Granted, I'm a Yankee fan, so I'm biased. But I think Matsui has been a godsend for the Yanks in left, which has been a vast wasteland since Roy White retired lo those many years ago (Rickey held down the fort out there for a short while, but too short in the final analysis). Matsui is a smart defender and gets to balls quickly, and as evidenced by the play in Chicago last night, goes all out without regard for his safety. He has done an amazing job at adapting to parks in which he had never played before last year. His arm isn't the greatest, but he has such a quick release when he gets to a ball that his arm strength almost doesn't matter if the cutoff man (usually Jeter) has a good arm to compensate.<p>At the plate, Matsui will probably never hit as many homers as he did in Japan's smaller parks. But he is a good clutch hitter (e.g., his double last year in Game 7 against Pedro), and when he gets on a hot streak he can help the team immensely.<p>He's also humble and very patient with the Japanese and the American media.<p>I hope the Yanks can sign him beyond next year for a reasonable amount. At $6 million per in his current contract, he may be a bit overpaid but not by much in today's market.
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