Tuesday, January 14 Updated: March 13, 5:07 PM ET Yankees introduce newest international star Associated Press |
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NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui was introduced by the New York Yankees on Tuesday and got a quick request from Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Please spend your millions here!
The Yankees' newest international star, nicknamed Godzilla, agreed last month to a $21 million, three-year contract.
"Hideki, let me remind you, I work for $1 a year,'' Bloomberg said.
Yankees manager Joe Torre interrupted his Hawaiian vacation to attend the news conference at a Manhattan hotel, and six-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens represented Matsui's new teammates.
"I would like to try as hard as possible to be one of the team members of the New York Yankees and to be accepted in the city,'' Matsui said through a translator.
Matsui arrived Thursday from Japan to take a physical and complete details of the contract. One of the first things he did was to visit the World Trade Center site.
"I still can't believe something like that happened,'' he said.
The 28-year-old Matsui probably will be a left fielder for the Yankees. A three-time MVP in Japan's Central League with the Yomiuri Giants, he had a .304 career average with 332 homers and 889 RBI in 1,268 games. |
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