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Godzilla
Brings Friends To Trenton
by Mike Ashmore
September 14, 2006 - Hunterdon County Democrat
Every move he made, every step he took, they were watching
him.
Hideki Matsui made a two game appearance in Trenton last
week, and he brought plenty of friends.
He was followed at every turn by nearly 100 members of the
Japanese media, Yankees officials, Major League Baseball
security and yes, the police.
Godzilla and company descended onto Trenton's Waterfront
Park just in time for the first round of the Eastern League
Playoffs, with the Japanese sensation seeing his first game
action since breaking his wrist while playing the Red Sox on
May 11th.
"Once I got injured, I accepted the situation, there
was no frustration," said Matsui, who had played in
1,768 consecutive games between the Yomiuri Giants of Japan
and the Yankees prior to the injury.
With the two-time Major League All-Star penciled into the
lineup for the duration of the series, which the Thunder
ultimately lost in four games to Portland, one of his new
teammates would have to sit on the bench so he could play.
Outfielder Vince Faison, who sat out two games in the series
despite being third on the team with home runs (14) and
second in RBI (66), looked at the big picture.
"It's like it was at the beginning of the season when I
was the fourth outfielder," he said. "We've
talked, I know my role."
Matsui played a big role in the Thunder's game one victory,
lacing a run-scoring single to right field late in the game,
providing insurance for their 3-1 win. Although he didn't
play in the field during the series, he looked sharp at the
plate, and his injured wrist appeared to be healthy.
"It's fine," said Matsui, whose wrist was wrapped
in ice after both games.
The reaction to Matsui was anything but ice cold, as fans
with Matsui Tokyo jerseys and signs written in Japanese
cheered his every move, even going as far as to applaud his
second inning strikeout in game one.
The minor league experience was a first for the 32-year-old,
as was playing in front of crowds of 5,000 people. In fact,
the smallest crowd the Yankees have played in front of all
season was 16,421 in Kansas City last Wednesday.
Thankfully for Thunder fans, the unique circumstances under
which Matsui would be making his minor league debut were not
lost on the popular slugger.
"Being that it's the playoffs, you feel that certain
kind of pressure that's there," he said. "I just
played the way I would play in the majors."
Felix Escalona, who was a reserve infielder for the Yankees
last season, has played with Matsui at the highest level,
and he welcomed his presence in the Thunder clubhouse.
"I think it's good he's here," he said. "He's
going to make a lot of guys more comfortable in our
lineup."
While Matsui's presence on the field was clearly beneficial,
the media circus that comes with it was hard to ignore.
"It's a big day for us, it's the playoffs," said
Shelley Duncan, who emerged as a team leader in his second
season with the team.
"We've got to be professional about this, and block it
all out. We worked real hard all season to get to this
point, and we don't want to let any distractions get in our
way."
A welcome attraction to some, perhaps just a distraction to
others.
Whatever the case may be, all eyes were on Hideki Matsui in
Trenton.
Thunder Notes: Despite what other media outlets
reported, Matsui joked with The Democrat that he was
"too old to take the bus" and would be flying to
Portland instead...Also contradictory to what other media
outlets reported, Matsui did sign autographs for fans...The
Japanese media came to Trenton in droves to follow Matsui,
with over 90 media credentials being issued for the series.
Matsui answered all questions through his interpreter, Roger
Kahlon...Considering the team usually has five or six
members of the media in the press box, the Thunder staff had
to take drastic measures to accommodate the Japanese press
core. Some were set up on the concourse, to the right of the
press box. Others, mainly camera crews, were placed in the
picnic area down the left field line...Injured Yankees Kevin
Thompson and Miguel Cairo were also in Trenton to work out
during the series, but had no intentions of playing.
"This is great," said Thompson of his brief return
to Trenton. "I know everybody here, it's great being
around people I know again."
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