Hideki Matsui News: Pro Sports Daily

Comment

November 7

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui appears to be in full negotiating mode already. On the same day he received some of the loudest cheers in the Canyon of Heroes for his contributions as the World Series MVP, Matsui wouldn't even say yesterday if he wants to return to the Yankees next season. "I don't have any thoughts right now," Matsui said outside the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, referring to his 2010 preference. There has been some thought that Matsui, who can become a free agent, will return to play in his native Japan if the Yankees don't make him a competitive offer. But when asked about playing for another major league team, Matsui said anything is possible. Those possibilities include shedding ..."

DH Matsui perfect part of post-Series daydream

Comment

November 6

Tacoma News Tribune

columnist John McGrath

"The day after the World Series is a day I dread, especially if the Yankees win. Denied the anticipation of a real baseball game until April, fans are left to debate the pros and cons of an open-market system that ensures the Yanks can install a highly paid star at every position. But Thursday was different. Instead of groaning during each replay of Hideki Matsui's bravura performance - he tied a Series single-game record with six RBI on Wednesday - I imagined how the designated hitter might look in a Mariners uniform. It could happen. Matsui's contract with the Yankees has expired, and the team gets two weeks to decide whether to re-sign him, offer him arbitration for a one-year contract, ..."

Vets, Bombers ponder pinstriped future

Comment

November 6

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Andy Pettitte will be with the Yankees when they bask in the glory of a ticker-tape parade today up the Canyon of Heroes as World Series champions. However, when the three step off the floats, will they be headed to Tampa for spring training? Matsui, Damon and Pettitte are expected to file for free agency before the midnight, Nov. 19 deadline. Because all three played big parts in the Yankees beating the Phillies in six games to cop the organization's record 27th World Series title, there are decisions to be made. If they return, at what price? If they don't, who will replace them? Matsui, who tied a single-game record with six RBIs in the clinching Game 6 ..."

Matsui wrong MVP choice

Comment

November 6

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"It was great news for Major League Baseball growing the sport internationally in a season that began with Version 2 of the World Baseball Classic, but the selection of Japanese DH Hideki Matsui as MVP of the World Series was wrong. The real most valuable player, the biggest influence on the outcome, was closer Mariano Rivera. Matsui is strictly a designated hitter who could not play in the field because of his wonky knees. Therefore, in the three Series games at Philadelphia, at a time when it was turning around and the Yankees grabbed history by the throat, winning the first two games to go up 3-1, Matsui was a pinch-hitter, missing Game 4 entirely. Meanwhile, Rivera appeared in four of ..."

Japan followed Matsui heroics

Comment

November 5

New York Post

"If New York toasted Hideki Matsui all night and morning after the Yankees' 7-3 World Series-clinching victory in Game 6 last night in The Bronx, imagine the reaction in Japan, which has 20 Japanese media affiliates regularly covering the Bombers and which has sent 28 affiliates and more than 100 journalists to cover the World Series. "This is unbelievable," said Sataru Kagenezawa of Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper. "The biggest story in Japan for a Japanese player playing in the major leagues was Ichiro [Suzuki] winning the MVP (in 2001). "But I think this is even bigger. "This is the World Series. Japanese players have played in the World Series since 2005 and won three times (the ..."

Matsui brings Yanks' elusive 27th title

Comment

November 5

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Think of the procession and the price. Think of all the stars brought in for nearly a decade at a staggering cost to try to recreate the dynasty years. It has been quite a parade, and yet no parade. There were Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi, Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez and Gary Sheffield, Carl Pavano and Jeff Weaver. They were imported for one reason, and one reason only: To bring championship No. 27 to the Bronx. And they all left ring-less. Hideki Matsui, however, persevered through damaged knees and the loss of his regular outfield gig. He came in with a big nickname and was never more Godzilla than on possibly his last day in a Yankee uniform. The one-time Yomiuri ..."

