Julio Zuleta to the Yankees?

Nikkan Sports has an article about it in today's (December 1, 2006) newspaper. The source for the article? The New York Post.

The Nikkan Sports article says that Zuleta has the impression that he hits Matsuzaka well, but he's only hit 13 for 52 (.250) with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Not exactly what I'd call a "Matsuzaka killer."

I recently had a request for Matsuzaka vs. Zuleta break down, but all I had before this article was how they did against each other in 2006. The following was my reply:

March 30 [TBS Box Score]:

Matsuzaka threw a complete game loss, 8 innings, 129 pitches, facing 35 batters, allowing 1 run on 9 hits while striking out 6 and walking 3.

Zuleta singled in the 2nd inning, struck out in the 3rd and 6th innings, and flew out to center in the 7th inning.

Zuleta so far for 2006 against Matsuzaka: 1 for 4 (.250), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 K

May 5:

Matsuzaka threw 7 innings for the win, 107 pitches, faced 30 batters, allowing 6 hits, 1 run (a solo home run to Matsunaka), while striking ouit 3 and walking 3.

Zuleta lined out to short in the 1st, struck out in the 3rd, and grounded out to short in the 6th. (Zuleta struck out in the 8th and 9th agaisnt other pitchers.)

Zuleta so far for 2006 against Matsuzaka: 1 for 7 (.143), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 K.

September 19:

Matsuzaka threw a complete game for the victory, 145 pitches, 36 batters faced, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits while striking out 8 and walking none.

Zuleta grounded out to Matsuzaka in the 2nd, fouled out to third in the 4th, singled to center in the 6th (1 RBI), and grounded out to Matsuzaka in the 8th (1 RBI).

Zuleta for the 2006 season against Matsuzaka: 2 for 11 (.182), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 K

October 7 (playoff):

In one of several excellent pitching duels of the 2006 Pacific League playoffs, Matsuzaka threw a complete game shutout, 9 innings, 137 pitches, striking out 13, walking none (but hitting 4 batters - don't know what that was about).

Zuleta was hit by a pitch in the 2nd, singled to right in the 4th, then struck out in the 6th and 8th.

Zuleta for all of 2006 against Matsuzaka: 3 for 14 (.214), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 5 K

According to this article in the New York Times [subscription required], Zuleta hit .273 with 7 home runs against Matsuzaka. These must be his career numbers versus Matsuzaka. Are these numbers right?

No, these are not his correct numbers. Nikkan Sports again mentioned these bizarre figures being quoted in the New York Times. Here's what Nikkan Sports printed on December 2 in response to the New York Times figures, followed by a little added totals I'd dug up myself.

... During the regular season [Zuleta] batted .250, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs [against Matsuzaka] over his career.

So do the figures above include post season against Matsuzaka? No, it doesn't look that way. How about post season over all? I tallied up Zuleta's post season figures against Matsuzaka and overall, and this is what I get:

Note: The Pacific League playoffs started in 2004, so there was no post season face off against Matsuzaka in 2003. He did play in the 2003 Nippon Series, though.

2003 Nippon Series:
vs. Hanshin: 5 for 15 (.333), 1 HR, 4 RBIs (7 games)

October 7, 2004 - Stage 2, Game 2
Matsuzaka: 6 inn, 21 BF, 82 pitches, 4 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 R, 0 ER
Zuleta: 2nd: G-SS, 5th: G-P [7th: K, 9th: F-RF]
vs. Matsuzaka: 0 for 2, 0 HR, 0 RBI

October 11, 2004 - Stage 2, Game 5
Matsuzaka: 6 inn, 24 BF, 103 pitches, 6 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 0 HBP, 1 R, 1 ER
Zuleta: 2nd: 1B-LF, 4th 2B-RF [7th: F-SS, 8th: K, 9th: BB]
vs. Matsuzaka: 2 for 2, 0 HR, 0 RBI

2004 Playoffs:
vs. Matsuzaka: 2 for 4 (.500), 0 HR, 0 RBI (2 games)
vs. Seibu: 5 for 17 (.294), 1 HR, 2 RBIs (5 games)

2005 Playoffs:
vs. Lotte: 3 for 16 (.813), 2 HR, 4 RBIs (5 games)

2006 Playoffs (details in previous post)
vs. Matsuzaka: 1 for 3 (.333), 0 HR, 0 RBI (1 game)
vs. Seibu: 4 for 11 (.364), 2 HR, 4 RBI (3 games)
vs. Nippon Ham: 1 for 6, 0 HR, 0 RBI (2 games)

Overall Post Season in Japan:
22 games, 18 for 65 (.277), 6 HR, 14 RBIs

(I hope I added those up correctly. Please check my math.)

Source for the 2003 - 2005 post season stats is the yearly "Baseball Record Book" published by Baseball Magazine Sha. The 2006 stats will be published at the end of December, but I've already sited the source as being TBS' web site.

Here are Zuleta's career regular season numbers. 2003 - 2005 have been checked with the yearly "Record Book," 2006 is from the TBS site, to be checked (and completed) once the "Record Book" is published at the end of the month.

It's a mystery to me where these numbers are coming from, but now both major New York papers have printed false information regarding Zuleta. I guess they figure nobody will care to bother to check the facts, so any reasonable figures will do?

[Fixed link to Zuleta's stats on Dec 6, 2006 8:25 AM JST]

Yeah, I heard 50 million different stats for Zuleta versus Matsuzaka. Where all of them are coming from is unknown?

Well, I've sited my sources. Have any of the New York papers? Or does journalism not need to bother with that sort of thing anymore?

They have just mentioned stats with no sources: for example, New York Times has him hitting .273 with 7 HR's against Matsuzaka, according to his agent, who I find very hard to believe knows his player's matchups against certain pitchers. Could be wrong, but it's highly unlikely.

As for the New York Post, all it says is Zuleta hits Matsuzaka well without any stats or sources.

The link to Zuleta's stats leads me to the player database.

Thanks for letting me know. It's now been fixed.

According to Japanball.com, ">Zuleta signed with Chiba Lotte Marines. So it doesn't matter now I guess.