Matsu debut

just a few quotes that i thoroughly enjoyed from an article about Matsuzaka's Fenway Park debut -- which is also worth reading in its entirety, by the way.

There is, of course, no better place for Old World and New Age to intersect. In this city, the cobblestones reek history. In this ballpark, the grass breathes tradition.

Most other places, it's just Opening Day. Here, it's Reaffirmation Day. New England looks ahead to the next seven months and reflects on the past decades, sons joined by blood to fathers, all joined by DNA to the Red Sox.

And it's not easy to upstage a Fenway Park opening, which typically includes everything except a reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill -- although, Donnelly and Guillen gave that a try on Tuesday.

"Many great pitchers have performed at Fenway Park. When I stand there, special emotions may come to me. This game means a lot more to me personally (than his debut in Kansas City). I think that [Fenway] is a sacred place." (Daisuke Matsuzaka)

Johjima has some simple advice to his Mariners teammates: "I would first tell them to pray."