Was there anyone who didn’t love Hideki Matsui? He was one of those rare players who appealed to everyone. Godzilla was insanely productive and he played every single game, at least early in his Yankees career, plus he was controversy-free and as classy at it gets. It was impossible not to love him.
Matsui, who turned 39 last month, will officially retire as a Yankee today. He signed a one-day minor league contract with the team this morning, and he will sign his retirement papers on the field during a pre-game ceremony. If you were lucky enough to get to the Stadium super early, you probably walked away with one of the Matsui bobbleheads as well. Godzilla was one of my most favorite players ever and it’s a bittersweet day to see him officially call it a career. He was a perfect Yankee.
Here’s the lineup that will face left-hander Matt Moore:
- CF Brett Gardner
- SS Derek Jeter
- 2B Robinson Cano
- LF Alfonso Soriano
- DH Vernon Wells
- RF Ichiro Suzuki
- 3B Brent Lillibridge
- 1B David Adams
- C Chris Stewart
And on the mound in what could be his final appearance as a Yankee is right-hander Phil Hughes. The trade deadline is Wednesday and the team has reportedly been “aggressively pushing” Hughes on the market as they seek offensive help. If this winds up being his final appearance in pinstripes, hopefully he goes out with a bang.
It’s cloudy, cool, and humid in New York right now, and there is a chance of showers in the not-too-distant future. It isn’t expected to be anything that could postpone the game, but there might be a delay in the middle innings. The Matsui ceremony is scheduled to start at 12:45pm ET and the game at 1:05pm ET. You can watch all of it on YES. Enjoy.
Injury Updates: Oh, yeah, Derek Jeter (quad) has been activated off the DL. To clear room on the roster, Travis Hafner (shoulder) was officially placed on the 15-day DL … Jayson Nix (hamstring) is with the team and will be activated off the DL for Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers … David Phelps (forearm) will make another minor league rehab start on Tuesday … Curtis Granderson (hand) could rejoin the team in time for next weekend’s series against the Padres.
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