Hideki Matsui (?? ??, Matsui Hideki, born June 12, 1974) is a Japanese baseball player. He is currently a designated hitter for the New York Yankees of the MLB. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He was awarded the 2009 World Series MVP award after hitting .615 (8 for 13) with three home runs and eight RBIs.
Early life
Hideki Matsui was born in Neagari, Ishikawa, Japan (later merged into Nomi, Ishikawa). According to an interview on YES Network's "CenterStage", Matsui originally batted right-handed as a child. However, when he started playing with his older brother and his friends, Matsui was such a good batter that his embarrassed brother insisted that he bat left-handed or stop playing with them. Matsui soon enough became an overpowering left-handed batter, and stayed on that side of the plate from then on. 
Matsui participated in four National High School Baseball Tournaments at Koshien Stadium, once in the spring and three times in summer, during his high school years. In 1992, he drew five consecutive intentional walks in a game at Koshien and became a nationwide topic in Japan at that time (partly because intentionally walking batters was very uncommon in Japanese amateur baseball at that time), even though the strategy worked and his team lost. Matsui graduated from Seiryo High School in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.
Career in Japan
Following high school Matsui was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the first round.
A three-time MVP in the Japanese Central League (1996, 2000, and 2002), Matsui led his team into four Japan Series and winning three titles (1994, 2000 and 2002). He also made nine consecutive all-star games and led the league in home runs and RBIs three times (1998, 2000, and 2002). His single season mark for home runs was 50 in 2002, his final season in Japan. In the ten seasons he played in Japan, Matsui totalled 1268 games played, 4572 AB, 1390 hits, 901 runs, 332 home runs, 889 RBIs, a .304 batting average, and a .582 slugging percentage.
His first trip to the Japan Series became well-known. Because of the MLBPA Players' Strike in 1994-95, Matsui became known to the American media, as media outlets were covering the Series, which was referred in Sports Illustrated as "the" Fall Classic.
In Japan, Matsui earned the popular nickname "Godzilla". The origin of the name is derisive in nature, in reference to Matsui's skin problems early on in his career, but has since come to represent his powerful hitting. He even made a cameo in the film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
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Hideki Matsui - #55 Designated Hitter - New York Yankees
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28
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145
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Matsui becomes 1st Japanese-born World Series MVP AP via Yahoo! News -
Matsui Goes Wild, and So Do His Fans in Japan New York Times -
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Hideki Matsui is a designated hitter for the New York Yankees. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Matsui -
Hideki Matsui Stats, News, Photos - New York Yankees - ESPN
Hideki Matsui stats, news, and photos on ESPN.com. ... Hideki Matsui has not been involved in any transactions this season. Year-By-Year Salary ...sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5372 - 
Hideki Matsui - Zimbio
Hideki Matsui is an outfielder in major league baseball. ... Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui rebound to provide bulk of offense in NY...www.zimbio.com/Hideki+Matsui -
Hideki Matsui - Image Results
Hideki Matsui - New York Yankees - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
Includes Hideki Matsui season and situational stats.sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7042 -
Topic: Hideki Matsui – Inform
Inform.com aggregates all the latest US, World, Sports, Entertainment, and ... Hideki Matsui is a home-run hero who helped the New York Yankees even the World ...www.inform.com/Hideki Matsui -
Japanese fans celebrate Matsui's MVP performance - MLB - Wire ...
Japan nearly came to a standstill as millions watched on TV while Hideki Matsui, the man they know as Godzilla, stomped around New York to lead the Yankees to the ...www.kentucky.com/557/story/1006469.html -
Hideki Matsui - Photos and News
Joe Girardi kept Hideki Matsui as DH, leaving Jorge Posada out of the starting ... Oct. 22: New York Yankees' Hideki Matsui is hit in the head with the throw as he ...www.nypost.com/t/Hideki_Matsui -
New York Yankees' Hideki Matsui stirs thoughts in Game 2 of ...
His future in the onx is uncertain, given his free-agent status at season's end. But in what may be his final days wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hideki Matsui is hoping ...nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/10/30/... -
Hideki Matsui - New York Yankees
Player profile of Hideki Matsui from the official site of the New York Yankees.newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=425686 -
New York Yankees DH Hideki Matsui ties World Series record ...
NEW YORK — Just think what Hideki Matsui could have done if he had started all six games. ... New York Yankees DH Hideki Matsui ties World Series record 
with ...tampabay.com/sports/baseball/ml/.../1049551
