Mets 7
Braves 2
ATLANTA – One pitch.
One pitch was all Kaz Matsui needed. It was all Art Howe needed. It was all Tom Glavine, the Mets and their fans needed to forget about 2003 and remember one thing about 2004:
This is a brand new year.
Matsui made remarkable history in last night’s 7-2 season-opening win over the Braves, leading off by homering on the first pitch of the game, the first pitch of the season, the first pitch of his major-league career.
It was part of a magical night for the Japanese rookie shortstop, who went 3-for-3 with the homer, two doubles, three RBIs and two walks. Call it perhaps the greatest debut in Mets history, and, no, there’s nothing lost in the translation there.
“It’s more than I ever imagined,” Matsui said.
Said Howe, “It’s almost a fairy tale.”
Sprinkle some pixie dust on Glavine, too, while you’re at it. The former Braves ace finally avenged his Atlanta demons by tossing six innings of two-run ball.
It all was part of a dream night for the Mets, who with an opening-night win over their NL East rivals took last year’s 15-2 Opening Day disaster against the Cubs, and last season’s 66-95 catastrophe, and stuffed them both in the trash can.
Last night the Mets were an entirely different team. Mike Piazza slammed a 421-foot blast, moving within three homers of Carlton Fisk’s catcher’s record of 351. Jason Phillips reached base four times. The Mets played flawless defense, with Karim Garcia making two sliding catches, and tossed three scoreless relief innings, with Braden Looper breaking three bats in one inning.
None of it compared to Matsui.
With about a week left in a dreadful spring that saw him hit .192 and fight nagging injuries, Matsui received a pep talk from Mike Cameron.
“Man, just play,” Cameron said last night in recalling what he told Matsui. “Play like you did in Japan.”
Cameron added, “Damn if he didn’t do that tonight.”
At 7:35 p.m. (8:35 a.m., Japan), Matsui – who when asked Monday about the possibility of homering in his first at-bat said, “no chance” – strode to the plate to face 21-game winner Russ Ortiz. He bowed to catcher Johnny Estrada then settled into the left-handed batter’s box.
Matsui had decided if the first pitch was a strike, he was swinging at it, and as if on cue, Ortiz offered a chest-high fastball. Matsui was all over it, sending a soaring drive over the center-field wall.
“It was an excitement I never felt in the past,” Matsui said.
Matsui wasn’t even close to done. In the second inning, he ripped an RBI double down the right-field line. He then drew a bases-loaded walk, drilled another double to center and, incredibly, was walked intentionally to load the bases. When’s the last time that happened in a guy’s first game?
The whole thing started with one pitch. Brand-new leadoff man. Brand-new year.
First impressions
Mets shortstop Kaz Matsui last night became the 18th player to homer on his first pitch faced in the major leagues. Here’s a look at those who made a great first impression:
Player Team Year
Clise Dudley Brooklyn 1929
Eddie Morgan St. Louis 1936
Bill Lefebvre Boston 1938
Clyde Vollmer Cincinnati 1942
George Vico Detroit 1948
Chuck Tanner Milwaukee 1955
Bert Campaneris Kansas City 1964
Brent Alyea Washington 1965
Don Rose California 1972
Jay Bell Cleveland 1986
Junior Felix Toronto 1989
Jim Bullinger Chicago Cubs 1992
Jay Gainer Colorado 1993
Chris Richard St. Louis 2000
Esteban Yan Tampa Bay 2000
Gene Stechschulte St. Louis 2001
Marcus Thames Yankees 2002
Kaz Matsui Mets 2004
