TAMPA – It would have made for a sexier story had Hideki Matsui crushed two homers high into the blue sky. Or maybe turned in a diving catch. Perhaps thrown out a runner at the plate.
Yet, Matsui’s first appearance in an organized game wearing pinstripes was a lot of sizzle but not much beef.
Playing for the Gators against the Reggies in an intra-squad game yesterday at Legends Field, Matsui went hitless in two at-bats and handled two routine fly balls flawlessly. Other than that, the most exciting situation surrounding the new left fielder was that he could be headed for root canal work on his choppers.
“It’s been awhile since my last actual game, but I felt good,” Matsui said. “I was trying to get the feel of playing the game and get the feel for the pitchers.”
George Steinbrenner allocated $21 million across three years for the man known as Godzilla and considered the best baseball player in Japan. It was an investment in a marketing tool as much as it was in left field.
With Matsui merchandise flying out of the Legends Field gift shop, Steinbrenner is pleased. However, eventually The Boss will lock in on what Matsui is doing on the field. So, too, will Yankee fans, who have a lot in common with Steinbrenner when a high-profile player isn’t living up to expectations.
At 12:30 p.m. Matsui strolled to the plate to face lefty Alex Graman and a hit a 2-0 pitch hard on the ground to the right side for the final out of the first inning. In the home fourth Matsui hit a 1-0 fastball from Jason Anderson high into the air to short right field for the first out. Matsui played four innings in the field before departing for a dentist appointment.
“We use spring training to get some work in,” Joe Torre said. “We aren’t interested in how many hits. We are interested in getting ready for the season.”
Since Matsui is new meat, people are interested. The army of Japanese media treated it like a big event. The voices in the stands were curious to see the man the Yankees believe will offer legitimate production from wherever Torre hits him. Yesterday he hit fifth, but Ron Guidry made out the lineup.
However, to Matsui it was nothing.
“Not necessarily,” Matsui said when asked if yesterday was a big day.
Naturally, Torre is just getting to know Matsui. It will be a work in progress throughout the season and hindered at times due to a language barrier. Yet, Torre has picked out a character trait.
“We have to learn his personality. [Hitting coach] Rick [Down] talks to him a lot and he pays attention all the time,” Torre said. “Every once in a while you see a smile and you assume Rick is saying something funny through the interpreter. Everything seems to be very serious business for him.”
Even before Matsui’s trip to the dentist, Torre wasn’t planning on playing him today in the second of two intra-squad games. Tomorrow is an abbreviated workout and Thursday starts the exhibition schedule.
How many games does Matsui need to be ready for the season?
“In Japan we played 15 to 20 preseason games,” Matsui said. “The more games I play the better I feel and the better shape I will be in.”