Hideki Matsui Retires as a Yankee in the Bronx

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 29- The two most prestigious position players to come from Japan to the major leagues are Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki. Interestingly but not surprisingly, the two superstars came to wear the Yankees pinstripes. Suzuki and pitcher Hiroki Kuroda are integral parts of the 2013 Yankees, but an icon of the recent past, Matsui, was at the center of attention at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Matsui began his professional baseball career in his native land by signing with the Yomiuri Giants after earning great prestige as a high school player. He received numerous honors in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) in his 10 years with the Giants. Among his awards were: three-time MVP in the Central League, Japan Games MVP, All-Star in each of his last nine seasons and an MVP in three NPB All-Star Games.

Having achieved so much in his decade in the NPB, Matsui signed a contract with the New York Yankees on December 9, 2002 to play on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Of that day, he reflected in his pre-game press conference on Sunday, “That was probably the greatest moment in my career.”

Matsui lived up to the advance build-up in his first game as a Yankee. He singled in his first MLB at bat and blasted a grand slam homer later in the contest. He and current Yankee Ichiro Suzuki, by their professionalism and exceptional talent, raised the respect for the level of Japanese baseball in the eyes of American fans.

Matsui, as a Yankee, continued to play at the same level as he had in Japan. He was an American League All-Star in his first two years, 2003 and 2004. He left Japan holding a consecutive game streak of 1,250 and played in his first 518 games with the Yankees. Only a fractured left wrist suffered in the outfield ended his streak.
The Japanese superstar concluded his seventh and final season in New York much as he began his first. He drove in six runs in the concluding sixth game of the 2009 World Series and ended his Yankee tenure as the World Series MVP.

Matsui’s final three seasons in the majors were disappointing contrasted with his success as a Yankee. On December 27, 2012, he announced his retirement as a player. A large retirement ceremony was held at the Tokyo Dome on May 5, 2013.
Matsui’s parents and brother were present at the tasteful ceremony held at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. At a pre-game press conference, the former Yankee outfielder signed a minor league contract with the Yankees. On the field, he signed his voluntary retirement papers, so he could officially end his playing career with New York. Yankee captain Derek Jeter, on behalf of the organization, presented a matted, framed 2009 #55 jersey to Matsui. The two were then joined on the field by the members of the 2013 Yankees.

The Yankee icon spoke very strongly of his years as a Yankee. “I’ve always aspired to be a New York Yankee.” His most memorable moments in pinstripes were “winning the World Series in 2009 and the ALCS in 2003.” That response was not surprising to hear from a man who also said, “All I really focused on was trying to win the World Series here. If the fans took something from that it was an honor.” Of his retirement as a Yankee, he proclaimed, “I’m so humbled and honored to retire as a Yankee. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that. I think that moment I will never forget.”

P.S.-The good feeling in Yankee Stadium generated by the presence of Matsui continued during the game between the Yanks and Rays. Matsui’s countryman, Suzuki, brought great joy to the large percentage of Japanese fans in the park by hitting successfully four times in four trips to the plate. Derek Jeter, his teammate for all seven years with the Yankees, homered on the first pitch he saw. Yet, when asked about the homer, the classy captain responded, “This is Matsui’s day. The focus should be on him. I’m happy I was able to be here for his game,” The walk-off single that won the game for the Yankees was hit by Alfonso Soriano, a teammate of Matsui in 2003, in his third game back with the Yankees.

Chris Archer Blanks Yanks, 1-0

By Howard Godlin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 28- A very large crowd, 43,424, took advantage of a beautiful Saturday afternoon in July to relax outdoors and enjoy a major league baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Those who are pleased by viewing an extremely well-pitched, low scoring mound duel that moves quickly were in the right place on Saturday. Those who prefer high run totals boosted by home runs would have been disappointed by Saturday’s ballgame.

The two young hurlers, Ivan Nova, 26, and Chris Archer, 24, who started, easily handled the vast majority of batters they faced during the ballgame. Baserunners were few and far between.

The Rays scored the only run in the contest in the top of the sixth. Appropriately for such a masterly pitched game by both starters, the run was achieved by “small ball.”
With one out, James Loney raised his major league leading road batting average with his second single of the game. Loney is currently batting .371 in road games. The first sacker was forced at second on a ground ball by Ben Zobrist, who quickly stole second. Matt Joyce walked and Kelly Johnson drove in the lone run of the game with a single to center.

