Kaz Matsui and Willie
Discussion in the Nichi-Bei forum
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Re: Kaz Matsui and Willie "Mayes" Hayes
[ Author: NipponHam11 | Posted: Jun 15, 2007 1:16 PM
| SFT Fan
]
I think that the New York atmosphere was a little too much for Kaz Matsui. Some players just don't thrive in high-pressure markets like New York or Boston. I'm sure that if Kaz was with the Red Sox or Yankees, we would've seen the same numbers that he had with the Mets. He's most likely more comfortable in Colorado, where there's not nearly as much pressure.
Re: Kaz Matsui and Willie "Mayes" Hayes
[ Author: Jbroks86 | Posted: Jun 15, 2007 1:40 PM
| SFT Fan
]
Very good points mentioned in this topic. Kaz, in my opinion, tried to be too much of a power hitter with the Mets which ended up failing miserably. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Robert Whiting:
Like you said, all he needed was maybe to get away from all of the hype put on him when he signed with the Mets. New York just seemed to be too much for Kaz mentally. It just always seemed to take its toll on Kaz sooner or later, whether or not he admit it.
It reminds me of the statement, some fail in New York, while some succeed. Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Jeff Weaver, and many more come to mind. New York's a tough city to play in.
When I interviewed Kaz before he left for Mets camp in 2004, I asked him why he picked such a barn of a ballpark like Shea Stadium to play in. I said you'll never be able to hit many home runs there. He said that was ok. He wasn't home run hitter, anyway. And that he was going to bunt his way on base...use his speed. Steal bases. I said that wasn't exactly what everyone was expecting.I always believed that with Colorado, Kaz has seemed to return to the fundamentals that made him so successful in Japan. He has gone back to stealing bases, he seems to be more comfortable all around. He's yet to make an error at second base all year.
Like you said, all he needed was maybe to get away from all of the hype put on him when he signed with the Mets. New York just seemed to be too much for Kaz mentally. It just always seemed to take its toll on Kaz sooner or later, whether or not he admit it.
It reminds me of the statement, some fail in New York, while some succeed. Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Jeff Weaver, and many more come to mind. New York's a tough city to play in.
Re: Kaz Matsui and Willie "Mayes" Hayes
[ Author: Guest: Ed Kranepool | Posted: Jun 17, 2007 2:10 PM
]
Two other things in Kaz's favor. He is healthy and he is making less than a million a year, I believe. He couldn't cut it in NY, but he is in respectable company. Good luck to him.
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If you know the movie Major League 2, Willie "Mayes" Hayes was a speedy ground ball hitter in his rookie year. As soon as he found success, he tried to become a flashy power hitter. It seems like the character was a mirror image of what Matsui did in Japan, except Matsui was allowed to become that, since power is hard to find in Japan.
It was pretty obvious from Matsui's time with the Mets that the Willie Hayes act wouldn't cut it in the majors. All his homers turned into long fly balls or doubles at Shea Stadium.
Ever since he was traded to Colorado, though, it seems like the old Kaz Matsui of the late '90s is making a comeback. The power numbers have left, only to be replaced by a consistent .300 contact bat and a lot more stolen bases. It's pretty obvious to see his entire approach at the plate has changed, since he realized his 30 homer style in Japan wasn't getting the job done in America. Maybe all he needed to succeed was for all the hype to die and no expectations of greatness.