Major League Baseball

Matsui a smash in his likely farewell to N.Y.

Published Nov. 5, 2009 7:00 p.m. ET

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He arrived at the interview room drenched in champagne, the result of his previously un-witnessed talent for celebration, an exuberant humor that belies the ritual solemnity of his statements. As anyone present for the postgame party could tell you, Hideki Matsui is pretty good with a champagne bottle.

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"This is the best moment of my life," he said, through his interpreter, Roger Kahlon. "Right now."

A season that was supposed to be about the most familiar, and expensive, of Yankee icons — Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Mariano Rivera — ended with the star most conspicuous for his anonymity. In leading the Yankees to their 27th championship Wednesday night, Matsui hit a homer, a double and a single. His six RBIs tied a World Series record, previously held alone by Yankees' alum Bobby Richardson. In fact, as great nights go, Matsui's will compare favorably with Reggie Jackson's three-homer game against the Dodgers, the gold standard for World Series performances. Both Jackson, MVP of that 1977 World Series, and Matsui, knocked in eight runs in six games. The difference is, Reggie hit .450 in 20 at-bats while slugging 1.250. Matsui hit .615 and slugged 1.385, while spending three games in Philadelphia as a pinch-hitter. He is also, it's worth mentioning, the Fall Classic's first Asian-born MVP.
All that, and he's almost certainly played his final game in blue pinstripes.

"Do you expect to be a Yankee next season?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I have no idea."

Moments like those must make Matsui the envy of every player in the Yankee clubhouse. How many days did A-Rod or Jeter wish they spoke only Japanese?

Matsui is a great hitter, whose left-handed swing makes him even more ideal for the new Yankee Stadium. He's donated his knees to the Yankee cause. But seven years after his arrival, he remains an enigma, hiding in plain sight. Matsui is as famous in Japan as Rodriguez and Jeter are in America. His signing with the Yankees was celebrated with a parade in Tokyo. A Japanese media contingent, ranging between eight and 12 reporters, follow him during the regular season. But nobody — certainly not in this country — knows who he is. Even the identity of his wife — who works for "a highly respected company" — remains unknown.