"On a stormy Saturday afternoon, there was visual evidence of why the A's believe they will be a contender this season.

Designated hitter Hideki Matsui appeared for the first time in a full Oakland uniform.

It was merely show business, as Matsui was shooting a commercial for Komatsu, a Japanese construction company, at Papago Park Baseball Complex.

But there's nothing phony about the A's expectations regarding Matsui this season.

As center fielder Coco Crisp put it, "He's proven he's a thumper."

Starting Monday, when Matsui joins in the A's first full-squad workout, he will begin work on trying to help resuscitate Oakland's floundering offense of recent years.

Matsui's father, Masao, who attended Saturday's shoot, was asked what he predicted from his son in 2011.

Thirty homers and a .300 batting average, he cheerfully responded.

How close Matsui, 36, gets to those numbers will go a long way toward determining whether the A's end a four-season playoff drought.

He's game to give it a go.

"I'm really excited to wear the uniform of the team I've always dreamed of," Matsui said through interpreter Hiro Murakami.

Masao Matsui shared how the A's were the first baseball team his son rooted for while growing up in Japan.

That's when the A's of the Bash Brothers era were dominating the American League, and more of their games were televised in Japan than were those of most other major league teams. "