"Godzilla is now playing for the A's, one of his favorite teams as a teenager.

This afternoon at the Coliseum, the A's will introduce onetime Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui as their designated hitter for 2011, according to multiple sources, pending a physical this morning. The one-year deal is expected to be somewhat less than the $6 million Matsui made with the Angels last season, the sources said.

Matsui has said that he was a fan of the "Bash Brothers" teams of the late 1980s, and that he had an A's cap in his room at home.

Today's event will be a big one in Japan, where Matsui remains immensely popular. Ten Japanese reporters had the Coliseum staked out Monday, hoping for a glimpse of Matsui or members of the A's front office.

Matsui will be introduced with his familiar No. 55, first given to him in Japan as a nod to Sadaharu Oh's season home run record."