Hideki Matsui to sign with Yankees, retire
Hideki Matsui smiles during a news conference to announce his retirement. (Dec. 27, 2012) Credit: AP
Look out New York: Godzilla is coming back to the Bronx.
At least for a day.
The Yankees announced that slugger Hideki Matsui will sign a one-day minor league contract on July 28 so he can retire as a Yankee before the game that day.
Technically, Matsui announced his retirement in December, so this is more of a brief “comeback” followed by yet another retirement. Roger Clemens, eat your heart out.
Matsui had a .282 career average, .360 on-base percentage and 175 home runs during a 10-year MLB career that spanned the Yankees, Angels, A’s and Rays. He played the first seven seasons of his major league career with the Yankees, winning a world title with the team in 2009 when he was named World Series MVP. He departed that winter as a free agent.
A feared slugger during a 10-year career in Japan, Matsui slammed 332 home runs in his homeland for the Yomiuri Giants before becoming a Yankee prior to the 2003 season.
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