Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sad Good-bye to Godzilla


Although it was expected, I am still sad over the news that Hideki Matsui is about to sign a one-year $6.5 million contract to be the designated hitter of the Angels. But I'm happy to see him land a nice deal with another team as it was becoming increasingly clear that he was not a priority for the Yankees.

No matter what Yankee officials say about Matsui's skills, he was an undeniably clutch player. He earned well-deserved honors as the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series, a feat made all the more impressive because he only started three games with the other three games played in the National League ballpark sans DH. But he still swung a mighty bat, hitting .615 with 3 home runs and 8 ribbies.

Matsui was a good Yankee for a long time, not an easy feat in the city that never sleeps. Despite battling injuries, he hit .292 with 141 home runs and 597 ribbies in seven seasons in the Bronx. He was never subject to any controversy, even with the hordes of Japanese media following his every move. Plus, he was popular with his teammates, most notably Yankee Captain Derek Jeter, who often said Matsui was one of his favorite teammates.

Despite what Yankee officials may say, the team will sorely miss him.

Godspeed Godzilla!

Thanks to edogisgod via Wikipedia for the photo.

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