By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published March 25, 2004
TAMPA - For most of the Devil Rays and Yankees, the weeklong journey to Japan that starts this afternoon will be an interesting experience and a significant inconvenience.
For Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, it will be much more, an emotional and exciting homecoming that will turn his nation's eyes to him.
"To open the season in Japan is something I never imagined," Matsui said through an interpreter. "I'm happy to go back as a member of the New York Yankees. I'm really looking forward to it."
Matsui went back to Japan after his 2003 rookie season in New York, but this is different. He'll be in uniform, in a Yankees uniform, playing four games in the Tokyo Dome he called home for years, and, on Sunday night (Monday morning here), playing an anything-but-meaningless exhibition against his old Yomiuri Giants team.
"I don't know what to expect at the stadium as far as the fans," Matsui said. "I think it will be fun. I am actually looking forward to playing against my former teammates."
Such a setting could cause immense pressure, but Matsui insists that won't be a problem. Yankees manager Joe Torre senses that Matsui will handle it well.
"It's going to be a very proud moment for him," Torre said. "He takes everything pretty level. I tend to think it's going to be in the back of his mind that "You guys are going to need the interpreters now. I'm going to be where I'm very comfortable.' I think this gives him a chance to go back and thank them for supporting him the way they have done. I think it's going to be exciting for him."
Matsui's decision to join the Yankees last season left a void in the Japanese sporting scene that is hard for Americans to comprehend. Think of him as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and A-Rod rolled into one, with some rock star fanaticism and hero worship mixed in.
"To say that he's popular is a vast understatement," said Jim Small, managing director of MLB's Japan office. "He was voted the No. 1 sports personality in Japan in a recent poll."
"He's huge," said Tampa Bay's Eduardo Perez, who played in Japan in 2001. "It's the Matsui show over there."
The dozens of Japanese media that moved to New York and traveled the league to chronicle Matsui's every move last season provide a pretty good indication of how popular he is in his native land.
But some of the Yankees are looking forward to a first-hand look.
"From everything I understand, he's the king of Japan to begin with," Derek Jeter said. "It's going to be interesting for us to see."
Matsui is looking forward to seeing familiar faces, along with the 20-30 friends and relatives he'll have among the thousands of fans at each game. He joked that the biggest thing he misses is the specific type of massage he got from the Japanese trainers. He has given his Yankees teammates travel tips and said he'd like to take them out, but isn't sure how much time he'll be allowed.
Even if there is time, that might prove to be a difficult chore given his popularity.
"In my country there are a lot of things I can't do that I can do here," Matsui said. "I can go out to eat, but not to a place where there are many people."
A-ROD INJURED: Alex Rodriguez left the exhibition game against Boston after being hit in the face by a deflected ball at third base. Rodriguez has a bruised left cheekbone, and a CT scan was negative, the team said. It all happened against the Red Sox, the team that tried and failed to land him this winter. Brian Daubach was on first when Kevin Millar doubled to leftfield. Matsui fielded the ball and threw to third, but it hit Daubach on the leg as he slid and ricocheted into Rodriguez's face below his left eye. Yankees trainer Gene Monahan ran out to tend to Rodriguez and led him off the field. The injury is not expected to affect Rodriguez's travel plans for the Tokyo trip.
- MARC TOPKIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alas, Lilly takes the hill
CLEARWATER - Ted Lilly finally made his Blue Jays debut. Held back because of a wrist injury, Lilly had a rough start against the Phillies serving up a single to his first batter and then a two-run homer to Pat Burrell before retiring his final six.
"It was definitely fun to just get back out there on the mound and start competing again," Lilly said. "There were things I was happy with. I was around the strike zone. There were some good things to take away from it but giving up the homer wasn't much fun."
"My fastball wasn't very good tonight. At this point it's hard to expect myself being 100 percent but at the same time, you want to go out and do well, too."
The wrist, though, wasn't a problem.
"It was fine," he said. "I felt good out there. I definitely felt rusty out there but I felt healthy."
HENTGEN IRONS IT OUT: The fastball was the pitch giving Pat Hentgen problems in his past two starts. But against the Phillies, he served a steady diet of fastballs, especially in the opening innings, to great effect.
"It was something I needed to iron out," Hentgen said. "It felt good to make good pitches tonight with my fastball. I felt it was very consistent. Each time out I'm just trying to get better and move forward."
In five innings, Hentgen gave up five hits and two runs.
STRONG ARMED: Aquilino Lopez was a pleasant surprise last year as a Rule 5 draft pick. This spring he is off to a slow start but manager Carlos Tosca isn't at all perturbed.
"As much as he pitched last year, including winter ball, he looks too strong right now," Tosca said. "Sometimes when you get that way you have control problems, your arm feels too fresh."
- MIKE RUTSEY
So long Bud
CLEARWATER - Left-hander Bud Smith entered spring training as a candidate for one of two available bullpen jobs. He learned he won't get either. The Phillies designated him for assignment. They have 10 days to trade him, outright him to the minor leagues or unconditionally release him. Smith was acquired in the 2002 trade that sent Scott Rolen to the Cardinals, but he has had trouble recovering from left shoulder surgeries in October 2002 and July 2003. The Phillies claimed catcher Michel Hernandez and put him on the 40-man roster.
"Bud continues to make progress, progress from the standpoint that he's healthy," general manager Ed Wade said. "He still needs a lot of innings."
Smith allowed six hits, four runs and five walks in 62/3 innings.
BELL PLAYS: Third baseman David Bell played for the first time since March 11. He had been sidelined with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Bell, who entered with just seven at-bats, said he needs around 30 to be ready for the April 5 opener.
"I have a job to do in the next 10 days," he said.
