Kazuo Matsui

Kazuo Matsui (松井 稼頭央) is a Japanese former professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and is the current manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions.

He is a switch-hitter.

Matsui became the first player since 1975 to hit an inside-the-park home run as his first home run of the season.

Matsui was chosen third overall by the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League in the 1994 Japanese League Draft, where he would wear number 32.

Although Matsui experienced winning the Pacific League Title a total of four times (1994, 1997, 1998, 2002), his team never won the Japanese Series.

Prior to joining MLB, Matsui would only play for the Seibu Lions, playing there from 1995 to 2003.

In 1996, his third season, he became a regular starter as a shortstop and finished the season second in stolen bases (50).

Prior to the 1997 season, he would change his number to 7.

The 1997 season saw him reach a .300 batting average for the first time and lead the league in stolen bases (62) to help his team win the Pacific League Title.

During the 1997 All-Star Game he set a new All-Star Game record by stealing four bases and was chosen the game MVP.

Matsui would lead the Pacific League in stolen bases for two more consecutive seasons.

He enjoyed success as a seven-time Best Nine award winner (1997–2003).

He received four Gold Glove awards while in Japan (equivalent of Rawlings Gold Glove Award in MLB) during the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 seasons.

He also won a Nippon Professional Baseball MVP award in Japan during the 1998 season.

One of his best years was 2002, when he had a .332 batting average with 36 home runs, 87 RBI, 193 hits, 119 runs, 46 doubles, 6 triples and 33 stolen bases.

Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese infielder to sign with a Major League Baseball team.

He graduated from the PL Academy Senior High School in Osaka, a school nationally renowned for its baseball program.

The only appearance Matsui made at the National High School Baseball Championship Tournament was in his second year at PL Academy.

Though Matsui was considered to be the PL Academy's ace starting pitcher, injuries limited him to playing only in the quarter-final game, where he allowed two runs during 2 innings.

With the Mets, Matsui hit home runs in his first plate appearance in each of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the only Major League player to hit a home run in his first plate appearance of his first three seasons.

The only other player to hit a home run in even his first at-bat of three consecutive seasons was Ken Griffey Jr.. In 2004, Matsui homered on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz of the Atlanta Braves leading off the first inning, in 2005, on the sixth pitch from Paul Wilson of the Cincinnati Reds with one out in the first inning, and in 2006, on the fourth pitch from Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres with no outs in the top of the third.

The third home run is notable for being an inside-the-park home run.

He slid into home as his former Met teammate Mike Piazza was blocking the plate.

Matsui played 114 games in 2004 (the most games he has played so far in his MLB career).

He hit .272 with 125 hits, 32 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, 44 RBI, 65 runs, 14 stolen bases, 5 sacrifice hits, 40 walks and 182 total bases.

His hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, and total bases currently remain career highs.

Based on his performance in Japan, Matsui was expected to excel defensively as a shortstop with the Mets.

However, in 2004, Matsui committed many errors and misjudgments at the position, and was made the second baseman for 2005.

He was also plagued by injuries, which were not a problem for him in Japan.

His offensive production was also much lower than anticipated.

By mid-2005, he was no longer an everyday player, sharing time at second base with Miguel Cairo and Marlon Anderson.

Matsui finished the season batting .255 with three home runs and 24 RBI.

Matsui began the 2006 season by hitting .200 (26-for-130) with 10 runs, six doubles, one home run and seven RBI.

The one home run came on an inside-the-park home run against the San Diego Padres on April 20, 2006.

On June 9, 2006, Matsui was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Eli Marrero.

Colorado asked Matsui to waive certain clauses in his contract to which he agreed.

Once complete, Matsui was sent down to play with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for about two and a half months.

Matsui made his Rockies debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 23, 2006, starting at shortstop in place of Clint Barmes.

Matsui would soon shift to second base.