Matsui makes it hard for Yanks to release him

Comment

November 5

New York Post

columnist David Wells

"I'VE maintained for a while that the Yankees should get younger and let Hideki Matsui depart this winter, but how do you do that now? This wasn't Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in one game, but what we saw last night by Matsui (six RBIs in the Yankees' 7-3 World Series-clinching victory last night in The Bronx) was one of the great performances in World Series history. The Yankees are champions, and Matsui was every bit deserving of the MVP.It just goes to show you what kind of hitter he is. He could hit lefties from the first at-bat I ever saw him. Just his ability to hit all types of pitchers is amazing. He's probably got another three or four years left in him. The Yankees will ..."

Matsui, Pettitte carry Yankees to Series title

Comment

November 5

New York Post

"Baseball's penthouse is again decorated with hand-painted silk Yankees pinstripe wallpaper. Nine years after their last World Series title, the Yankees earned No. 27 last night when they spanked the defending champion Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium before a record crowd of 50,315 that didn't include George Steinbrenner. Tomorrow morning the Yankees will celebrate with a ticker-tape parade up lower Broadway. "Right where we belong," Derek Jeter bellowed from a stage in the middle of the $1.5 billion Stadium. And they looked very comfortable. Alex Rodriguez, who doesn't have to answer any more questions about choking in the postseason, let loose with a river of victory tears and ..."

Matsui wins MVP as New York Yankees beat Philadelphia Phillies, grab 27th World Series title

Comment

November 5

New York Daily News

"The move across 161st Street is now complete. The Yankees finished their debut season at the new Yankee Stadium in style Wednesday night, hammering the Phillies for a 7-3 win in Game 6 to capture the 27th World Series championship in franchise history. Hideki Matsui had the game of his life, homering and driving in six runs - tying the World Series RBI record - on what may have been his final night in pinstripes. The first four came against long-time Yankees nemesis Pedro Martinez, who lasted only four innings for the Phillies. Matsui finished the series 8-for-13 (.615) with three homers and eight RBI and the MVP trophy. Matsui, whose contract is up, said he wants a return engagement. "I ..."

Losing Hideki Matsui after MVP World Series performance may be wrong move for New York Yankees

Comment

November 5

New York Daily News

columnist John Harper

"If this turns out to be goodbye for Hideki Matsui, it goes down as the greatest exit since John Elway won a second straight Super Bowl and rode off into the sunset. It's not exactly the same, of course. Matsui would love to keep his pinstripes and return to defend the championship that he, more than anyone else, delivered for the Yankees Wednesday night with a game that lived up to his nickname of Godzilla. He just may not have a say in the matter. Only how do you cut ties with the MVP of the World Series? Matsui earned that distinction mostly with his eye-popping performance last night, slugging a home run, a double and a single and driving in six runs in the Yankees' 7-3 Game 6 ..."

Matsui Leaves a Lasting World Series Memory

Comment

November 5

New York Times

"Hideki Matsui does not know if he will ever play another game for the Yankees. The Yankees do not know if he will, either. If Matsui has played his final game with the team, he left the biggest stage in baseball in the same way he moved across it for seven seasons: professionally and exceptionally. Matsui, the unflappable hitter, had a homer, a double, a single and also drove in six runs to help the Yankees stop the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, and win the World Series in six games Wednesday night. It is the first championship for the Yankees since 2000. After seven seasons, Matsui has his first World Series ring. Even as Matsui tied Bobby Richardson's World Series record with six runs ..."

Godspeed, Godzilla

Comment

November 2

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"This may change, because anything around the Yankees is subject to change, subject to the whims and the wonders of the men who own and run the team. But it would seem that Hideki Matsui is in his final days as a member of the team, and given his feel-good, pinch-hit home run late in Game 3 Saturday night, it seems a good time to appreciate all that his time with the Yankees has meant. Understand that there may never have been an athlete who needed to succeed as much as Matsui did -- for himself, to back up a huge reputation gleaned as a Japanese league slugger; for his nation, always eager to prove itself in the international game; and for the Yankees, who made a bold bid to secure his ..."

Matsui says he's ready for OF duty

Comment

October 31

New York Post

"It's been three years since Hideki Matsui has played any right field and a season-and-a-half since he has been in the outfield at all. Thus, painful as it is to lose a designated hitter who had three hits in six at-bats during World Series Game 1 and 2, manager Joe Girardi is not going to risk becoming a designated idiot by starting Matsui in right field in Game 3 tonight. Not after all this time, not with both knees barking in the aftermath of arthroscopic surgeries the last 24 months. And not with another defensive liability, Johnny Damon, in left. Matsui's Halloween costume yesterday was a fielder's glove he picked up after hitting practice. He half-heartedly chased a few ground ..."

