Hideki Matsui to retire

[Cowtipper]

Former World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, who spent 10 years in the majors after a stellar career in Japan, will announce his retirement, according to a Japanese news source.

Matsui was a three-time MVP in Japan's Central League before he signed with the New York Yankees in December 2002. Matsui played for the Yankees from 2003 to 2009, making two All-Star teams and winning the 2009 World Series MVP after hitting .615 with three home runs and eight RBIs.

Read more:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/stor...angels-as-rays

[GiambiJuice]

My favorite Japanese player. From all accounts I've heard he is a class act through and through and loved by teammates. Also one of the best clutch hitters I've ever seen. He got so many huge hits for the Yankees over the years, culminating with his World Series MVP award in 2009. He's a career .312/.391/.541 hitter in the postseason - significantly better than his regular season numbers, and he's got a pretty big sample size of 235 PAs, which is 33rd all-time.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

A fine player, over 500 career home runs in the NPB/MLB combined. I've always wondered how much better he would have been if he had entered the majors at a much younger age? I always thought he'd have at least one 40+ HR season in the majors but that never happened.

[Phantom Dreamer]

Life After Baseball

Now he'll have more time on his hands to devote to his "collection".

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Now he'll have more time on his hands to devote to his "collection".

[GiambiJuice]

I don't get the joke. Please explain.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I don't get the joke. Please explain.

Matsui is known for his rather large collection of porn.

It can't be easy to keep a grip on your composure, however, when a former prime minister volunteers to be the president of your fan club. Matsui was not merely the most popular baseball player in Japan but also the most popular person in the country. He popped up on the teacups. He hit one home run that was so long that the mayor of his hometown called it an act of God. His preference in anime action series (Gundam) was analyzed, as was his taste in pornography. (One international magazine reported that Matsui has an extensive private library of adult videos.) And this was all before he decided to come here and sign aboard that ongoing festival of celebrity that once employed Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson, that is owned by the closest thing that American plutocracy has to a carny act and that hired Billy Martin five times. "We're always at DefCon 4," says Rick Cerrone, the Yankees' director of publicity. "It doesn't take much to get us to DefCon 5."

SOURCE

[GiambiJuice]

Matsui is known for his rather large collection of porn.

Oh, okay. I'd never heard that. Is this something he's especially proud of?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Oh, okay. I'd never heard that. Is this something he's especially proud of?

Perhaps its a cultural difference? In America people don't usually go around telling others they have a large porn library.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I saw Matsui play while I was in Japan in July 2002. Dude showed great power. So I was very interested to see how his power would translate to the majors. I was majorly disappointed when he only hit 16 HRs in 2003. But he hit 31 HRs in 2004 in fewer PA's. I interpreted this large jump in his HR rate as Matsui adjusting to major league pitching. I really thought he was going to bust out with a 40-45 HR season at some point in his career. But, alas, it never happened.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Perhaps its a cultural difference? In America people don't usually go around telling others they have a large porn library.

It depends where you hang out.

He never quite lived up to expectations once he came to MLB, but he was a solid slugger.

[GiambiJuice]

It depends where you hang out.

He never quite lived up to expectations once he came to MLB, but he was a solid slugger.

I don't recall the expectations being extremely high, especially as he wasn't young when he came to the Majors. He was 30 years old in his 2nd season and for most of his MLB career he was past his natural prime years. In his first 8 seasons, he averaged 25 HR, 105 RBI, and 74 BB per 162 games to go with a 123 OPS+. I wouldn't say he was spectacular, but I never got the sense that he didn't live up to expectations.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I don't recall the expectations being extremely high, especially as he wasn't young when he came to the Majors. He was 30 years old in his 2nd season and for most of his MLB career he was past his natural prime years. In his first 8 seasons, he averaged 25 HR, 105 RBI, and 74 BB per 162 games to go with a 123 OPS+. I wouldn't say he was spectacular, but I never got the sense that he didn't live up to expectations.

In some circles (grain of salt) it was said he was going to be as dominant a slugger as Ichiro was a speed and base hit guy. It wasn't fair, but he did put up very good numbers.

[Cap78]

yankees certainly did better with matsui than the cubs did with fukodome

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I don't recall the expectations being extremely high, especially as he wasn't young when he came to the Majors. He was 30 years old in his 2nd season and for most of his MLB career he was past his natural prime years. In his first 8 seasons, he averaged 25 HR, 105 RBI, and 74 BB per 162 games to go with a 123 OPS+. I wouldn't say he was spectacular, but I never got the sense that he didn't live up to expectations.

Matsui had a fine major league career. Certainly not a bust.