Whether Kei Igawa can live up to Boston’s Japanese ace, Daisuke Matsuzaka, will be one of the interesting subplots of the 2007 season. But if not, what about matching Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina?
The first three Yankee starters were three different shades of crummy, so the club really needs a big start today from Igawa, their 27-year-old overseas acquisition.
Igawa will make his major-league debut this afternoon at Yankee Stadium against Baltimore. Matsuzaka struck out 10 in his major-league debut in Kansas City on Thursday, allowing one run on six hits and a walk. He reached 95 mph on the radar gun.
“For his skills, that’s normal for him,” Igawa said through a translator before the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Orioles last night.
What will be normal for Igawa?
“I don’t know until I play,” he answered after a brief chuckle.
Hopefully normal is better than the Yankees’ first three starting efforts. Mussina allowed eight hits and six earned runs over four innings last night. Pavano went 41/3 innings and allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) on Opening Day, and Pettitte allowed six hits, three walks and four runs (two earned) over four frames in Thursday’s 7-6 loss.
Last offseason, Seibu, Matsuzaka’s club in Japan, received a mind-blowing posting fee of $51,111,111 from the Red Sox for the right-hander, who signed a six-year, $52 million pact with Boston. Igawa signed a five-year, $20 million contract after the Yankees paid a $26 million posting fee to his team, Hanshin.
And today, Igawa will take the mound at Yankee Stadium for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Igawa said. “I’m very excited.
“No, I’m not nervous.”
Yesterday, Torre praised Igawa’s industriousness and personality and acknowledged he’s probably a better fit on the club than Hideki Irabu, another Japanese import, was from 1997-1999.
“I think Kei’s personality is different,” Torre said. “It sort of fit into what the team personality was. Irabu was a little bit different; he didn’t have the same work ethic.”
Igawa made six spring starts, going 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA. Opponents batted .226 against him, less than all of the Yankees starters but Pettitte.
“He throws a heavy ball, and he’s sneaky,” catcher Wil Nieves said. “He’s not throwing 95 [mph], but he will get on you.”
Igawa had to adjust to a new baseball and mounds and at times had problems finishing off his delivery and left pitches up. Although he walked 12 men in 23 spring innings, he whiffed a team-best 22.
“They didn’t take good swings off him,” Torre said.
michael.morrissey@nypost.com