[NYT]Matsui Is Calmly Facing the Sound and the Fury

看板NY-Mets作者win95se (鳳梨王)時間19年前 (2005/05/16 01:17)推噓1(1推 0噓 0→)

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Matsui Is Calmly Facing the Sound and the Fury By GEORGE VECSEY Published: May 15, 2005 OF course they boo in Japan. In 2000 at the Tokyo Dome, when Bobby Valentine of the Mets had Sammy Sosa of the Cubs walked with first base open, thousands of Japanese fans let loose because they wanted to see Sosa swing. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times [Pic]Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui temporarily quieted the fans' boos with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth against the Cardinals. They sounded almost like petulant Yankees fans booing Jeter or A-Rod for having a bad hour. The Japanese fans knew it was O.K. to boo because they were plugged in to all things American and they knew that since this was an official National League baseball game, they could abandon normal behavior and yowl at the manager. It was American Night at the Tokyo Dome, just like going to T.G.I. Friday's in a city full of sushi and noodles. Multiculturalism at work. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to Kazuo Matsui, formerly of the Seibu Lions, that the fans in New York are on his case. There are two ways to try to stop the bellowing. One is to conduct himself with dignity, keep hustling and wait for the New York fans to become embarrassed and stop their outburst. Another is to smack a wrong-field triple with the bases loaded. Matsui wisely tried the second alternative yesterday. He tied the score with his hit, then scored the run that put the Mets ahead, but they squandered that little lead and lost to the Cardinals, 7-6. For the moment, however, Matsui shut down the boos. The next time he batted, only the die-hards screamed, "Get rid of him!" or "We want Cairo!" or "He's no good!" At the moment, Matsui is the least popular Met, although in volatile New York that could change in a heartbeat. He is batting .228 and looking generally shaky at second base, his new position. For a man who was a star in Japan, this could be a major loss of face. At Seibu, Matsui batted .309 in nine seasons and won four Gold Gloves as the best shortstop in the Pacific League. When the Mets were going over to Japan at the start of the 2000 season, Valentine, who had managed there, was asked to name the best players in Japan. He named three: Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Kazuo Matsui, who are not related. The other two have become stalwarts in Seattle and the Bronx. Kazuo Matsui is being roasted in Queens. "Obviously, I haven't produced results at the plate," Matsui said through an interpreter after yesterday's game. "The fans will react if you don't produce." He said he had never been booed in Japan, although he did add that he heard the occasional profanity for not producing. There is no equivalent of the waves of derision coming from the seats at Shea Stadium. "I don't think it's rude," Matsui said. "I think of it as a high expectation level. If I make a hit, they will cheer." Matsui seems smaller than his listed size of 5 feet 10 inches and 183 pounds. He somehow seems to have shrunk since the Mets moved him to second base last season. He butchered a sure double-play grounder Friday night that could have cost the game, but yesterday, soon after his triple, he helped turn a double play in heavy traffic, perhaps his grittiest pivot of the season. He will not blame his troubles on the shift of position. He will not fill up notebooks by reciting his grievances or blasting the fans. Remember when Kevin McReynolds suggested that Mets fans wanted to see failure, to reinforce their miserable view of the world? Matsui comes from another country, another culture, another planet. "I'm playing in the major leagues, which is different," he said. "It is a higher level. I think I came to the right place for it. I look on this as another challenge." Undoubtedly, Matsui knows that some fans (and some members of the news media) are calling for the Mets to use Miguel Cairo, who was a trustworthy second baseman with the Yankees last year. There is a theory that Willie Randolph, who was the bench coach with the Yankees, knows Cairo's value and will give Matsui enough chances to play himself to the bench. You could call it the Giambi Treatment. Randolph shows no sign of thinking that way. Besides, Matsui has another full year of his three-year, $20 million contract, which makes it hard to justify benching him. "The starting lineup is determined by Willie Randolph," Matsui said. "There's nothing I can do but give 100 percent." His play may be jittery, but there is no sign of panic in Matsui's words or deportment. Perhaps Mets fans will notice his dignified stance and lay off him. But bases-loaded triples seem like a better option. -- If you're not have fun in baseball, you miss the point of everything. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 59.104.187.157