Major League Baseball

Matsui teams up with Jeter at baseball charity in Japan

Published Mar. 21, 2015 10:35 a.m. ET

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TOKYO -- Hideki Matsui went to bat for children affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and hit a home run.

The 2009 World Series MVP teamed up with former New York Yankees teammate Derek Jeter on Saturday to raise funds for children from Japan's disaster-stricken Tohoku region.

"Jeter played a big role in all of this," Matsui said. "The kids had a magnificent day. Hopefully, when they go back to their everyday lives tomorrow, they'll have new dreams to sustain them."

Jeter and Matsui conducted a youth baseball clinic then managed middle school teams in a three-inning contest, won 2-0 by Matsui's squad.

The day's final event was a home run derby between the U.S. and Japanese students. Matsui thrilled the fans when he stepped up to the plate and hit a towering homer over the right-field wall at Tokyo Dome, where he spent 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants before heading to the U.S.

During his four-day visit to Japan, Jeter also took in a sumo tournament and visited Matsui's hometown.

"It was a wonderful few days," Jeter said. "Hideki showed me around, I got a chance to go see his hometown, I got a chance to see sumo wrestling and to top it off today was this great charity event. I'm grateful Hideki invited me and it's all for a great cause."

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