FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – For one day, Daisuke Matsuzaka was probably the richest baggage handler in the world.

The highly-paid and highly-praised Japanese pitcher lugged Jason Varitek’s heavy bag of catching equipment onto the field as they left the clubhouse for the Red Sox first official workout of spring training Sunday.

Walking side-by-side, they smiled broadly. Hundreds of spectators – many of them youngsters from a Japanese school in Miami – laughed.

Who thought of having the star with the six-year, $52 million contract do that?

“That would be my idea,” Varitek said. “He asked a question about something through one of the ladies that speaks Japanese and English and I said, “no, no, no, American custom (is) to carry the catcher’s gear out’ and so I made sure he knew I was just joking.”

Matsuzaka didn’t seem to mind.

“In my rookie year in Japan (in 1999) maybe I carried some other catcher’s bags, but I don’t remember how many times,” he said through an interpreter. “But ‘Tek told me that (Boston pitcher Jonathan Papelbon) also carried his bag one time so I said, “sure, I can do it multiple times, as you wish.”

At least Varitek carried Matsuzaka’s cleats and glove to the field.