Before the game, Tampa skipper Joe Maddon decided to start Johnson in left rather than Sean Rodriguez, who started the previous night’s contest. After the game, the genial manager of the Rays commented, “The players make you look good.”

The loss was the second straight for Nova, neither of which he deserved to receive as the Yanks did not score a run in either contest. You cannot get a victory if your team is shutout. He only yielded the one run and six hits in seven innings.
Maddon described the game in the following honest words, “It was like a mid-60’s game at Yankee Stadium. It was incredible to watch, but our guy was just a little better.” Veteran catcher Yadier Molina of Tampa said of Nova, “He was really sharp today, curveballs, sliders.”

The Tampa starter has pitched outstandingly since his first start against the Yankees on June 23. The same two starting pitchers began that game with the win going to Archer and the Rays, 3-2. From that date, Archer is 5-0 and the Rays were victorious in all seven of his starts. The youngster gave up only seven earned runs in 48 innings during that period. His skills have improved as time has passed. He has only yielded one earned run during his last four starts (31 innings).

On Saturday, he threw his second complete game shutout in his last three starts. He did not walk a batter and only two Yankees recorded base hits, Lyle Overbay, a single in the fifth and Brett Gardner, a double in the sixth.

Maddon’s praise for his sterling rookie seemed endless, “Overall, it was a great mix with overwhelming stuff. He’s really growing and doing it against some really good teams. He was just [a success] waiting to happen. He’s in control of his emotions.”
Archer spoke about his emotions after the victory, “Stupendously amazing is how it feels. Our team’s just rolling along now [21 wins in the last 24 games]. It’s more fun now playing baseball than at any level.”

He gave credit for the advice given to him by Curt Schilling two days ago, “Schilling advised me to have a purpose for every pitch. I found myself doing that today.”

Although the pitching was superlative, the lack of Yankee hitting is disturbing to the team’s rooters. They have been held to two hits on four occasions in 2013.The Yankees have not homered in the last nine games. That homerless streak is the longest since 1984, when the Yanks hit no homers in 10 straight games.

The defeat placed the Yankees in their most precarious position of the season, eight games out of first place.

On Sunday, Mike Moore (14-3) will attempt to break the tie with Bártolo Colón and Max Scherzer and become the undisputed major league win leader. He will start against Phil Hughes (4-9) in the final game of the series and short homestand at Yankee Stadium. Prior to the game, there will be a special retirement ceremony to honor former Yankee Hideki Matsui.

Bronx News Sports: Soriano can't Save Slumping Yanks

Bronx News Sports: Soriano can't Save Slumping Yanks: C.C. Sabathia Rocked Again Rays Top Yanks, 10-6 By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 27- There was a feeling of excitement and happin...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano can't Save Slumping Yanks

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano can't Save Slumping Yanks: C.C. Sabathia Rocked Again Rays Top Yanks, 10-6 By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 27- There was a feeling of excitement and happin...

Soriano can't Save Slumping Yanks

C.C. Sabathia Rocked Again
Rays Top Yanks, 10-6

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 27- There was a feeling of excitement and happiness throughout Yankee Stadium on Friday night before the contest between the Yanks and Tampa Rays as the Yanks returned to the Bronx with an old favorite, Alfonso Soriano, in the starting lineup.

The good feeling subsided in the top of the second as the Rays scored six runs before the frame concluded. The Rays’ barrage included three singles, three doubles and a base on balls. The scoring was also aided by a throwing error by catcher Austin Romine. The inning only ended after a run batted in single by impressive rookie Will Myers, who was out at second trying to stretch.

Of Sabathia’s difficulty that inning, Yankees skipper Joe Girardi commented, “He was up tonight. Only one run was in with one out. That was probably the most frustrating part.”

Sabathia reflected after the contest, “I wish I could have made the pitches in the second that I did in the third.”

Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia surrendered a seventh run in his final inning, the fifth. Right fielder Sean Rodriguez led off with a double and crossed the plate on single by James Loney.

