10 Questions

Matsui on playing for the Yanks and Western food

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

No baseball player on the planet is under more scrutiny than new Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui. The most popular player in Japan -- a three-time MVP who boasts a .304 career average -- now is playing for the most prestigious franchise in American baseball, and the media attention has been unprecedented. Matsui has proven to be exceedingly cordial, if not particularly glib, as dozens of reporters from East and West compete for his time. He and his interpreter, Roger Kahlon, stopped to talk with SI.com's John Donovan recently for this edition of 10 Questions.

Q: You have done quite well in your first spring training in American baseball. Is it what you expected?

A: Little by little, I'm getting a little more comfortable. I'm feeling better each day. I didn't expect that much.

Q: Has anything been different for you, anything unexpected?

A: Nothing, especially.

Q: You have more than 100 Japanese reporters following your every move, you have the entire New York press corps interested in your progress. How do you get away from all this, how do you relax?

A: Just the common things. Going out for dinner. Sleeping. I haven't had a chance to go out to the movies. I haven't had the time.

Q: Well, then, being a newcomer to this country, do you find the food OK?

A: It's not much different. I pretty much eat Japanese food, as well as Western food, just as much in Japan. So everything, so far, so good.

Q: I guess, then, you're staying away from Big Macs and Whoppers?

A: No, I don't really eat those.

Q: It's been said that the Yomiuri Giants are like the Yankees of Japan. Having played for both teams, do you think that's accurate?

A: I only know those two teams. I can't really compare them with other teams, but the fact that the two are very rich in tradition and both are committed to winning, they are alike in that manner. I'm not that familiar with [the Yankees' tradition], but I do know some of the more famous players.

Q: The American baseball season is longer than it is in Japan. Are you preparing any differently?

A: I think, overall, it is pretty much the same. The time period of spring training is much shorter [here]. I know it is a fact that it's going to be a longer season. But it's still a little far away. I just want to continue to play the game and stay positive.

Q: You're such a recognizable face in Japan. Is it easier here in America to find a little privacy?

A: Back home, I still had time for my own private life. It's like that here, too. Not much different.

Q: Are there any endorsements or commercial deals in America in your future?

A: [Laughing] Not at this point, no.

Q: Every day, it's something new for you. Are you concerned that sometimes it's just going to be too much?

A: I think every day being a new experience is enjoyable for me. It's a challenge. I enjoy it.

 

Related information

Stories

New York Yankees Spring Training Preview Spring Training Buzz: Lessons we have learned Michael Silver: Baby Boomer

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video