HIDEKI Matsui has played his time as a Yankee ideally. He has fit into the fabric of an accomplished clubhouse by acting with humility and deference. He has endeared himself with foreign and local media by being accessible and pleasant.
But there is only one way to truly become a Yankee and it is not simply by taking a lot of George Steinbrenner’s money. It is about rising to the challenge of New York, the team’s history and the need to perform under the greatest scrutiny and pressure. Jason Giambi, for example, officially became part of the Yankees last year when he hit a walk-off, bottom-of-the-14th grand slam against the Twins on a rainy night in May.
And yesterday – on a cold, gray afternoon against the Twins – Hideki Matsui officially earned his pinstripes, fittingly on the first day he wore them for real.
In a home opener with so much scripted from the first pitch thrown by Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford to Challenger the bald eagle flying in from center field, Matsui provided a theatric moment that would have seemed too corny for a script. With his new home crowd chanting his last name and the outcome still in doubt, Matsui launched a fifth-inning grand slam into the right-field bleachers.
Thus in a home opener bathed in patriotic touches of red, white and blue, it was Japan’s most famous export that heard the most enthusiastic ovation. The Yankees won 7-3 over the Twins and Matsui won over a fan base, not a bad parlay.
On the season-opening six-game road trip, Matsui had a hit in every game, played excellent defense and ran the bases expertly. But he had come with the calling card of the great home run hitter of the Far East, and in Week 1 he was more Punch and Judy than long and gone. If his power outage had continued deeper into April, it is easy to believe that the pressure would have more and more enveloped Matsui.
But one trait the slugger has shown from his outset with the Yankees is poise. New teammates have commented on how comfortable Matsui seems in his skin, noting how gracefully and magnanimously he handles a large Japanese media crew present to cover just him.
Matsui had gained his first dose of Stadium appreciation on defense in the fourth inning. He made a fine play to cut off a Torii Hunter liner to left-center, keeping the ball from rolling to the wall and, thus, keeping the Twins to just a tying run rather than a big frame. The fans in the left field corner cheered him loudly and a few bowed in a “we’re not worthy” posture. He hadn’t heard anything yet.
In the bottom of the next inning, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire opted to walk Bernie Williams with one out and second and third to load the bases for Matsui. The 33,109 who attended on this raw afternoon melded boos for putting Williams on right into a standing ovation to encourage Matsui. And that quickly became chants of “Mat-sui, Mat-sui.”
Matsui took a strike, then a ball low and away, and once more the chants came, but louder. It was as if the crowd were trying to urge the magical, trying to adopt Matsui at the home opener. Matsui took another ball and dribbled a grounder foul down the third-base line. Now, the fans rose, their pleas for success growing louder and more anxious. Matsui took a ball low to move the count full.
It was 5:48 p.m. and felt more like the Giants or Jets should be playing. But the passion warmed the moment. Twins starter Joe Mays delivered and Matsui hit a ball with such force that right fielder Michael Cuddyer took about four or five steps before stopping dead. The crowd grew loudest now, an October noise that actually made the Stadium gyrate. On the scoreboard, the word home run appeared in English and Japanese. Matsui’s teammates greeted him at the dugout and the crowd would not stop producing thunder until Matsui emerged to wave his helmet. Matsui hit a home run, and suddenly felt at home.
