Sayonara Godzilla: Matsui to Retire

Hideki Matsui showed nothing but class since he joined the New York Yankees in 2003 after a long career in Japan. He became as beloved in the Big Apple, especially by fans of Japanese descent, as he was in his native country and was the World Series MVP when the Yankees captured their 27th title in 2009. Now 38-years old, Matsui has decided it's time to hang up his cleats for good.

No official announcement will be made until tomorrow, Friday, at a press conference in New York City, but Matsui indicated he is retiring from baseball.

Matsui debuted as a 19-year old third baseman for the Yomiuri Giants in 1993 and though his numbers were nothing spectacular, his 11 home runs in 57 games was a portend of things to come. He would average 35 home runs over the next nine years in Japan's Central League and hit a career high 50 home runs the season before his move to New York. His OPS topped 1.000 five of his 10 seasons for Yomiuri.

The Yankees and Yomiuri agreed to a scouting and minor league non-player personnel deal in 2002 that was the first of its kind between Major League Baseball and a Japanese team.¹

Exchange of general baseball information, including scouting reports on professional baseball players in the U.S. and Japan.

Exchange baseball rules and regulations active in the U.S. and Japan.

Hold at least one meeting annually about the above mentioned topics.

Exchange of minor league personnel, such as coaches and staff, but not including players.

The Yankees will support the Giants in scouting and player development in Latin America.

The Giants will support the Yankees in scouting and player development of Asia and the Asian Pacific rim.

The two teams will exchange technology and information on player rehabilitation and conditioning.

Though the Yankees denied the agreement had anything to do with Matsui, the Japanese star signed a three-year, $21MM deal in December, 2002. His first season in New York didn't produce the power that some were expecting (Baseball Tonight's Bobby Valentine said he would hit 50 home runs his first year), but Matsui did drive in 106 runs, hit .287, and got adjusted to the spacious confines of left field in the old Yankee Stadium.

He made a huge splash in his first game at the Stadium with an opening day grand slam against the Minnesota Twins. A year later the Yankees and Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays toured Japan for the opening of the regular season. Matsui was greeted by throngs of fans who were ecstatic to see their countryman home, even if it was in a Yankees uniform.

His success in the States continued. His second and third seasons again produced more than 100 RBI and he averaged 27 home runs (with a US career high of 31 in 2004) over the final two years of his original contract. Prior to the 2006 season, Matsui and the Yankees agreed to a new four-year, $52MM deal.

In the final year of his contract, with free agency looming and the likelihood of him not returning to the Bronx for another year, Matsui went out with a bang. He produced an .876 OPS, 28 HR and 90 RBI in the regular season, but it was in the post-season that Matsui saved his best for last in New York.

After going a combined 7-30 (.233) in the division and league championship series, Matsui unloaded against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. He homered in Game 2 against Pedro Martinez as the Yankees evened the series at a game apiece. He added some insurance with a pinch-hit home run in the Yankees Game 3 victory, and in the Game 6 finale he drove in six runs in the Yankees clinching 7-3 triumph.

Matsui homered again off Martinez and added a single and double. He became the first Japanese born player to win the World Series MVP Award.

Matsui signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 2010 and got a hero's welcome when he returned to Yankee Stadium for Opening Day. This time it wasn't only the fans that greeted him joyously; in presenting him with his World Series ring, Matsui's former teammates mobbed him with hugs and handshakes.

Matsui spent one year in LA, before playing for a season in Oakland, and a brief spell in Tampa in 2012 before he was released on August 1.

Between Japan and the US, the man who became known as Godzilla hit 507 career home runs. He was already missed in New York, but now he will be missed by all of Major League Baseball.

Good luck Godzilla!

"He's the Hideki you know." - John Sterling

Update 7:30 PM - Yankees General Partner Hal Steinbrenner released the following statement:

"Hideki Matsui, in many ways, embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family." 

1 - mlb.com

Edwar, Gaudin Get Rung Up

photo courtesy of Newsday

The Yankees trip to Oakland allowed the team to present World Series rings to Edwar Ramirez and Chad Gaudin.

The team held a little ceremony for the pair before new internet sensation Chan Ho Park broke up the celebration and his teammates by telling the duo (according to NY Daily News beat writer Mark Feinsand), "Okay, beat it. We got stretch".

Who knew the Yankees got both a relief pitcher and Henny Youngman when they signed Park this past off-season.

Ramirez thanked the Yankees by walking four batters in last night's game between the Yankees and A's.

Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling

It was a very festive opening day in the Bronx yesterday. That's what you get when you hoist another championship banner and hand out World Series rings to the winning participants. Just another day in Yankee Stadium, albeit the first time in the House that George (and the city) built.


No part of the day may have been more poignant or worth celebrating more than the return of Yankees long time trainer Gene Monahan. We were told during Spring Training, which Monahan missed for the first time since 1972, that the man known as Geno was battling a serious illness. Mariano Rivera apparently let it slip during interviews yesterday that it is indeed some form of cancer. Monahan was very emotional, but in good spirits as he came out to accept his ring from manager Joe Girardi and special guests Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. The YS crowd gave a well deserved standing ovation.

The biggest ovation of the day though went to a member of the Los Angeles Angels. "He's the Hideki you know"...Hideki Matsui, of course, got a huge standing, thank you ovation from the fans and got a group hug from his former teammates. He also got pranked. Derek Jeter orchestrated it all - fake rings given (a Spring Training promotion) to Godzilla and Nick Swisher. Neither even realized what was going on until Jeter and Rivera gave them the real rings.


