Call him Little Matsui. Call him the Japanese A-Rod. Just make sure you call Kazuo Matsui what he is:
“A special player,” said former major leaguer Reggie Jefferson, who played on Matsui’s Seibu Lions team in Japan. “The guy can do everything.”
That’s why the Mets continued to negotiate with Matsui last night, attempting to lure his dazzling skills to the Big Apple. The Mets have extended roughly a three-year, $23 million offer; they’re just waiting for Matsui to ink it.
And good news for the Mets – Matsui’s options may be dwindling. The Dodgers were rumored to be Matsui’s top choice, but Los Angeles GM Dan Evans confirmed to The Post yesterday that Matsui was not a top priority and that “there are other things we’re exploring.”
But the thing everyone wants to know is, just how good is the 28-year-old switch-hitting shortstop? The answer, according to those who have played with and against Matsui, is that he isn’t good.
He’s spectacular.
Evaluations of Matsui have yielded major-league comparisons to everyone from Alfonso Soriano to Craig Biggio. One source who’s been watching Matsui play for years likens him to an infield Kenny Lofton.
But if there’s one common trait cited by all Matsui’s admirers, it’s his blazing speed. He once stole 62 bases in a season (1997) and as recently as 2002, he swiped 33. This past year, he stole only 13, but it’s misleading; Matsui batted third and slugger Alex Cabrera hit fourth, so Matsui limited his running so Cabrera wouldn’t be walked. Cabrera ended up hitting 50 homers.
So how fast is Matsui? Put it this way: Ichiro Suzuki says Matsui is FASTER than he is.
“It’s hard to believe, but I would agree,” said Royals hurler Darrell May, who faced Matsui in Japan back in 2000. “The thing I remember liking about him is he was a smaller guy who had some pop, but he didn’t try to swing as hard as he could every time. He just put the ball on the ground and used his speed.”
Matsui, though, isn’t just a burner. He has hit over .300 for seven straight years, ripped at least 20 homers for four straight and won four Gold Gloves. And did we mention that he has played in 1,143 consecutive games?
“This kid,” Jefferson said, “can flat-out play.”
The Mets are just hoping he plays in New York. (p.68 metro)
