Matsui, NPB, and the Long Ball....?

Matsui has been a proven all around hitter in Japan. Some people see the 50 HRs and expect an all or nothing hitter. But as proven by his at bats in Spring training, he has hit HRs (3) and for average (.314). He has only struck out 4 times in over 50 ABs.

Joe Torre seems convinced enough to bat him 5th in the line up for now.

I have the fortune of living in NY so I will be able to witness his play in person. Of course he is the "new" guy so New Yorkers will expect a lot from him.

I wonder what Chaz Scoggins would say about Cecil Fielder's situation. Fielder hit 38 HRs for the Hanshin Tigers and hit 51 HRs for the Detroit Tigers the following year.

I'm sure there are other examples of Americans who did better in America than in Japan.

I e-mailed Scoggins and kind of aired him out a little bit about his myopic statement. I also brought up the Fielder thing, but also pointed out that Ichiro hit .350 in MLB while not even having faced the higher quality CL pitching that Matsui dealt with everyday before going to the States.

While I'm still personally skeptical about Hideki Matsui making it in MLB (though I'm pleased with what he's showed this spring), I think that Scoggins displayed a great deal of ignorance in how you evaluate players. After all, using his logic, I pointed out, since Pat Burrell went hitless for the NPB-MLB series there is no way he would ever make it in MLB, right?

You evaluate players by their tools and how well they are developed. You don't do it according to the league. If you did, nobody would ever get called up from the minors since they are inferior to MLB. Francisco Rodriguez would never have been called up to the Angels, for example.

Yes, that's why Boston will never win the big one. They were the latest to integrate (1959) and will be the last one to appreciate Japanese ball. The curse goes on... and on... and on....

The last time I looked, the Sox had had at least two Japanese pitchers on their roster over the past couple of years, one of whom threw a no-hitter.

It might be true that they will never win the big one, but the reasons vary from year to year and have nothing to do with being the last to integrate, a lack of appreciation for Japanese baseball, or a curse.

Another example might be Soriano, who hit 39 homers for the Yanks last year. He's not exactly comparable to Matsui, but his first experience was with Hiroshima. Julio Franco is another guy. He isn't really a power hitter, but he's done alright with the Braves after two stints in Japan. Lee Stevens had a couple of good (20+ HR) seasons with Texas after playing with Kintetsu. I'm sure there have been others, but I can't remember them right now.

This all just goes to show the difference between NPB and MLB, right? I mean, in Japan, it's kind of a big deal to hit 50 homers. But for the last eight years or so, at least one or two guys has hit 50 or more in the States. Brady Anderson hit 50 one year, and he's hardly a Hall of Famer.

So I guess we'll just have to judge Matsui by what he does on the field at Yankee Stadium.

(ps. Thanks to Westbay-san and all the others who regularly contribute to this group. I've really enjoyed reading it for the last year or so.)

There's an article out today about Matsui that I just saw on USA Today's sports page on the Internet [Link]. Again, an American writer bothers to do absolutely no research.

First of all, the article lists Matsui at 5'11". He's been listed as 6'2" in most player profiles, but this writer wants to shrink Matsui to Mickey Mantle's size.

Secondly, it states that Dan Gladden played with Matsui in his rookie year of 1994. Matsui broke in with the Giants in 1993.

Last, but not least, it lists former Major Leaguers who didn't do anything in the bigs but played well in Japan and it says that Charlie Manuel (listed as Chuck Manuel) never played in the Major Leagues. That's not true.

I'm sick and tired of all these writers who don't know jack about Japanese baseball who try to act like they know everything about Japanese baseball. It's like the writers in Seattle who predicted that Ichiro would hit about .280 in his first year. What a joke!

- First of all, the article lists Matsui at 5'11".

Let's see... 186cm = 73 inches = 6'1" (plus some decimal places).

I'm not willing to defend the Japanese meikan listing of 95kg = 209.439lbs. That was probably his weight his first season. Many teams don't update weight every year.

- It's like the writers in Seattle who predicted that Ichiro would hit about .280 in his first year. What a joke!

Here we go again. Just in a different city.

Blunder #4:

In Japan, the 12-team Central League is made up of two divisions and teams play only within their division;

That should be:

In Japan, the 12-team Nippon Professional Baseball league is made up of two leagues, the Central and Pacific, that don't play each other.

Don't these guys have an editor? Oh, the editor probably doesn't have a clue, either.

I didn't think it was possible for the North American press to do worse than Nomo's and Ichiro's first years, but I'm starting to have my doubts.

Mr. Westbaystars, good job in finding that mistake. I missed that one the first time I read the article. You would think that these writers and editors would have someone who's knowledgeable about Japanese baseball (like yourself or Mr. Garland or Mr. Whiting) proofread their articles...

I've seen those same blunders over and over for years. You should see the "first American to play in Japan" list (from clueless writers).

Every year I would think American writers and fans would get more knowledgeable. They miss the details and just see the "glitter" of the week: Oh, Cromartie, Bass, Fielder, Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui.

Thank you my fellow mates, for all the reinforcing posts. I get riled up with these ignorant, negative-spirited, ill-willed writers who write such @#&@!

A recent article in the Washington Post states, "America's Game Is Getting Pretty World Serious," which correlates with my serious undertone. This article is an uplifting piece that supports cultural diversity in baseball. [Link] The world is at war and baseball is suppose to be an outlet and should unite people together! - my two cents.