Bernie Williams threw out the first pitch, though the YES Network nearly missed it coming back from commercial breaks. There was a military fly over and broadway star Kristen Chenoweth (who looked like she was trying to be Carrie Underwood's doppelganger) sang the National Anthem. Then it was time for baseball.


Starter Andy Pettitte was the perfect pick to pitch opening day. After all, he had been on the mound for the clinching win in each round of the 2009 post-season. He also quickly gave Matsui a reminder that he's no longer a Yankee. A first inning strikeout was part of an oh-fer for Godzilla on the day.

Nick Johnson smacked his first Stadium home run in the bottom of the 1st off Ervin Santana and Derek Jeter went deep in the third. The Captain added an RBI single in the 4th (hit #2757) and Alex Rodriguez's brought home two more in the sixth.

The Yankees would need every run they could get, because leading 7-1 in the 9th, David Robertson surrendered a grand slam to former Yankee Bobby Abreu. At least that way Rivera got to be part of the opener by picking up his 3rd save.

photos courtesy of Yahoo Sports

Notes

Jorge Posada is off to a hot start. He was 3-4 yesterday to raise his average to .429 and had a pair of doubles to move past Mickey Mantle for 7th place on the team's all-time doubles list. In typical Jorgie fashion, he also got thrown out at the plate.

Pettitte tossed six scoreless innings for his 1st win of the year and the 230th of his career and 193rd as a Yankee. It was also the 4th home opening win for Pettitte.

The loss had to be a minor thing for some of the Angels who had a tough day. Several of them witnessed a suicide from their hotel that morning. A former hotel employee jumped from the roof as the Angels were on their way out.

Not sure how long these will be up on Youtube, but a TOH to Zell's Pinstripe Blog for finding video of the ring ceremony.

We're On Our Way Home

Just a little over a half a day until the raising of the glorious 27th World Championship banner and the handing out of championship rings to the players, coaches, and front office personnel.

The Yankees arrived home after Sunday's 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The victory game the Bombers a 4-2 road trip that was comprised of series wins over both the Rays and the Boston Red Sox. Not a bad way to start the season.

Sunday's win was also big for A.J. Burnett, who had a rocky first outing in Boston and started out yesterday's game in shaky fashion. Burnett, the tattoed, pie smashing, right-hander allowed two first inning runs and admitted to not having confidence in his stuff. But Jorge Posada and pitching coach Dave Eiland helped settle him down and Burnett rewarded his teammates with six scoreless frames.

Alex Rodriguez hasn't homered yet, but he's getting darn close. A near miss in Boston, a near miss in Tampa. I expect him to break out any day now.

Posada and Nick Swisher both went deep on Sunday, with Posada's go-ahead shot coming against former teammate Randy Choate. Not the first time Yankees fans have witnessed a Choate failure.

In addition to the banner and ring presentations, one of tomorrow's highlight's will be Bernie Williams throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Now, Bernie hasn't offically ever announced a retirement date, but isn't time the Yankees front office set up a Bernie Williams Day? Retire #51, etc?
Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra (who I thought for sure would be throwing out the first pitch) will be on hand to present the rings. Ceremonies to kick off at 12:15. (thanks to the Star Ledger's Marc Carig for providing ceremony info. Click here to see the complete schedule of events).

An added bonus of tomorrow's opener is the opponent. Because the Yankees start their home schedule against the Los Angeles Angels, Hideki Matsui will be on hand to receive his ring. Godzilla is off to a great start in his new home. He's already had 2 game winning hits and is hitting .370 with a couple of home runs and 5 RBI.

The Hunt for Pinstriped October

It's never too soon to start figuring out the Yankees roster for the AL Division Series. Of course 90% is set in stone, health permitting, with just a handful of question marks.

First a look at the most obvious:

Catchers

Jorge Posada

Infield

Around the Horn - Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez

Outfield

From left to right - Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher

DH

Hideki Matsui

Bench

Brett Gardner, Jose Molina, Eric Hinske

Starting Pitchers

CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte

Bullpen

Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Damaso Marte, Al Aceves


And...

So this is where the questions begin. We've sewn up 20 spots, which leaves five more to be determined.

For the bench, Jerry Hairston Jr. is a given IF he is healthy. And that's a major question after he heard something pop in his wrist yesterday out in Anaheim. If Hairston can't go, that means the much less experienced Ramiro Pena would be the backup infielder.

The Yankees are probably set in the outfield. Gardner will most likely get some starts in the playoffs and hopefully Hinske will never see the field, but be used strictly as a pinch-hitter with pop off the bench. Michael Kay keeps trying to sell us on Joe Girardi taking the speedy Freddy Guzman to be this year's Herb Washington. And we all know how that worked out.

The starting rotation is set for the division series. Beyond that, the Yankees will need a fourth starter if they advance to the ALCS, and subsequently, to the World Series. It's hard to imagine Joba Chamberlain being that guy right now. He's a mess, both pitching-wise and psychologically. Right now, a game four could go to Chad Gaudin. (At this point, Sergio Mitre should not be any part of the mix.)

The bullpen should include Chamberlain if he is not going to start. There's no reason why he couldn't face a couple of batters here or there late in the game. At this point, we would kick Brian Bruney to the curb, and we hope David Robertson will be ready to go. However, if his sore shoulder doesn't allow him to pitch much in the final 10 games, then we would skip him as well.

So, who do I go with for those last five spots?

Hairston, Pena, Chamberlain, Gaudin, Robertson. If Hairston can't go, then Guzman probably is a go. If no Robertson, then I would actually take Jonathan Albaladejo over Bruney.