Bombers seek spark, but lose Matsui

Comment

October 31

New York Daily News

"While the Yankees are searching for solutions to kick-start Alex Rodriguez and their suddenly lagging lineup, they will have to do so in tonight's Game 3 without one of their most productive hitters. The Yanks hit just .222 in splitting the first two games - including eight hitless trips by A-Rod with six strikeouts. They now will lose No. 5 hitter Hideki Matsui , who belted a go-ahead homer in Game 2, with the designated hitter out of play in the Phillies' home yard, Citizens Bank Park . "You can't help the situation," Matsui said through an interpreter. "Those are the rules of the game, and that is the role that I've accepted. So the best thing is you have to make the most out of ..."

Clutch Matsui must remain in lineup

Comment

October 30

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"He has the greatest nickname of any Yankee, Godzilla, but he is often the most overlooked Yankee. Hideki Matsui showed just how important he is to the Yankees last night. His sixth inning home run off Pedro Martinez after Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez had struck out proved to be the go-ahead run in the 3-1 victory over the Phillies at Yankees Stadium to tie the World Series at 1-1. That big swing could be the turning point of the Series. Until that shot into the right-field seats, Pedro was Pedro, dominating the Yankees with a mixture of changeups, curve balls and fastballs. "I left the curve ball there and kind of paid for it," Martinez said. "His [Matsui's] home run was huge," ..."

Matsui's gift RBI jump starts Yankees 4-1 win over Angels

Comment

October 17

New York Daily News

"This was the proof of the time-tested baseball axiom that all hits look like line drives in the box scores the next day. Hideki Matsui's two-out pop-up dropped between incommunicado infielders Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar in the first inning for a gift RBI hit as the Yankees got off to a fast start on their way to a 4-1 win over the Angels in Game 1 of the ALCS Friday night at the Stadium. "I was surprised. To me, that was a definite out," Matsui said through an interpreter when asked about the pop-up that fell in to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead in the first. "I wasn't watching it, but I saw it drop. ... I was quite surprised when nobody really got to it. It was just an infield pop-up." ..."

Girardi says starting Hideki Matsui, not Jorge Posada, as DH was a no-brainer

Comment

October 9

Newark Star-Ledger

"As expected, the Yankees will start Hideki Matsui as their designated hitter against the Twins on Friday, meaning Jorge Posada will begin the game on the bench. Manager Joe Girardi said during a pre-game press conference that the Yankees' Game 2 lineup will be as follows: Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Matsui, Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera and Jose Molina. They'll face Minnesota right-hander Nick Blackburn. "Matsui's been our DH most of the year and is familiar with that role," Girardi said. "That is not a role that Jorge has done a lot in his career. Now, if there's a left-hander on the mound, maybe you think a little bit differently, but Matsui's been great ..."

Matsui HR comes off another lefty

Comment

October 8

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui certainly didn't mind watching the Twins replace one lefty with another in the fifth inning last night. So long, Brian Duensing. Hello, Francisco Liriano -- and goodbye baseball. Matsui's two-run homer on Liriano's fourth pitch gave the Yankees breathing room in their 7-2 victory in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. "He's been huge for us all year," manager Joe Girardi said. "Another home run off a left-hander." Matsui hit 13 homers in the regular season against lefties -- tying him for the major-league lead among left-handed hitters. The fact he compiled that total in only 131 at-bats tells you Liriano probably wasn't the best option to face Matsui. But Twins manager Ron ..."

Resurgent Matsui gets clutch hit

Comment

September 28

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui began his sixth inning at-bat against Takashi Saito with two strikes against him, just like he began the 2009 season with two strikes against him -- his age and his surgically repaired knees. Matsui, as he has all season long, refused to go away quietly. And the Yankees, as they have all season long, needed the 35-year-old designated hitter to deliver against the Red Sox reliever Saito, who had entered the game just before Matsui came to the plate with two outs and two runners on base and the Yankees trailing 2-1. Matsui battled back to even the count at 2-2 and then fouled a pitch off to stay alive. On the next pitch he smacked a line-drive single that landed in the ..."

