This is an old revision of this page, as edited by D6 (talk | contribs) at 03:26, 6 October 2004 (adding Category:1974 births , see WP:People by year). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 03:26, 6 October 2004 by D6 (talk | contribs) (adding Category:1974 births , see WP:People by year)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Hideki Matsui (Japanese: 松井 秀喜) (born June 12, 1974) is a Japanese Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. He has been nicknamed "Godzilla", and has generated excitement among fans. His hair style has prompted some of his teammates to jokingly refer to him as "Shemp". Many reporters and photographers have followed him from his home in Tokyo, Japan.
Matsui was born in Neagari, Ishikawa, Japan. He started playing baseball when he was in elementary school, and 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, even though the strategy worked and his team lost. Matsui graduated from Seiryo-Highschool in Ishikawa and was drafted by the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants in the first round.
Matsui was a three-time MVP in the (Japanese) Central League, playing for the Giants, Japan's most famous team. In 2003, his first season in Major League Baseball, Matsui collected 179 hits in 623 at bats, including 42 doubles and a triple, for a .287 batting average.
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