Back to Matsui & the long ball...

Yes, Matsui is not an all or nothing slugger. He is a well rounded, disciplined, professional hitter who studies pitchers with the same focus and intensity as Ichiro. I feel in the next few years, he will be as much as a force in that lineup as Giambi. It would be nice to see him punish MLB pitchers, as well as the critics, from the get go.

I agree that Matsui, being from the CL, has seen better quality pitchers than Ichiro had. MLB pitchers may throw harder on the average. Perhaps that makes some of them stubborn with their fastball like many Japanese are stubborn with their sliders and shutos. To Matsui, who had recieved a steady diet of junk (with a smaller, tightly wound ball) in the CL, an MLB fastball (slightly bigger in circumference) could look like a grapefruit! Who knows! Let's hope that's the case.

Bottom line is, "With Matsui's batspeed, your pitchers better think twice about trying to get one past him. Meat." Seriously, I really don't think the inside heater is gonna phase him too much. He may win a few and lose a few, but it'll be fun to watch. Old fashion country hardball. The change-up and off speed may suprise him. But all in all, Matsui is one of the best at making mental adjustments.

- Back to Matsui & the long ball...

Yes, I agree with all that, and I think he'll have a pretty good year. The trouble with Matsui is that he always seems to fade in September. I've been following NPB for 3 years now, and I remember that he took a .340 average into September in 2000, but slumped badly and finished hitting .316. The same thing happened last year, when he saw his average fall from .350+ to .334, and lost the Triple Crown. Clearly he has a problem with fatigue down the stretch.

We'll have to see how he reacts to the 162-game schedule and increased travel.

- [...] The trouble with Matsui is that he
> always seems to fade in September. [...] Clearly he has a problem with fatigue down the stretch.

- We'll have to see how he reacts to the 162-game schedule and increased travel.

Interesting point, and it is even more interesting in light of the fact Torre has clearly indicated everybody is going to get a few days off. Let's face it, the manager can help his players by resting them once in a while. I suspect Godzilla would benefit from such an approach.

Jim Albright

Think. Matsui's memorable 50th dinger was a 95 mph fast pitch of Ryota Igarashi, arguably the fastest pitcher in Japan. Doubt he'll have much of a problem adjusting to MLB fastballs either.

I think American impressions of Japanese baseball are clearly in a slow process of change. With every successful cross-over, more come to understand the high quality of play in NPB.

At this point, I think that effectively NPB is thought of as Quadruple-A level baseball - a step below MLB, but better than Triple-A. A place where a number of quality players exist alongside washed-up or marginal players. Nomo, Ichiro, and others have made an impression, and I think Fielder did as well, but we haven't yet gotten past the impression, fair or not, of Rhodes, Petagine, and Cabrera as marginal players who've enjoyed success in Japan far greater than their talent, as displayed on major league fields.

Matsui will provide another increase in American esteem for NPB if he enjoys success, which I think is unquestionably going to happen.

If Rhodes, Petagine, Cabrera, or someone who's enjoyed similar success in Japan after enjoying little success in America were to return to MLB and do well, that, too, would have an effect.

But above all, what I'd love to see, and what I think would most bring the quality of NPB to people's attention in America, would be if they were able to see it. Get a TV contract. Get ESPN or FoxSports to carry some games. I mean, they show the WNBA, for heaven's sake. I can see English, German, and Spanish football (soccer). I get to watch rugby from New Zealand. Australian rules football? - got it. I've even seen poker tournaments, and who can figure out why anyone would watch lumpy, pasty, bland men bowling?

Why not some Japanese baseball? It's a great game, with tremendous talents, and I'd love to see American fans learn a thing or a million from Japanese fans.

Nothing sells the game like the game.

Additionally, Japanese baseball is the only real hope for the establishment of a true World Series, due to the level of play, lack of government control (a la Cuba), or the willingness to subordinate it to MLB (a la Dominican baseball, for instance). If NPB were to gain a following in America by televising its games, we'd draw toward that goal much quicker.

Eric

Didn't Rhodes hit three home runs in an opener a few years back, for the Cubs? Sure doesn't seem like he got a fair shake here in the States.

ESPN.com MLB - Rookie Profile Hideki Matsui [Link]

Recent surveys in Tokyo forecast Matsui to hit 28 homers and bat .305 this year. [Link]

I drafted Hideki Matsui in my live fantasy baseball draft for the Major Leagues. I am counting on him to do well, he is probably my best outfielder.

Matsui's hit his first home run in the MLB with classic style. Of course, he's just as easy to hate now that he's on the Yankees. [Link - ESPN - Warning: popup ads if you aren't using a decent browser.]

If you can hate Matsui, than you can hate puppies and sunny days.

Go..Go..Godzilla!

I watched it on TV and was ecstatic. I'll never forget that moment. First game ever in pinstripes and Godzilla goes grand salami.

The writers can keep writing him off (which I don't see now), but the pitchers know better by now.

29 more HRs to go for legitimate power hitter status. Actually who cares! Matsui is good in every phase of the game.....and he doesn't need steroids to go yard.

I think he has already won over many of the NY fans with his hustle and defensive ability. And the way he has accomodated both the Japanese and American media has been a plus, too.

All I can say is:

SUGOI NE.