Yankees' Hideki Matsui having blast against lefthanded pitching this season

Comment

September 17

New York Daily News

"The book says you bring in the lefthander to neutralize the lefthanded bat. Hideki Matsui hopes opposing managers keep reading that book. With the Yankees trailing by two runs in the eighth inning Wednesday night, Toronto skipper Cito Gaston brought in lefty Scott Downs. Downs was the logical choice, having allowed just one run in his last 12 appearances covering 112/3 innings. But logic tends to go out the window when Matsui is involved, and Wednesday night was just the latest example. Matsui smoked a 1-2 curveball from Downs and parked it deep in the stands in right-center field to tie the game in the eighth before Francisco Cervelli's RBI single in the ninth gave the Yankees their ..."

Yankees Rout O's In Eighth

Comment

September 14

Washington Post

"The mismatch that most expected to occur here over the weekend never materialized until the eighth inning Sunday when the New York Yankees turned a close game with the Baltimore Orioles into a humbling 13-3 rout. Baltimore's chances of its first three-game sweep here since 1986 and its first winning road trip all season evaporated in an unsightly eighth when the Yankees sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight times. "It was two different games," Orioles Manager Dave Trembley lamented. "It was the first six innings, which was a baseball game, and the last couple, I'd just as soon forget." The Yankees broke a sixth-inning deadlock on Hideki Matsui's two-run bases-loaded single off ..."

Godzilla's homer, 5 RBIs Rx for blundering Yanks

Comment

September 14

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui has served in many roles across seven seasons as a Yankee. Yesterday he added a new one: embarrassment eraser. Had Matsui not driven in five runs in the final three innings, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez and every other Yankee would have been on the hook for inexcusable mistakes. Damon cost the Yankees a run by forgetting how many outs there were in the fourth inning after catching a fly ball in left and allowing Justin Turner to score from second. Rodriguez got ejected in the fifth inning of a tie game for saying something to short-fused umpire Marty Foster a half-inning after Foster called out A-Rod in a key spot. Foster also thumbed an enraged Yankee manager Joe Girardi ..."

Hideki Matsui stays hot, settles into DH role for Yankees

Comment

August 26

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui's hot streak continued Tuesday night as the Yankees' resurgent slugger did his best to keep his team on the winning track. Matsui doubled in a pair of runs in the first inning, the Yankees' first two of the game. He later singled in the first run of a furious four-run rally in the ninth that ultimately fell short in a 10-9 loss to the Rangers at the Stadium. Matsui went 2-for-4 with three RBI, giving him 18 RBI in his last eight games. He has 71 RBI for the season. Eight of his last 13 hits have been for extra bases (seven home runs and a double). In his last eight games, which began with the start of the Yankees' 10-game road trip, Matsui is hitting .352 with six home ..."

As Matsui Slows Down, He Hopes to Stay Put

Comment

August 25

New York Times

"The ice packs wrapped around Hideki Matsui's knees are as much a part of his postgame routine with the Yankees as taking a shower. The ice stays on for several minutes, turning Matsui's legs pink. After he sheds the ice, Matsui said, his pain is minor. Sometimes, he still looks as if he may need 10 seconds to lumber to first base. Sometimes, Matsui, who has not played an inning in the outfield this year, looks as if he is one wobbly stride from reinjuring his knees. But then he swings his bat, shifting it from a straight, still position and powering it through the strike zone, and he looks revived. Matsui playfully noted that hitting home runs has a personal benefit for him: it means he ..."

Easy does it

Comment

August 24

Boston Globe

"Hideki Matsui clobbered four home runs this weekend, two in each Yankees' victory against the Red Sox, in which he sees a collateral benefit. "Then I don't have to run so hard,'' Matsui said through an interpreter. "It's easy on my knees.'' The damage from playing a decade on hard, artificial turf in Japanese stadiums to begin his career has taken its toll this season. Matsui has not played the outfield this season. After each game, he wraps ice around each knee so thick the bandages rub together. Last weekend, he had fluid drained from his left knee and sat out two games."

