More from RealGM
 More Red Sox NewsRed Sox LinksFor Sam Kennedy, the Red Sox? senior vice president of sales and marketing, there was a semblance of disappointment when it came to Daisuke Matsuzaka?s payoff off the field. A year after the pitcher?s agent Scott Boras told Boston about all the money that could be made from the marketing of Matsuzaka, expectations have been readjusted. ?There was absolutely not this windfall of corporate advertising dollars we thought there may be, or that (Matsuzaka?s) representative might have led you to believe during the negotiations,? Kennedy said. ?But it was fascinating to watch the media, the fans that came over from Japan to see him and to see someone assimilate into our culture. From everything I hear the best is yet to come.? In terms of finances derived from Japanese corporations because of Matsuzaka?s presence, it can only get better for the Red Sox. While most estimates have Seattle and the Yankees garnering between $3-6 million annually because of the presence of Japanese outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, respectively, the Red Sox? final tally came up well short. Funai Electronics proved to be the sole sponsorship gained because of Dice-K, netting the Red Sox an annual contract of approximately $900,000. ?The only true deal I could look myself in the mirror and say, ?This came because of Matsuzaka and the attention from Japan,? was the Funai deal,? Kennedy said. ?A lot of the new companies I would say were there because of a result of him adding to (an already) competitive team.? |
