First the “gyroball.” Now a knuckleball for Daisuke Matsuzaka. He had stated during his press conference that he was had fooled around with the knuckleball but had very little success with it.

If I can keep my form and throw a knuckleball – it would be great. I tried it in L.A., but it didn’t work.

Well it seems that he may have found a teacher. Tim Wakefield said on Saturday that he would be willing to teach Matsuzaka the knuckleball.

”Somebody told me he wants to learn how to throw a knuckleball, so I’ll be glad to teach him,” Wakefield said Saturday. ”I worked with some of the young kids in our organization and elsewhere (and) I can teach him how I hold it and how to throw it, but it’s up to the individual to kind of have the feel to take the spin off the ball.”

Matsuzaka already has 6 pitches not including the gyroball (fastball, changeup, curveball, slider, cutter, and a splitter). Adding another would only make him more dangerous.

Being a student of the game, I can see Matsuzaka taking time to learn the pitch. I think the hardest part of Wakefield teaching him is going to be the communication between the two. Although a lot of will be visual teaching, he would still have to tell him what to do. It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds over the course of spring training and the regular season.

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