Hideki Matsui makes a powerful case as free agency nears

Comment

August 24

New York Daily News

"Free-agent-to-be Hideki Matsui swears he has not thought about his baseball future, though his Yankee career may have only two months or so left. Lately, however, Matsui is providing compelling evidence that he should stay in pinstripes each time he swings the bat, or at least showing off his power to other potential suitors. Matsui had his second two-homer game in three days against the Red Sox Sunday night, blasting solo shots in the second and eighth innings off Josh Beckett in the Yanks' 8-4 victory. Matsui joined Mike Stanley (1994), Moose Skowron (1961) and Mickey Mantle (1966) as the only Yanks in the last 50 years to have a pair of two-homer games against Boston in the same season. ..."

Matsui homers twice and helps the Yankees rock the Red Sox

Comment

August 24

New York Daily News

"The Yankees came to Fenway Park without a win on Boston's home turf this season. They left Red Sox Nation with a bigger lead than they had when they arrived. The Bombers homered five times off Josh Beckett, handing CC Sabathia plenty of run support in an 8-4 win over the Red Sox Sunday night, the Yanks' second straight series win over their archrivals. The Yank.ees picked up a game over the weekend to move 71/2 in front of the Red Sox in the AL East, their 7-3 road trip giving them a baseball-best 78-46 record. "We had a great road trip," Joe Girardi said. "To win two out of three when we were 0-6 here and hadn't played well, I thought it was big." Hideki Matsui turned in his second ..."

Matsui Powers Fen-Tastic 23-Hit Rout

Comment

August 22

New York Post

"When the Red Sox's AL East epitaph is written, it will be in ink dripping from the Yankees' biceps. Last night at Fenway Park the Yankees flexed their muscles early and often on their way to a 20-11 drubbing of their blood rivals in front of 37,869. "We are having fun right now," said Mark Teixeira, whose 3-for-5, three RBI night took a backseat to what Hideki Matsui, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez accomplished in the Yankees' third straight win overall and fifth consecutive against the Red Sox -- after losing eight straight to Boston to start the season. "We are getting contributions from everybody." When Nick Swisher singled in the sixth, every spot in the order had at least one hit. ..."

Hidkei Matsui's knee problems won't keep him out of Yanks' lineup for long

Comment

August 19

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui was slated to be back in the Yankees' lineup Tuesday night after having his left knee drained on Sunday, and the designated hitter is hopeful that he won't encounter any more problems with his leg down the stretch. "I believe I will be fine for the rest of the season," Matsui said through his interpreter. "It has only happened twice in the course of the season. I have a strong feeling I can finish the season without any problems." Matsui had the same knee drained following the home opener on April 16, but had no more issues with it until last weekend. He has been one of the Yankees' hottest hitters for the past six weeks, batting .299 with nine home runs and 30 RBI in ..."

Yankees DH Hideki Matsui sits for 2nd straight game with knee woes

Comment

August 17

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui has been one of the Yankees' hottest hitters in recent weeks, but the designated hitter was on the bench for a second straight game Sunday after having fluid drained from his left knee. Matsui, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee last year, had the knee drained before the 10-3 loss to the Mariners. He had the same knee drained on April 16. "This time around, it's not as bad as it was before," Matsui said through his interpreter. "I'm not worried as long as we do the same kind of treatment we did in April. I'm not that concerned." Joe Girardi said Matsui won't play Monday, as the team will reevaluate his status Tuesday. "It's the first time in a long time. ..."

Matsui's Knee Still An Issue

Comment

August 17

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui had fluid drained from his surgically repaired left knee yesterday and won't be available tonight against the A's after missing the final two games versus the Mariners. "It was a little worse than [Saturday]," Girardi said of the knee Matsui had operated on last off-season and drained in April. "He is not in there [tonight]. We will see how he is Tuesday." Because Matsui has thrived as the DH lately, Girardi understands how much balance the left-handed DH adds to the lineup. "It's hard not having him in there," Girardi said. "But we have to be smart about it." Because Matsui was in some discomfort Saturday night, Girardi decided before Matsui arrived at Safeco Field that he ..."

