Atta boy, Dice-K

bostonherald.com - The box of cigars offered the punctuation to four days that Daisuke Matsuzaka won’t soon forget.

Fellow Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield had informed Matsuzaka that it was customary in this country for new fathers to hand out cigars to signify the celebration of a newborn child. The newly named Opening Day starter obliged, breaking out a box of stogies to be handed out throughout the clubhouse.

The smile emanating from Matsuzaka as he unveiled his presents wasn’t difficult to decipher. It was the least he could do after his newborn son had given his father both peace of mind and a chance to make his sixth career Opening Day start on Japanese soil.