Sabathia’s start on Friday was disturbingly similar to his last two efforts. He gave up a minimum of seven runs and did not last more than five innings in each of the three games. The lefty disgustedly remarked, “Getting no help from me is tough.”

The record shows that the Rays love to bat against southpaws. The victory over Sabathia was their 10th in the last 11 games in which they faced a lefthander.
The Rays took a 10-1 advantage in the seventh. Myers led off with a single, giving him a seventh straight multi-hit game. After a walk to Matt Joyce, Loney blasted a three run homer. The first sacker continued his hitting mastery on the road. The major league leader in road batting average hit safely in his 14th straight contest on the road and reached base safely in his 33rd road start.

The Yanks in the final two innings did not die quietly as they put five runs on the board. Rookies Melky Mesa and David Adams, each of who entered the game in the eighth, each got two hits in two trips to the plate.

The month long success of the Rays has propelled them to the top of the standings in the American League East. Since June 29th, the Rays have been victorious in 20 of 23 games. Since that date, they have climbed from fourth place, seven games behind the league leader to first place, 0.5 ahead of the Red Sox.

Ivan Nova (4-3) and Chris Archer (5-3) will be the starting pitchers on Saturday afternoon.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano’s Back in the Bronx

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano’s Back in the Bronx: Returns to the Yankees By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- The MLB trade deadline will be reached on July 31. Thus, there are ...

Soriano’s Back in the Bronx

Returns to the Yankees

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- The MLB trade deadline will be reached on July 31. Thus, there are only a few days remaining in which the contending teams can acquire players they hope can help their teams reach championship status and teams in the lower rungs of the standings can rid their teams of high salaried players who are toward the end of the careers.

The Yankee management, although the club is in fourth place in the American League East, obviously believe a change in personnel can help the team rise to contend for a post-season berth. Rumors of a trade with the Chicago Cubs in which left fielder Alfonso Soriano would return to the Bronx proved to be true on Friday when the trade was finalized.

Soriano is returning to the major league team in which he began his career in exchange for a minor league reliever, Corey Black. Soriano’s contract which lasts through the 2014 season will shift to the Yankees, but $17.7 million of the $24.5 million still owed to Soriano will be paid by the Cubs.

Although he is 37 years of age, Soriano is still capable of hitting for power. Thus far in the 2013 season, Soriano has hit 17 home runs and driven in 51 runs. Ten of his homers were hit in the last 21 games he played.

His manager in Chicago, Dale Sveum, after uttering words of high praise for Soriano’s performance and attitude while he played with the Cubs, explained the reasons why Soriano would waive the no-trade clause in his contract, “He’s going to a place that is, obviously, one of the better stadiums, and he’s been there before and has performed in that atmosphere before. Obviously, they’ve [Yankees] had a lot of injuries, and he’s the guy who can fill that void as designated hitter and in left field.”

Soriano began his pro career in baseball in Japan. He had a short but contentious time with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp before becoming an MLB free agent. He signed with the Yankees. As a minor leaguer, he was selected the MVP of the 1999 Futures Game. He played eight last season games with the Yankees in 1999.

He remained with the club through 2003. He excelled in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons, but was traded to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez in early 2004. In late 2005, he was traded to the Washington Nationals. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, he signed with the Cubs as a free agent.

Although, he was always potent at bat, Soriano was error prone as a second baseman and was eventually moved to the outfield. He was chosen an All-Star in seven major league seasons and was the MVP of the 2004 All-Star Game.

He is close to two statistical milestones that he should achieve with the Yanks; he needs 11 hits to reach 2,000 and 11 home runs to be at 400.

Two needs of the Yankees can be aided by the addition of Soriano, a right handed batter in the everyday lineup and a batter capable of power numbers.

Soriano’s initial statement showed pleasure in returning to the Yankees and good feelings for the Cubs, “I’m happy and I think they’re [Cubs] happy too. They are getting something back and I am happy going back to New York, where I started my career.”

The 15 year baseball veteran also mentioned the drawback of being traded, “The thing that was difficult for me was leaving my teammates, my family…I have been traded before and I know what happens.”

Ironically, the player the Yankees traded to obtain Alex Rodriguez will be in the Yankees lineup before A-Rod.