Matsui, Posada Give Yanks Powerful Win

Comment

August 12

New York Post

"You've heard the term a bloop and a blast. Last night, it was more like a blast and a bloop. First up was Hideki Matsui. Second up was Jorge Posada. The Yankees struck late again, with Matsui and Posada launching back-to-back homers to open last night's bottom of the eighth inning and turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead en route to a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays at the Stadium. On Monday, Joe Girardi didn't start Matsui (giving him a rest) or catch Posada (giving him a half-rest as the DH). Coincidence or not, the manager's maneuvers worked like a dramatic charm last night. Down 4-3 in the eighth, Matsui led off against lefty Jesse Carlson by crushing a mammoth blast to right to ..."

Matsui is seeing healthy changes at plate

Comment

August 8

New York Daily News

"The numbers say that a road trip was just what Hideki Matsui needed to kick his recent slump. Matsui says that it's his health, which hasn't been this good in a long while. Following a 2-for-24 slide to complete the Yankees' nine-game home stand toward the end of July, Matsui hopped on the Bombers' eight-game, three-city trip last week and seemed to leave his troubles in the Bronx. He went 9-for-24 on the trip (.375), keeping in line with a curious season-long trend that has seen Matsui's hitting improve when the Yanks leave town. "As far as how I feel at the plate, I don't think I feel any different," Matsui said through an interpreter Friday night before the Yankees played the Red Sox ..."

Matsui's Homer Puts Yankees In Tie For First

Comment

July 21

New York Post

"If the Yankees don't help themselves before the trading deadline Hal Steinbrenner believes there is enough talent to bring a World Series title to The Bronx. "I think we have a championship caliber team," Steinbrenner said late yesterday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. "I believe we can win a championship." If the Yankees pitch like they have in the four games following the All-Star break and the homers continue to be clutch, Steinbrenner might be right. Last night, Andy Pettitte proved he isn't affected by pitching in the cozy confines, Jose Molina made back-to-back sterling defensive plays in the eighth and Hideki Matsui delivered the game-winning homer with one out in the ninth to carry ..."

Matsui powers Yankees past Orioles

Comment

July 21

Toronto Star

"Hideki Matsui rounded third base, headed home and saw teammates gesturing upward with their hands. "I was just going to step on home plate, just normally," he said, "but they told me to throw my helmet. So I threw my helmet." The usually reserved Japanese star homered off Jim Johnson in the ninth inning last night to beat the Baltimore Orioles and give the streaking New York Yankees 2-1 wins in three straight games for the first time in 18 years."

Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui a big hit in return to DH role

Comment

July 6

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui doesn't think his lack of at-bats during interleague play has anything to do with his hot streak. While the rest of the Yankees starters had virtually the same number of at-bats in NL parks, the designated hitter had just six at-bats over the nine interleague road games from June 19-28, registering just a single hit. But for Matsui, a return to AL games has done the trick. "Since we came back home during this home stand, in terms of how I feel, it's been getting much better," Matsui said through his interpreter. Matsui's torrid pace since the end of interleague play continued Sunday as he had four RBI, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning, in the Yankees' ..."

Facing AL Perfect RX for Matsui

Comment

July 6

New York Post

"Finally, something good has come of interleague play for Hideki Matsui: Now that it's over, he's on a tear. For nine straight games, while the Yankees played in National League parks, Matsui was relegated to pinch-hitting duties and had only one hit during that stretch. But now that the Yankees are again playing under AL rules -- and in their cozy new home for the last six in a row -- Matsui has found his stroke. "Since we came back home, in terms of how I feel, I'm getting much better," Matsui said through an interpreter after another productive day at the plate in the Yanks' 10-8 win over Toronto. "So far this season, this is as well as I've felt swinging the bat." Matsui went ..."

