BASEBALL

Retiring Matsui showered with praise

Sports Dec. 29, 2012 - 06:32AM JST ( 16 )

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Order by Time Order by Popularity

16 Comments

-7

some14someDec. 29, 2012 - 07:27AM JST

"sugoi" fever in Japan, every sport player is "great" here.
-1

Hide SuzukiDec. 29, 2012 - 08:24AM JST

@some14some

There hundreds of baseball players here in Japan. Not everyone is praised. Many players retire unannounced. What's your problem with him anyways ?

You leave negative comments on every single Matsui related article. You don't like the guy ? Fine, don't read articles related to him, that simple

Please don't feel that you have to leave comments on every article you read, thanks
-2

efox1Dec. 29, 2012 - 08:33AM JST

@massa, this season was his 10th season which, IIRC, means that he will be receiving the highest MLB pension he could receive. So I think he retires at just the right time. ;)
0

Jay QueDec. 29, 2012 - 09:01AM JST

Retiring at 38, now thats a special kind of class royalty. I appreciate this great Godzilla guy; hope he finds a happy 2nd career.
1

alliswellinjapanDec. 29, 2012 - 11:22AM JST

Such a great athlete with such a great personality. Not so often that you find both coming from one individual. Japan should be proud of this guy and appreciate the amount of praise he is getting from the US media, NY media in particular following his announcement not to mention the fans there. What a great ambassador he turned out to be.
0

CrisGerSanDec. 29, 2012 - 12:14PM JST

A fine man and a fine sportsman, a credit to his family, his upbringing and his own character. He will be missed.
-1

samwattersDec. 29, 2012 - 02:14PM JST

I remember when Masui apologized for getting injured (separated wrist) and causing problems and even offered to repay some of the money from his contact. Just a classy person/athlete. You will be missed Godzilla!
1

biculturalDec. 29, 2012 - 04:55PM JST

Massa, Ichiro batted .322 with the Yankees last year. Playing for a team chasing after the pennant is always a motivating factor. Playing for a perennial cellar-dweller is not.
1

BurakuminDesDec. 29, 2012 - 08:32PM JST

Great player - even as a non-baseball tragic I can respect that. Played 5 years too long in my opinion - but who wouldn't with the money on offer!? He should defo play a few years now in Japan to pay for his retirement fund - hopefully for the local Tohoku Rakuten mob!
1

edojinDec. 29, 2012 - 11:00PM JST

Matsui-san's knees are gone, so even if he wanted to play a little longer back home in Japan he would have to battle the pain in his legs. Like Harimoto-san, Oh-san, Nagashima-san and others, when the legs go, that's it.

Pete Rose once said that when the timing goes, that's it. Explaining that timing, he said something like when the eyes can no longer keep up with the wrists, the timing is gone ... and then down, down goes the batting average. At that point, time to hang up the spikes.

Ichiro said last season he is beginning to have eye problems concerning his timing, so his timing might go before his legs. For a baseball player, he's an old man at 39 years of age. Two more years of playing will test his body more than ever.

Back to Matsui ... he has said he wants to "study" baseball some more in the U.S. ... so some day look for him to come back to baseball as a coach ... and then a manager. And if he does manage ... he might make a good replacement for Hara-san at the helm of the Giants.
1

warnerbroDec. 29, 2012 - 11:31PM JST

332 homeruns in ten years in NPB. 175 home runs in ten years in MLB. With a great World Series and a few great years. A class act, a pro.
0

The_PopeDec. 30, 2012 - 07:41AM JST

He should have come to the majors five years sooner...
-3

some14someDec. 30, 2012 - 12:39PM JST

He should have come to the majors five years sooner...

then he would have retired 5 years earlier (!)