure-inducing circumstances a ballplayer can face in his career are being a highly-anticipated rookie, the pressure that comes with playing for one of the most popular teams in the league, and having to prove yourself worthy of a huge contract.

In 2007, Daisuke Matsuzaka had to deal with all three of those challenges. He had a good year, accumulating a record of 15-12 and a 4.40 ERA, but Red Sox fans are going to expect more from him in the second year of his 6 year, $52 million contract. The team also paid $51+ million as a posting fee, and while that is not included in his salary, fans and detractors alike tend to take that into account when determining whether he is worth all of that cold hard cash.


Continue Reading Under the Gun: Daisuke Matsuzaka