With interleague over, Hideki Matsui goes back to DH for Yankees

Comment

June 29

New York Daily News

"Following 10 days spent largely as a spectator, Hideki Matsui will be back in the lineup Tuesday night when the Yankees return to their cozy little home in the Bronx. Nine consecutive games in National League ballparks reduced Matsui to a $13 million pinch-hitter, as the Yankees were uncomfortable using his surgically repaired knees in the outfield. "I approached it in the sense that I want to make the most of each at-bat I get in the games that I play and make sure that I have a good quality at-bat," Matsui said through an interpreter. "It wasn't like I was sitting on the bench the whole time. At least I got one at-bat almost every game. I don't think I'll be in too bad of shape." Joe ..."

What it means when Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui sits against pitchers he owns

Comment

June 26

Newark Star-Ledger

"We know that Hideki Matsui's knees are bad. But at this point, they've got to be made of Jell-0. The proof is in the last two games. Against Wednesday's Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami, Matsui is a .319 hitter with seven homers and 16 RBI, with the matchups coming when they played together in Japan. Against Thursday's Braves starter Derek Lowe, Matsui is a .545 hitter with a homer. Yet, Matsui sat, relegated to pinch-hitting duties. So, here are the Yankees, who until the last 48 hours were mired in a team-wide offensive depression. And here's this accomplished hitter, who manager Joe Girardi knows can help. Yet, as manager Joe Girardi said later, the team's medical staff is concerned that ..."

At the plate, New York Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui embraces more balanced approach

Comment

May 29

Trenton Times

"In 17 seasons as a pro, Hideki Matsui has long established that he can hit. Yet, through much of the last month, he's struggled at the plate. Frustrated, the slugger went searching for answers. "Hideki kind of lost his confidence and was kind of looking for things to lift him up," hitting coach Kevin Long said. Perhaps, he's found his answer. Matsui enters the Yankees' four-game series against the Indians hoping that his slump is over. In Texas, Matsui slugged two home runs and capped a 48-hour span in which he showed signs of life. In the final two games of the Yankees' three-game series victory against the Rangers, Matsui went 4-for-7 with four RBI. The difference, he said, has come ..."

Matsui Suffers Setback

Comment

April 18

New York Post

"Joe Girardi admitted yesterday that Hideki Matsui's left knee may have taken a turn for the worse. Matsui, who has had surgery in the past year on both knees, did not start yesterday but pinch hit in the eighth inning. Girardi said Matsui's left knee was "bothering him," revealing there has been fluid in it. "Maybe he has taken a little step backwards," Girardi said. Still, Matsui, who downplayed any regression in the knee, said there was less fluid than yesterday and that he would be available to DH today. "During spring training, fluid has been coming and going and it's been a repetition of that," Matsui said. "I don't really look at it like a setback." In his pinch-hitting appearance, ..."

Yankees' Matsui still weak in knee

Comment

April 18

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui has fluid in his left knee again - the same condition that led to offseason surgery - and Joe Girardi is concerned that the Yankees will struggle all season with how the veteran feels. Girardi, who called Matsui his biggest health concern throughout the spring, acknowledged Friday that Matsui "maybe has taken a little step backward" and also said the development was "somewhat discouraging, but I think it's something we're going to have to deal with because of where he is in his career with his knees." Girardi said he hoped he could possibly use Matsui, who struck out as a pinch-hitter Friday, as the DH Saturday. Matsui said through a translator that the "fluid has been ..."

Yanks' Matsui has sore knee, limited to pinch-hitting

Comment

April 17

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui was not in the starting lineup for the third time in four games because of fluid in his left knee, a condition Joe Girardi described as "taking a step backward." The fluid was in Matsui's left knee, which he had surgery on after last season. The disabled list remains an option; Girardi added that if Matsui is not able to play Saturday "then we'll have to start talking about things." Matsui did not think a stint on the disabled list will help, saying that he hopes to control the fluid in his knee by treatment and building up its strength. But both of them admitted this will be an ongoing issue this season. "It's somewhat discouraging," Girardi said, "but it's something we're ..."

Matsui won't play field until at least June

Comment

March 18

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui played in his fourth consecutive game Tuesday, becoming the first Yankee to do so this spring. By "playing," we actually mean "hitting," since Matsui was the designated hitter each time. On Tuesday, he hit a two-run double in his first at-bat and a two-run homer in his second. Then his workday was done. Coming off surgery on his left knee, and with a right knee that needs attention, too, Matsui has not played the outfield down here. He's not going to up there, either. Not in Baltimore on April 6, where the Yankees open the season, or likely anywhere else where the DH is an option for manager Joe Girardi, at least not for a few months. Girardi said Wednesday that he doesn't ..."

Yanks can't afford having Matsui as designated sitter

Comment

March 17

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Hideki Matsui is still no sure thing to be ready for Opening Day, yet he is the Yankees' projected cleanup hitter. He is trying to get his knees in shape while probably on his last legs as a Yankee. He needs a starry season, but his future in pinstripes is probably as tied to Jorge Posada's 2009 as to his own. Matsui is a puzzle right now. He has morphed from an iron man who played every Yankees game from 2003-05 to a frequently hobbled player who appeared in 59 percent of the games over the past three seasons. How much Matsui can play and how much the Yankees need him to play are key to both how good the 2009 Yankees will be and where Matsui will be in 2010: 1) New York. 2) Another major ..."

Yankees Counting on Full Recovery by Aging Foursome

Comment

March 12

New York Times

"Alex Rodriguez is not the only important Yankees veteran recovering from surgery. One of the other three is Mariano Rivera, who threw batting practice for the first time on Wednesday and said his right shoulder felt fine. "We're on the right track," Rivera said after 30 pitches on a diamond outside Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. "It's getting stronger every time I throw." Rivera said he hoped to pitch batting practice again Saturday and work in his first game soon after. He is recovering from an arthroscopic procedure to remove calcification from his shoulder. Rodriguez had surgery Monday to fix a torn labrum in his right hip, and Jorge Posada (right shoulder) and Hideki Matsui (left knee) ..."

Matsui Works His Way Back, With Little Fanfare

Comment

February 25

New York Times

"Shadows crept onto Steinbrenner Field just before 4 p.m. Tuesday. Most of the Yankees had been gone for two hours, having finished the final practice before their exhibition opener. Yet there was Hideki Matsui standing near the pitcher's mound, tossing a ball as a photographer for a Japanese magazine clicked away. The publication covers celebrities, not sports, and Matsui remains a major news figure in his country, even without a World Series ring. Every player here who has been with the Yankees longer has four. "I do have some frustration that we haven't been able to win," Matsui said. "I think winning a world championship is what defines being a Yankee." Matsui spoke through his ..."

Yankees' Matsui will not play in WBC

Comment

November 23

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui, so popular in Japan that his childhood house is now a museum, never infuriated his home country more than when he didn't play in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. With the 2009 WBC on the horizon -- it begins March 5 -- hope had risen in Japan that this time Matsui would join them. But that hope will not be realized. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday that Matsui, who had surgery on his left knee at the end of the 2008 season, will skip the international tournament. "He will not be playing," Cashman wrote in an e-mail. "Will not be ready." The new manager of Team Japan, Tatsunori Hara -- he replaced legendary player and manager Sadaharu Oh -- was Matsui's ..."

Matsui Hopes To Stay In Pinstripes

Comment

September 7

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui and the Yankees haven't ruled out him returning next year with knees healthy enough for him to play the outfield. "He could still play the outfield after the surgery," manager Joe Girardi said of the 34-year-old left fielder who has played 20 games in left and two in right this year, but hasn't been in the field since June 15. Matsui didn't play from June 16 to Aug. 19 thanks to an inflamed left knee. In the 16 games he has played since coming off the shelf, Matsui has been the designated hitter. While Girardi said Matsui will have surgery after the season, Matsui says he hasn't made a definitive date for the knife until he meets with the doctor. "If I were to do it, it ..."

New plan for Matsui

Comment

August 20

Bergen Record

"Hideki Matsui said his sore left knee is less than 100 percent, but that "as long as it doesn't swell up again," he's hopeful of making it through the season. Out since June 22, Matsui returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, and "That's our plan - to play him every day," manager Joe Girardi said today. That has an impact on Johnny Damon, who again becomes the regular center fielder. When Matsui needs a break, Brett Gardner will play center and Damon will slip back to the DH role. Justin Christian was optioned to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Considering that Matsui faced a dire diagnosis, his comeback "says something about his character," Girardi said. Surgery still looms as ..."